FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 13.22

पुरुष: प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् । कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥ २२ ॥
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
[purushah prakriti-stho hi]
bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
[bhunkte prakriti-jaan gunaan]
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya
[kaaranam guna-sango ’sya]
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
[sad-asad-yoni-janmasu]
Word-for-word
puruṣaḥ — the living entity prakṛti - sthaḥ — being situated in the material energy hi — certainly bhuṅkte — enjoys prakṛti - jān — produced by the material nature guṇān — the modes of nature kāraṇam — the cause guṇa - saṅgaḥ — the association with the modes of nature asya — of the living entity sat - asat — in good and bad yoni — species of life janmasu — in births .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
puruṣaḥ
the living entity
prakṛti - sthaḥ
being situated in the material energy
hi
certainly
bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
bhuṅkte
enjoys
prakṛti - jān
produced by the material nature
guṇān
the modes of nature
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya
kāraṇam
the cause
guṇa - saṅgaḥ
the association with the modes of nature
asya
of the living entity
sat - asat
in good and bad
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
yoni
species of life
janmasu
in births .
Important Words
  • prakṛti - sthaḥ — being situated in the material energy
    Compound. The soul's plight is *positional* — it sits in prakṛti, not above it, not outside it. The whole problem of saṁsāra is named by this single locative compound.
  • bhuṅkte — enjoys
    Verb of tasting. The jīva tastes the modes — even tamasic experiences are "tasted" in the technical sense. The soul is always the experiencer; only the flavor changes.
  • guṇa - saṅgaḥ — the association with the modes of nature
    The diagnosis. *Saṅga* — the same word that 2.47 made famous — is the disease. Not the modes themselves, but attachment to them, lands one in the next species.
  • sat - asat — in good and bad
    Compound: good (sat) and bad (asat) species. The soul does not get to opt out of the system; it only gets to choose, by its mode-association, which side of the system it lands in.
  • yoni — species of life
    Literally "womb." Each mode-association produces a corresponding womb. The 8.4 million species are the calibrated output of this single principle.
The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
When puruṣa parks himself within prakṛti, he begins to taste her three guṇas. That tasting becomes attachment, and attachment is the engine that drops him into higher or lower wombs life after life.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The crucial causal chain of saṁsāra in a single verse: contact → enjoyment → attachment → rebirth. 'Guṇa-saṅga' (not action, not desire, but specifically attachment to the modes) is named the cause. This anticipates ch. 14's long treatment of the guṇas. The phrase 'sad-asad-yoni' (high and low wombs) makes the doctrine empirically concrete: it is not abstract bondage but the species and circumstances of one's next birth.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
पुरुषः प्रकृति-स्थः हि प्रकृति-जान् गुणान् भुङ्क्ते । अस्य सत्-असत्-योनि-जन्मसु गुण-सङ्गः कारणम् (भवति) ॥
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ hi prakṛti-jān guṇān bhuṅkte | asya sat-asat-yoni-janmasu guṇa-saṅgaḥ kāraṇam (bhavati) ||
Seated in prakṛti, puruṣa indeed experiences the modes born of prakṛti. His attachment to the modes is the cause of his birth in higher and lower wombs.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
पुरुषः प्रकृति-स्थः हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृति-जान् गुणान् । कारणं गुण-सङ्गः अस्य सत्-असत्-योनि-जन्मसु ॥
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān | kāraṇaṃ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sat-asat-yoni-janmasu ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
पुरुषः puruṣaḥ पुरुष (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the conscious self
प्रकृति-स्थः prakṛti-sthaḥ प्रकृति (f.) + स्थ (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) situated in prakṛti
हि hi ind. (indeclinable), emphatic-causal indeed / for
भुङ्क्ते bhuṅkte √भुज् pres. (present) 3sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice) experiences / enjoys
प्रकृति-जान् prakṛti-jān प्रकृति (f.) + ज (adj.) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m., upapada tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) born of prakṛti
गुणान् guṇān गुण (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural) the modes
कारणम् kāraṇam कारण (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the cause
गुण-सङ्गः guṇa-saṅgaḥ गुण (m.) + सङ्ग (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) attachment to the modes
अस्य asya इदम् pron. (pronoun) gen.sg. (genitive singular)m. of his
सत्-असत्-योनि-जन्मसु sat-asat-yoni-janmasu सत् + असत् + योनि + जन्मन् (n.) loc.pl. (locative plural), dvandva + tatpuruṣa in births in good and evil wombs
Purport

This verse is very important for an understanding of how the living entities transmigrate from one body to another. It is explained in the Second Chapter that the living entity is transmigrating from one body to another just as one changes dress. This change of dress is due to his attachment to material existence. As long as he is captivated by this false manifestation, he has to continue transmigrating from one body to another. Due to his desire to lord it over material nature, he is put into such undesirable circumstances. Under the influence of material desire, the entity is born sometimes as a demigod, sometimes as a man, sometimes as a beast, as a bird, as a worm, as an aquatic, as a saintly man, as a bug. This is going on. And in all cases the living entity thinks himself to be the master of his circumstances, yet he is under the influence of material nature. How he is put into such different bodies is explained here. It is due to association with the different modes of nature. One has to rise, therefore, above the three material modes and become situated in the transcendental position. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his material consciousness will oblige him to transfer from one body to another because he has material desires since time immemorial. But he has to change that conception. That change can be effected only by hearing from authoritative sources. The best example is here: Arjuna is hearing the science of God from Kṛṣṇa. The living entity, if he submits to this hearing process, will lose his long-cherished desire to dominate material nature, and gradually and proportionately, as he reduces his long desire to dominate, he comes to enjoy spiritual happiness. In a Vedic mantra it is said that as he becomes learned in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he proportionately relishes his eternal blissful life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
22. The jīva, identifying with prakṛti in the form of his body, thinks he is experiencing happiness and distress which are born from his mind. This is caused by his association with the body, which causes his birth in various bodies of devatā and animal.
Commentary

But the jīva, just by misidentification caused by beginningless ignorance, thinks that his capacity for action and enjoyment are his very nature, though they are just the nature of things related to him (body, senses). From this, he takes repeated birth. Situated in the body produced from prakṛti and identifying with it (prakṛti-sthaḥ), the jīva enjoys and suffers by identifying as his own (bhuṅkte) the lamentation, illusion, happiness and distress (guṇān) which are qualities of his mind (prakṛti-jān). The cause is the contact of the soul (asya) with the body, made of guṇas (guṇa-saṅgaḥ). Though the soul does not actually contact the body, the contact is fabricated through ignorance. Where does the jīva enjoy? In repeated births in life forms like devatās (sad-yoni) or animals (asad-yoni), produced by his pious or sinful actions.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
22. The jīva, identifying with prakṛti in the form of his body, experiences happiness and distress which are born from prakṛti, by births in various bodies of devatā and animal. This is caused by his desires for objects made of the guṇas.
Commentary

This verse makes clear the agency of the jīva alone in enjoying and suffering and in living in prakṛti. The Lord also shows the cause of the jīva’s combining with prakṛti. Though the jīva is by nature knowledge and bliss, it is situated in prakṛti due to impressions of beginningless karma. Endowed with body, senses and prāṇa which are produced by prakṛti, which the jīva rules, the jīva experiences (bhuṅkte) happiness and distress (guṇān) which are produced by prakṛti. [Note: Happiness, distress, desire and hatred were included in the description of the field of prakṛti.] Where? He experiences this by taking births in wombs which are higher (such devas and men) or lower (animal, bird and others), in well-made or poorly made wombs. In all this, the jīva alone is the agent. The cause of the association is explained. The cause is beginningless desire for objects made of the guṇas (guṇa saṅgaḥ). The meaning is this. The beginningless jīva is contaminated with beginningless imprints in the form of karma. The jīva desiring enjoyable objects because of his being an enjoyer, will take shelter of prakṛti equipped with the desirables which she offers to him, until those imprints of karma are destroyed by devotee association. With the destruction of impressions, he enjoys the happiness in the abode of the Lord. The śruti says so’śnute sarvān kāmān saha brahmaṇā vipaścitā: he attains all his desires with the omniscient Lord. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1) The followers of sāṅkhya, taking isolated meanings of the statements “all activities are carried out by the modes” (BG 3.27) “prakṛti is the doer” (BG 13.20), “everything is done by prakṛti alone” (BG 13.29) and “the guṇas alone are the agent” (BG 14.19), claim that prakṛti alone is the agent. That is an impetuous interpretation, since prakṛti, like a lump of earth or wood, is an unconscious element. The ability to gain knowledge, perceive, desire and act—the qualities of the agent—belong to conscious entities alone. The śruti says vijñānaṁ yajñaṁ tanute karmāṇi tanute’pi ca: the jīva accomplishes knowledge, sacrifice and action. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.5) Śruti also says: eṣa hi draṣṭā spraṣṭā śrotā rasayitā ghrātā mantā boddhā kartā vijñānātmā puruṣaḥ: the conscious ātmā alone is the seer, toucher, hearer, taster, smeller, thinker, knower, and agent. (Praśna Upaniṣad 4.9) They maintain that prakṛti has this nature of an agent because of being the receptacle of the jīva and thus having superimposition of consciousness. This is not so, because the agency of prakṛti through proximity and imposition is caused by the proximity of the jīva alone. It is seen that the ability of hot iron to burn is due to fire, not the iron. One should not compare dull iron (or prakṛti) to the water that moves or the tree that bears fruit, and thus conclude that this proves prakṛti’s nature as an agent, because all of that action is accomplished by the presence of antaryāmi, and because this contradicts the śruti, which is the foundation of knowledge.

Memory (of scriptural rules) enables one to perform jyotiṣṭoma for bestowing svarga and meditation for bestowing liberation. This indicates that consciousness, the experiencer, not inert prakṛti, is the agent. [Note: What would be the use of scripture if prakṛti did everything?] Agency belongs to the jīva alone. When there are statements in scripture saying that prakrti is the doer, those statements are made in order to show the prominence of her functioning. Though a man carries something using his hand, we say that the hand carries an object. Similarly, because jīva accomplishes using prakṛti, the scriptures say that prakṛti accomplishes. This is how some explain such statements. Others say that prakṛti is said to be the agent in actions like sacrifice or war for the jīva attached to body and senses made of prakṛti, whereas prakṛti is not the agent for the pure jīva without attachment to body and senses.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This verse is very important. It describes how the living entity who is ksetrajna (who, although described here as purusa is actually prakriti) gets trapped within ksetra. It shows a 'phony purusa' who thinks he is the enjoyer of his little ksetra, but actually this ksetra is the field for his suffering. (DS) Due to the desire to enjoy, the living entity takes shelter in matter (sad‑asad‑yoni‑janmasu). Therefore he takes birth in good and bad species of life, life after life. This identification goes on and on until he meets a devotee. Then his desire to enjoy will become weakned and then he can become liberated from that.

[2. Paramatma Purusa (ksetrajna): the Supersoul exists within all bodies as the Overseer, the Permitter, and the Supreme Proprietor. (23) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

‘Desire to enjoy’ forges the bond between purusha and prakriti

Living entity follows the way of life according to the three modes
Association with material nature leads to different good and evil among various species
Focus of Learning

(a) This verse signifies “How a living entity transmigrates from one body to another”

Transmigration is compared to a change of dress (Bg. 2.22)
Change of dress is due to “attachment to material existence”
Desire to lord over put him in undesirable circumstances – Sometimes born as demigod or human, or beast or bird or bug etc

(b) Binding factor to different bodies – Association with the three modes

In all cases, one thinks himself to be the “Master of his circumstances”, yet he is under material nature

(c) How Krishna consciousness helps – “Helps to rise above the three modes and be become

transcendental”

(d) How this change can be effected – By “hearing from authoritative sources”

Best example – Arjuna hearing science of God from Krishna
How hearing works – If living entity submits to hearing process he loses his long cherished desire to dominate, gradually and proportionately he comes to enjoy spiritual happiness
Ref. Vedic mantra – “As one becomes learned in association with Supreme Personality of Godhead, he proportionately relishes eternal blissful life”

(a) Different manifestations of body and senses among living entities are due to material nature

Basis of 8.4 million species – They arise from different sensual pleasures and desires
Different bodies result in different happiness and distress
Conclusion – Material happiness and distress are due to the body and not to himself (the soul) as he is
Cause of being in the material world – Desire to lord it over material nature (cf. Spiritual world is pure and free from the desire to lord it over)

(b) Material world is a place of struggle – provides different “residential quarters”

Everyone is struggling to acquire different kinds of pleasure from the body
Body is the effect of senses and senses are the instruments for gratifying desires
The living entity gets a body according to “past desire” and “activity”
Past desire and activity decide one’s “residential quarters”
Law of nature – once a body is attained, one comes under the laws of nature and behaves as a dog or a hog or a demigod etc.

(c) Supersoul always accompanies us in all circumstances (in all bodies)

Ref. Vedas (Mundaka Upanisad)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
13.22 Hi, since; purusah, the soul, the experiencer; is prakrtisthah, seated in Nature, which is characterized as ignorance and gets transformed into body and organs, i.e., (since the soul) has become identified with Nature; therefore, bhunkte, [Bhunkte, lit. enjoys, here means 'experiences'.-Tr.] it enjoys, i.e. experiences; gunan, the alities-manifest as happiness, sorrow and delusion; prakrtijan, born of Nature, thinking thus, 'I am happy, sorrowful, deluded, learned.' Even though ignorance continues as a cause, still the main cause of worldly existence, of birth, is the contact, the self-identification, with the alities-happiness,sorrow, and delusion-when they are experienced, as is affirmed by the Upanisadic text, 'What it desires, it resolves' (Br. 4.4.5) [See Sankaracarya's Comm. on this.-Tr.]. That very fact is stated here: Gunasangah, contact with the alities; is karanam, the cause; asya, of its, the soul's, the experiencer's; sad-asad-yoni-janmasu, births in good and evil wombs. Self-identification with the alities is the cause of the experience of births in good and evil wombs. Or the meaning is, 'Self-identification with the alities is the cause or its worldly existence through birth in good and evil wombs,' where the words 'of worldly existence' have to be supplied. The good wombs are he wombs of gods and others; evil wombs are the wombs of gods and others; evil wombs are the wombs of beasts etc. From the force of the context it is to be understood that there is no contradiction in including even human wombs among 'good and evil wombs'. It amounts to saying that ignorance-called 'being seated in Nature'-and the contact with. i.e. the desire for, the alities are the causes of worldly existence. And this is said so that they can be avoided. And in the scripture Gita it is a well-known fact that knowledge and dispassion, accompanied with renunciation, are the causes of removing this (ignorance and self-identification with the alities). That knowledge about the field and the Knower of the field, too, has been presented earlier. This has also been said in, '৷৷.by realizing which one attains Immortality' (12), etc., through the process of refutation of elements alien (to the Self) and superimposition of alities belonging to others (that are not the Self). [Verse 12 deals with the refutation of alien elements, and vere 13 with the superimposition of alities belonging to others.] A direct presentation is again being made of that (knowledge) itself:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
13.22 The self, settled in a series of bodies of divinities, men etc., which are modifications of Prakrti, becomes attached to happiness, pain etc., resulting from the Sattva and other alities associated with the respective wombs, and hence engages Itself in virtuous and sinful deeds, constituting the means for happiness, misery etc. In order to experience the fruits of those good and evil deeds, It is born again in good and evil wombs. Then It becomes active and conseently is born again as a result of Its activities. As long as It does not cultivate alities like modesty etc., which are the means for realising the self, so long Its entanglement in Samsara continues like this. Thus, it has been declared here that attachment causes births in good and evil wombs.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
13.22 See Comment under 13.23
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
13.22 The soul seated in Nature experiences the alities born of Nature; attachment to the alities is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.
Commentary

13.22 पुरुषः Purusha? प्रकृतिस्थः seated in Prakriti? हि indeed? भुङक्ते enjoys? प्रकृतिजान् born of Prakriti? गुणान् alities? कारणम् the cause? गुणसङ्गः attachment to the Gunas? अस्य of his? सदसद्योनिजन्मसु of birth in good and evil wombs.Commentary The soul residing in Nature and identifying itself with the body and the senses which are modifications of Nature acts through the alities of Nature and experiences pleasure and pain and delusion. It thinks? I am happy? I am miserable? I am deluded? I am wise. When it thus identifies itself with the alities? it assumes individuality and takes birth in pure and impure wombs.The soul (Jivatma) enjoys the sensual objects in conjunction with the body? mind and the senses and thus becomes the enjoyer. Brahman is the silent witness and nonenjoyer. The souls attachment to the alities of pleasure? pain and delusion is the chief cause of its birth. If you add the word Samsara to the second half of the verse? it will mean Attachment to the alities is the cause of Samsara through births in good and evil wombs.Good wombs (Sat Yoni) are those of the gods and the like evil wombs (Asat Yoni) are those of lower animals. The human womb is partly good and partly evil on account of mixed Karmas.Purushah prakritisthah Purusha (the soul) seated in Prakriti (Nature). This is Avidya (ignorance). Attachment to the alities of Nature is Kama (desire). Avidya and Kama are the cause of Samsara.Jnana (wisdom) and Vairagya (dispassion) will destroy ignorance and desire. (Cf.XIV.5XV.7)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
13.22 Since the soul is seated in Nature, therefore it experiences the alities born of Nature. Contact with the alities is the cause of its births in good and evil wombs.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
13.22 God dwelling in the heart of Nature experiences the Qualities which nature brings forth; and His affinity towards the Qualities is the reason for His living in a good or evil body.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 14.18 BG 8.6 BG 9.21 SB 3.31.1 SB 11.22.39 SB 5.26.1 CC Madhya 20.117-118 CC Madhya 19.138 CC Madhya 22.14 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.1.6Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.7
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The living entity in nature, enjoying its modes, takes birth in good or evil species — encountering nature's modes is the cause of birth.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize that what mode you live in shapes your future birth.
  • Cultivate sattva (goodness) deliberately.
  • Don't be careless about the mode of your daily activities.
Reflection Questions
  • What mode dominates my daily activities?
  • What change would shift the mode?
Analogy

A traveler dresses for the climate he steps into. In a tropical land he wears thin cloth; in a frozen one, fur. The garment is not his choice once he has chosen the climate. So the soul, by associating with sattva, rajas, or tamas, dresses itself in the corresponding species of birth. The mode is the climate; the body is the cloth.

Stories
Bharata Mahārāja and the deer

Emperor Bharata, having renounced his kingdom for spiritual practice, found an orphaned fawn and grew attached to it. He fed it, watched over it, worried for it. At the moment of his death, his mind rested on the deer — and so in his next birth, he was born as a deer.

The Bhāgavatam preserves this episode in the Fifth Canto. Whatever mode and association the soul cultivates at the end shapes the next body. Bharata, only by retaining the memory of his previous fall, eventually rose again as Jaḍa Bharata. Guṇa-saṅga decides the species — exactly the verse's claim.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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