Chapter 14, Verse 9
Part of 14: Guṇa Traya Vibhāg Yog — गुणत्रयविभागयोगसत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत।ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत॥
Transliteration
sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata jñānam āvṛitya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty uta
Meaning
Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, verily shrouding knowledge, attaches to heedlessness.
Word-by-word meaning
sattvam — mode of goodnesssukhe — to happinesssañjayati — bindsrajaḥ — mode of passionkarmaṇi — toward actionsbhārata — Arjun, the son of Bharatjñānam — wisdomāvṛitya — cloudstu — buttamaḥ — mode of ignorancepramāde — to delusionsañjayati — bindsuta — indeed
Commentary
Just as a dark cloud enshrouds the sun, so also Tamas envelops knowledge or the light of the Self. Tamas creates an attachment for heedlessness, that is, ignorance or forgetfulness of duty or the nonperformance of necessary (obligatory) duties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 9?▼
Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas, verily shrouding knowledge, attaches to heedlessness.
Which chapter and verse of the Bhagavad Gita is this?▼
This is verse 9 of Chapter 14 (Guṇa Traya Vibhāg Yog — Yoga through Understanding the Three Modes of Material Nature) of the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture of 18 chapters and 700 verses spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.