MindKshetraby LogitsLab
← Chapter 7

Bhagavad Gita · 7.12 · Self-Knowledge and Enlightenment·12 of 30

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च येमत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि नत्वहं तेषु ते मयि

ye chaiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāśh cha

ye matta eveti tān viddhi na tvahaṁ teṣhu te mayi

Sanskrit recitation

The divine inside ordinary nature · 7.1–7.14 · Teaching

Translation

Whatever beings (and objects) that are pure, active, and inert, know that they proceed from Me. They are in Me, yet I am not in them.

Meaning

This is a world of the three Gunas, viz., Sattva (purity), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (inertia). All sentient and insentient objects are the aggregate of these three alities of Nature. One quality predominates in them and the predominant quality imparts to the object its distinctive character or definite properties.In the gods, sages milk and green gram, Sattva is predominant. In Gandharvas (a class of celestials), kings, warriors and chillies, Rajas is predominant. In demons, Sudras, garlic, onion and meat, Tamas is predominant.Though these beings and objects proceed from Me, I am not in them they are in Me. I am independent. I am the support for them they depend on Me just as the superimposed snake depends on the rope. The snake is in the rope, but the rope is never in the snake. The waves belong to the ocean but the ocean does not belong to the waves. (Cf.IX.4and6)

After Swami Sivananda

The divine inside ordinary nature· 7.1–7.14

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
na
not
te
they
tu
but
ye
whatever
cha
and
eva
certainly
iti
thus
aham
I
mayi
in me
tān
those
viddhi
know
teṣhu
in them
mattaḥ
from me
bhāvāḥ
states of material existence
rājasāḥ
in the mode of passion
tāmasāḥ
in the mode of ignorance
sāttvikāḥ
in the mode of goodness

Related verses

Your reflection

Sign in to save reflections.

Sign in