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.”
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