nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ yadā draṣṭānupaśyati |
guṇebhyaś ca paraṁ vetti mad-bhāvaṁ so’dhigacchati ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 14.19)
“When a seer perceives
No doer other than the guṇas
And knows that which is beyond the guṇas,
One attains my state.”
prakāśaṁ ca pravṛttiṁ ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava |
na dveṣṭi saṁpravṛttāni na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati ||
udāsīnavad āsīno guṇair yo na vicālyate |
guṇā vartanta ity eva yo’vatiṣṭhati neṅgate ||
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ svasthaḥ sama-loṣṭāśma-kāñcanaḥ |
tulya-priyāpriyo dhīras tulya-nindātma-saṁstutiḥ ||
mānāpamānayos tulyas tulyo mitrāri-pakṣayoḥ |
sarvārambha-parityāgī guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 14.22–25)
“O son of Pāṇḍu,
Illumination [i.e., the effect of sattva],
Activation [i.e., the effect of rajas],
And delusion [i.e., the effect of tamas]—
One who is not hostile
Towards these [when they have] commenced
[Because one considers them forms of hardship]
And does not hanker
For them [when they have] receded
[Because one considers them forms of pleasure];
Who being seated neutrally
Is not deviated by the guṇas
[i.e., not disturbed in mind by the guṇas’ effects, viz., pleasure, hardship, and so on];
Who as per [the understanding],
‘The guṇas proceed [in their respective functions of illumination, activation, and delusion; I, the self beyond, have no relation with these],’
Abides and does not waver
[i.e., does not act under the pull of the guṇas’ effects];
For whom pleasure and hardship are the same;
Who is situated in the self;
For whom a clod, a stone, and gold are the same;
For whom the dear and undear [i.e., the pleasing and non-pleasing] are equal;
[Who is] Sagacious;
For whom defamation and high praise of oneself are equal;
[Who is] Equal to honor and dishonor;
[Who is] equal to the sides of friends and foes;
And [who is] a relinquisher of all undertakings [i.e., all pursuit of worldly and celestial objects],
Is said to be beyond the guṇas.”
śatror api guṇā grāhyā doṣā vācyā guror api |
sarvathā sarva-yatnena putre śiṣye hitaṁ vadet ||
(Mahābhārata: 4.51.15)
“Qualities even of an enemy are to be accepted, and faults even of an elder (guru) are to be acknowledged. With all [due] care one should under all circumstances say that which is beneficial for a son and a disciple.”
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api |
vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-saṁbhavān ||
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate |
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate ||
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān |
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 13.19–21)
“Prakṛti and the puruṣa—for certain know both to be verily beginningless (anādi), and know the transformations (vikāras) and functions (guṇas) [thereof] to be born of prakṛti. Prakṛti is said to be the cause in regard to being the producer of effects and instruments. The puruṣa is said to be the cause in regard to being the experiencer of happinesses and sufferings. The puruṣa situated in prakṛti experiences the functions (guṇas) born of prakṛti amid births in high and low wombs, and his attachment to [these] functions (guṇas) is the cause [thereof].”
pariṇāma-tāpa-saṁskāra-duḥkhair guṇa-vṛtti-virodhāc ca duḥkham eva sarvam vivekinaḥ |
(Yoga-sūtra: 2.15)
“For one possessed of discernment, everything [i.e., all worldly experience] is verily suffering because of the sufferings of [i.e., caused by] transformation [i.e., karmic reactions, alt., invariable impermanence], [the] sorrow [ensuing from such transformation], and [the] saṁskāras [created thereby], and on account of the opposition in the functioning of the guṇas.”
kṛpālur akṛta-drohas titikṣuḥ sarva-dehinām |
satya-sāro’navadyātmā samaḥ sarvopakārakaḥ ||
kāmair ahata-dhīr dānto mṛduḥ śucir akiñcanaḥ |
anīho mita-bhuk śāntaḥ sthiro mac-charaṇo muniḥ ||
apramatto gabhīrātmā dhṛtimāñ jita-ṣaḍ-guṇaḥ |
amānī māna-daḥ kalyo maitraḥ kāruṇikaḥ kaviḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.11.29-31; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.18–20; Bhakti Sandarbha: 199)
“[One who is] Sympathetic, non-malicious, forbearing towards all embodied beings, steadfast in truth, irreproachable in character, equipoised, supportive of all, of mind unimpaired by objects of desire, controlled, gentle, virtuous, possessionless, non-active [in worldly pursuits], a measured eater, peaceful, steady, of shelter in me, sage, non-negligent, deep in character, resolute, victorious over the six properties [of worldly existence], undesirous of respect, respectful, adept, friendly, compassionate, and wise [is the best of the sat].”
bhakti-yogo bahu-vidho mārgair bhāvini bhāvyate |
svabhāva-guṇa-mārgeṇa puṁsāṁ bhāvo vibhidyate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.29.7; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 234)
“Bhakti-yoga is perceived to be of many types in one possessed of bhāva [i.e., in a human being] because of [different] modes [i.e., manners of functioning]. The bhāva [i.e., intent] of human beings is divided [i.e., categorized in various divisions] because of the modes [i.e., manners of functioning] of the guṇas of nature [alt., as well as because of the natures and bhāvas manifest by bhakti-yoga].”
sarvasya hi parīkṣyante svabhāvā netare guṇāḥ |
atītya hi guṇān sarvān svabhāvo mūrdhni vartate ||
(Hitopadeśa: Mitra-lābha, 20)
“The natures (svabhāvas) of all are to be examined, and not, on the contrary, the qualities, since the nature (svabhāva) [of a person], surpassing all qualities, abides at the head [i.e., the svabhāva predominates in the thinking and behavior of person].”
guṇāyanaṁ śīla-dhanaṁ kṛtajñaṁ
vṛddhāśrayaṁ saṁvṛṇate’nu sampadaḥ |
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.21.44)
“Good fortune continuously worships in full one who is an abode of good qualities, possessed of the wealth of good conduct, grateful, and sheltered in elders [i.e., wise and well-experienced persons].”
mṛgayati khalo doṣaṁ na jātu guṇam |
maṇimaya-mandira-madhye paśyati pipīlikā chidram ||
(Attributed to Madhvācārya)
“The wicked search for faults and never for qualities, just as ants look for holes inside a jeweled temple.”
