Bhagavad Gita

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 14: Guṇa Traya Vibhāga Yogam, Verse 18:

Bhagavad Gita - krishna

(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

The Gunas That Dominates Their Personality Is Linked To The Souls’ Reincarnation In Their Next Birth

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्था मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसा: |
जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसा: || 14.18||

ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣhṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛitti-sthā adho gachchhanti tāmasāḥ|| 14.18||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 14- Ver. 18:

Those who are established in sattva ascend, while those who are established in rajas remain in the middle. Those who are under the sway of the lowest guna, tamas, descend.

Explanation

According to Shree Krishna, the souls’ rebirth in their future birth is tied to the gunas that dominates their personality. The souls reach the kind of place that corresponds to their gunas after completing their journey in this life.

Everyone is greatly exalted in the higher planetary system, which consists of the heavenly planets. The living being can be transferred to numerous planets in this system depending on the degree of growth of the mode of goodness. Satyaloka, or Brahmaloka, is the highest planet, and it is here that Lord Brahma, the universe’s supreme being, resides. We’ve previously seen how difficult it is to compute the magnificent state of life in Brahmaloka, but the ultimate state of life, the mode of goodness, can lead us there.

Passion is expressed in a variety of ways. It’s somewhere in the middle, between goodness and stupidity. A person is not always pure, but even if he were, he would just remain on this earth as a king or a wealthy man. However, because there are combinations, one can go down as well.

The mode of ignorance, the lowest quality, is described as horrible here. The consequences of increasing ignorance are extremely dangerous. In material nature, it is of the lowest quality. There are eight million species of life below the human level: birds, beasts, reptiles, trees, and so on, and mankind are brought down to these horrible conditions according to the growth of the manner of ignorance. The word tamasa has a lot of meaning in this context. Tamasa denotes persons who remain in a state of ignorance without progressing to a higher state. Their prospects are grim. Men in the modes of ignorance and passion have the potential to be uplifted to the mode of virtue.

Verse & what we can learn

We should intentionally undertake the actions necessary to raise our mental state once we have determined our degree of rajas and tamas. If our nature is largely tamasa, we should engage in rajasic activities. If our nature is predominantly sattvic, we should act in a sattvic manner. In addition, he places the burden of self-improvement squarely on our shoulders. No one else has the power to make this happen. The desire to develop oneself must originate from within.

As a result of executing sattvic, selfless activities, we can elevate ourselves to the level of sattva, where we can remain in a sattvic condition for the most of the day. By forgetting our true nature as the eternal essence, we have become the individual soul, the jeeva, the Purusha. By associating with a mind and body that are influenced by the gunas, we have become deeper embroiled in Prakriti.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

How can we separate ourselves from Prakriti if we’ve mastered staying in sattva and minimizing the effects of rajas and tamas? Shri Krishna talks about this in next shloka.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…

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