Essentials of Hinduism - Bhagavad Gita - The Gunas (The Three Moods)

Essentials of Hinduism

Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 14 - The Gunas (The Three Moods)

The term Guna, used in the dialectics of the Gita, indicates the attitude with which the Mind functions. Different individuals have different Gunas. There are three (3) Gunas inside all of us: Sattva Guna (Divine Mental Attitude), Rajas Guna (Active) and Tamas (Inactive). These three occur in different proportions and influence the Mental and the Intellectual caliber of every individual and these individuals provide the distinct flavor in each personality. All three Gunas are always present in every Person, but from man to man their proportion slightly differs. A careful study of this Chapter provides us with the secret capacity of detecting within ourselves the most powerful tendency to rule our mental life at any given moment. A Spiritual Seeker should exercise his self-control and keep himself in serene Purity when he is forced to function from time to time in the World outside with unethical urges and animal passions. He should be very careful in his Spiritual journey not to get victimized by lust, passion, anger and so on.

Stanza 2:

In order to conquer the Mind, a Spiritual Seeker must know very clearly the tricks by which the mind generally hoodwinks (deceives) him. A Knowledge of the strategies of the Person we do not get along well is an essential prerequisite to plan our conversations successfully. The Stanza is right as it declares that a thorough Knowledge of the Gunas will be helpful to everyone trying to master our own Mind, to reach the freedom from its moral agitations and ethical imperfections.

Stanza 6:

SATTVA GUNA: Because of its Stainlessness, Sattva is Luminous. Under the Sattva influence, the Mind is steady, reflecting ever faithfully, the Consciousness, the Self. Sattva is free from all evils - the appetites of the flesh, the selfish agitations of the Mind, the ego-centric desires of the Head. Sattva is thus the most Divine Mental Attitude. When the Mind is purified with Sattva, the individual becomes as much bound with attachment to them as others are with attachment to their own material joys and possessions.

Stanza 7:

RAJAS GUNA: The main symptoms of the working of Rajas Guna falls under two distinct categories: desires and attachments. Just as a thirsty man wants nothing but water, a human personality with Rajas Guna thirst for the satisfaction of every desire that burns him down. Such a passionate being – goaded by his desires for things not yet acquired, and crushed under the weight and responsibility of his attachments to things he already possesses. He spends and spends and yet he is thirsty for more and more.

Stanza 8:

TAMAS GUNA: Under the influence of Tamas Guna, a man’s intellectual capacity to discriminate between the right and wrong gets veiled. For a Tamas human personality, there are misconceptions and miscomprehensions of the true divine purpose of life. There is no consistency of purpose.

Stanza 13:

The Lord wants us to understand that, not only are these Gunas effective while we live the present embodiment, it also determines the life and condition of the individual even after death. Death is the departure of the Jivatma (Subtle-body) from its physical structure. Subtle-body is constituted of mind and intellect which is nothing but a bundle of thoughts. Therefore, one would still be pursuing the resultant of one’s thoughts, which one had in present life while acting through the body. The predominant Guna cultivated by each one of us through the life of activities and thoughts, should determine the direction and range of the disembodied subtle-body, in its flight to the beyond after its release from the body.

Stanza 14:

Krishna now gives us an idea as to the direction in which the Mental Equipment of a dead one will move after death. Every moment is an extension of the previous moment. If there is a continuous development and growth observable in the thought life, in its unbroken continuity connecting the past, the present, and the future into one unbroken flow, then, there is no reason why, at the time of death, this continuity should end. Death is only another experience. Therefore, the type of thoughts entertained during our life- time should determine the type of thoughts we will entertain soon after our departure from the Physical Structure. If Sattva Guna dominates, then, he attains to the spotless regions of the KNOWERS OF THE HIGHEST – IT IS THE REALM OF THE CREATOR, BRAHMALOKA - supremely happy and extremely creative.

Stanza 18:

In the ladder of evolution, the lowest of development is seen in the vegetable and animal Kingdoms. The mid-stage of evolution is seen in man who has Intelligence. The higher state of existence is seen in the disembodied Heavenly Beings. In this measurement, the Stone Life is zero evolution (no awareness of the World), the Plant Life comes next (Consciousness has dimly started expressing itself), then the Animal Kingdom (the awareness has become clearer and more vivid). Of the Animals, Man is no doubt the greatest Being with the fullest Consciousness and the sharpest Intellect.

The greatest state of existence is enjoyed by Beings of a still higher evolution, and they are called the “Denizens (inhabitants) of Heaven”.

Man stands on the landing (refers to us) and the Higher Beings on the upper flight of steps. Remember, those who are standing on the landing have the freedom either to go up or to go down. This is the concept of Hindu Philosophy.

SATTVA – GO UPWARDS - those who live a life of Discrimination with clear thinking, clear Judgment and Self Discipline cultivate more and more Sattva in themselves - they evolve upwards.

RAJAS – STAY IN THE MIDDLE - those who live a life with desires and agitations, ambitions and achievements, again and again manifest (be born with a new body) until they acquire the required purity.

TAMAS – GO DOWNWARDS – those who are deluded (deceived) by their own lust and passion, exist in a state of drowsiness and inertness (dull), go into the lower natures.

Remember – the true release comes not only when all the chains have been snapped, meaning all the Gunas are transcended, but also, only when we are also established in the Spiritual Experience. This process of escaping from the shackles is called Liberation or Moksha.

Stanzas 21 to 26 Summarized:

SLOKAS ARE NOT PROVIDED BUT MEANINGS SUMMARIZED BELOW:

Arjuna asks Krishna: what are the marks of him who has crossed over the three Gunas? What is his Conduct? The Blessed Lord answers (summarized): Equanimity is the essence of Perfection and a Man of Knowledge is ever in perfect balance. He craves for nothing, nor does he strive to acquire anything new. To have and not to have – both are equal to him. Even when his Mind and Intellect are agitated under the influence of Rajas or Tamas, he is not in the least affected by them. He has no attachments and worry due to their absence. He is able to observe detachedly and enjoy the play of the Gunas in himself and in the World around him. He lives in a Kingdom of his own. He does not have a deep or sincere relationship with the lower World, joy or sorrow. He has no appetite for possession of things, treats piece of mud and gold alike. He has no foe in the World. Ever Steady and Balanced, he lives beyond all storms and clouds. He lives the infinite joys of the Self.

This is the end of THE YOGA OF GUNAS.

This article is a snippet from the Book Essentials of Hinduism, Authored by G.S Nilakantan. Hinduism for All is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.