Verse 1
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
the Divine Lord said
param bhūyaḥ pravakṣhyāmi jñānānām jñānam uttamam
supreme again I shall explain of all knowledge the supreme wisdom
yat jñātvā munayaḥ sarve parām siddhim itaḥ gatāḥ
which knowing saints all highest perfection through this attained
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Verse 2
idam jñānam upāśhritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
this wisdom take refuge in mine of similar nature having attained
sarge api na upajāyante pralaye na-vyathanti cha
at the time of creation even not are born at the time of dissolution they will not experience misery and
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Verse 3
mama yoniḥ mahat brahma tasmin garbham dadhāmi aham
my womb the total material substance, prakṛiti in that womb impregnate I
sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānām tataḥ bhavati bhārata
birth of all living beings thereby becomes Arjun, the son of Bharat
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Verse 4
sarva yoniṣhu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
all species of life Arjun, the son of Kunti forms are produced which
tāsām brahma-mahat yoniḥ aham bīja-pradaḥ pitā
of all of them great material nature womb I seed-giving Father
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Verse 5
sattvam rajaḥ tamaḥ iti guṇāḥ prakṛiti sambhavāḥ
mode of goodness mode of passion mode of ignorance thus modes material nature consists of
nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam
bind mighty-armed one in the body the embodied soul eternal
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Verse 6
tatra sattvam nirmalatvāt prakāśhakam anāmayam
amongst these mode of goodness being purest illuminating healthy and full of well-being
sukha saṅgena badhnāti jñāna saṅgena cha anagha
happiness attachment binds knowledge attachment also Arjun, the sinless one
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Verse 7
rajaḥ rāga-ātmakam viddhi tṛiṣhṇā saṅga samudbhavam
mode of passion of the nature of passion know desires association arises from
tat nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam
that binds Arjun, the son of Kunti through attachment to fruitive actions the embodied soul
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Verse 8
tamaḥ tu ajñāna-jam viddhi mohanam sarva-dehinām
mode of ignorance but born of ignorance know illusion for all the embodied souls
pramāda ālasya nidrābhiḥ tat nibadhnāti bhārata
negligence laziness and sleep that binds Arjun, the son of Bharat
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Verse 9
sattvam sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
mode of goodness to happiness binds mode of passion toward actions Arjun, the son of Bharat
jñānam āvṛitya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayati uta
wisdom clouds but mode of ignorance to delusion binds indeed
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Verse 10
rajaḥ tamaḥ cha abhibhūya sattvam bhavati bhārata
mode of passion mode of ignorance and prevails mode of goodness becomes Arjun, the son of Bharat
rajaḥ sattvam tamaḥ cha eva tamaḥ sattvam rajaḥ tathā
mode of passion mode of goodness mode of ignorance and indeed mode of ignorance mode of goodness mode of passion also
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Verse 11
sarva dvāreṣhu dehe asmin prakāśhaḥ upajāyate
all through the gates body in this illumination manifest
jñānam yadā tadā vidyāt vivṛiddham sattvam iti uta
knowledge when then know predominates mode of goodness thus certainly
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Verse 12
lobhaḥ pravṛittiḥ ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśhamaḥ spṛihā
greed activity exertion for fruitive actions restlessness craving
rajasi etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe bharata-ṛiṣhabha
of the mode of passion these develop when predominates the best of the Bharatas, Arjun
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Verse 13
aprakāśhaḥ apravṛittiḥ cha pramādaḥ mohaḥ eva cha
nescience inertia and negligence delusion indeed also
tamasi etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe kuru-nandana
mode of ignorance these manifest when dominates the joy of the Kurus, Arjun
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Verse 14
yadā sattve pravṛiddhe tu pralayam yāti deha-bhṛit
when in the mode of goodness when premodinates indeed death reach the embodied
tadā uttama-vidām lokān amalān pratipadyate
then of the learned abodes pure attains
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Verse 15
rajasi pralayam gatvā karma-saṅgiṣhu jāyate
in the mode of passion death attaining among people driven by work are born
tathā pralīnaḥ tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣhu jāyate
likewise dying in the mode of ignorance in the animal kingdom takes birth
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Verse 16
karmaṇaḥ su-kṛitasya āhuḥ sāttvikam nirmalam phalam
of action pure is said mode of goodness pure result
rajasaḥ tu phalam duḥkham ajñānam tamasaḥ phalam
mode of passion indeed result pain ignorance mode of ignorance result
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Verse 17
sattvāt sañjāyate jñānam rajasaḥ lobhaḥ eva cha
from the mode of goodness arises knowledge from the mode of passion greed indeed and
pramāda mohau tamasaḥ bhavataḥ ajñānam eva cha
negligence delusion from the mode of ignorance arise ignorance indeed and
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Verse 18
ūrdhvam gachchhanti sattva-sthāḥ madhye tiṣhṭhanti rājasāḥ
upward rise those situated in the mode of goodness in the middle stay those in the mode of passion
jaghanya guṇa vṛitti-sthāḥ adhaḥ gachchhanti tāmasāḥ
abominable quality engaged in activities down go those in the mode of ignorance
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Verse 19
na anyam guṇebhyaḥ kartāram yadā draṣhṭā anupaśhyati
no other of the guṇas agents of action when the seer see
guṇebhyaḥ cha param vetti mat-bhāvam saḥ adhigachchhati
to the modes of nature and transcendental know my divine nature they attain
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Verse 20
guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha samudbhavān
the three modes of material nature these transcending three the embodied body produced of
janma mṛityu jarā duḥkhaiḥ vimuktaḥ amṛitam aśhnute
birth death old age misery freed from immortality attains
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Verse 21
arjunaḥ uvācha
Arjun inquired
kaiḥ liṅgaiḥ trīn guṇān etān atītaḥ bhavati prabho
by what symptoms three modes of material nature these having transcended is Lord
kim āchāraḥ katham cha etān trīn guṇān ativartate
what conduct how and these three modes of material nature transcend
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Verse 22
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
the Supreme Divine Personality said
prakāśham cha pravṛittim cha moham eva cha pāṇḍava
illumination and activity and delusion even and Arjun, the son of Pandu
na dveṣhṭi sampravṛittāni na nivṛittāni kāṅkṣhati
do not hate when present nor when absent longs
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Verse 23
udāsīna-vat āsīnaḥ guṇaiḥ yaḥ na vichālyate
neutral situated to the modes of material nature who not are disturbed
guṇāḥ vartante iti-evam yaḥ avatiṣhṭhati na iṅgate
modes of material nature act knowing it in this way who established in the self not wavering
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Verse 24
sama duḥkha sukhaḥ sva-sthaḥ sama loṣhṭa aśhma kāñchanaḥ
alike distress happiness established in the self equally a clod stone gold
tulya priya apriyaḥ dhīraḥ tulya nindā ātma-sanstutiḥ
of equal value pleasant unpleasant steady the same blame praise
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Verse 25
māna apamānayoḥ tulyaḥ tulyaḥ mitra ari pakṣhayoḥ
honor dishonor equal equal friend foe to the parties
sarva ārambha parityāgī guṇa-atītaḥ saḥ uchyate
all enterprises renouncer risen above the three modes of material nature they are said to have
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Verse 26
mām cha yaḥ avyabhichāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
me only who unalloyed through devotion serve
saḥ guṇān samatītya etān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
they the three modes of material nature rise above these level of Brahman comes to
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Verse 27
brahmaṇaḥ hi pratiṣhṭhā aham amṛitasya avyayasya cha
of Brahman only the basis I of the immortal of the imperishable and
śhāśhvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasya aikāntikasya cha
of the eternal and of the dharma of bliss unending and
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