FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 7.12

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये । मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ॥ १२ ॥
ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā
[ye chaiva saattvikaa bhaavaa]
rājasās tāmasāś ca ye
[raajasaas taamasaash cha ye]
matta eveti tān viddhi
[matta eveti taan viddhi]
na tv ahaṁ teṣu te mayi
[na tv aham teshu te mayi]
Word-for-word
ye — all which ca — and eva — certainly sāttvikāḥ — in goodness bhāvāḥ — states of being rājasāḥ — in the mode of passion tāmasāḥ — in the mode of ignorance ca — also ye — all which mattaḥ — from Me eva — certainly iti — thus tān — those viddhi — try to know na — not tu — but aham — I teṣu — in them te — they mayi — in Me .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā
ye
all which
ca
and
rājasās tāmasāś ca ye
matta eveti tān viddhi
eva
certainly
sāttvikāḥ
in goodness
bhāvāḥ
states of being
rājasāḥ
in the mode of passion
tāmasāḥ
in the mode of ignorance
ca
also
ye
all which
na tv ahaṁ teṣu te mayi
mattaḥ
from Me
eva
certainly
iti
thus
tān
those
viddhi
try to know
na
not
tu
but
aham
I
teṣu
in them
te
they
mayi
in Me .
Important Words
  • sāttvikāḥ — in goodness
    From sattva — the mode of clarity, harmony, illumination. Plural here: 'states of being in goodness.' The whole catalogue of pure dispositions, all sourced from Him.
  • rājasāḥ — in the mode of passion
    From rajas — the mode of motion, craving, restlessness. Even this comes from Him as energy, but does not condition Him.
  • tāmasāḥ — in the mode of ignorance
    From tamas — darkness, inertia. The hardest part of the verse: even tamas is His emanation. He is not contaminated by what emanates from Him, but nothing falls outside His causal field.
  • mattaḥ — from Me
    Ablative of mat — 'from Me.' All three modes flow out of Him. The grammatical case marks origin without dependence: out of, but not inhering in.
  • teṣu — in them
    Locative plural, paired with na tu aham — 'but I am not in them.' The single most important grammatical move of the verse. The directionality is one-way: they in Him, not He in them. This destroys pantheism in one stroke.
Know that all states of being – be they of goodness, passion or ignorance – are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of material nature, for they, on the contrary, are within Me.
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)
All the moods and modes of existence — pure, passionate, dark — originate from Kṛṣṇa, yet He is not subordinate to them. The asymmetry is sharp: 'they are in Me, I am not in them.' He is the ground without being conditioned by what arises on Him.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
A subtle metaphysical precision: causal dependence (matta eva) does not imply ontological identity. The Lord is upādāna without being modified by the products — the Vaiṣṇava reading of pariṇāma without pāriṇāmika defect. Compare BG 9.4-5 (mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni, na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni) for the same dialectic of immanence-and-transcendence.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
ये च एव सात्त्विकाः भावाः राजसाः तामसाः च ये (सन्ति), तान् मत्तः एव (जातान्) इति विद्धि; न तु अहं तेषु, ते (तु) मयि (वर्तन्ते) ।
ye ca eva sāttvikāḥ bhāvāḥ rājasāḥ tāmasāḥ ca ye (santi), tān mattaḥ eva (jātān) iti viddhi; na tu ahaṃ teṣu, te (tu) mayi (vartante) |
Whatever states of being are sāttvic, rājasic, or tāmasic — know them to arise from Me alone; yet I am not in them, while they are in Me.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
ये च एव सात्त्विकाः भावाः राजसाः तामसाः च ये । मत्तः एव इति तान् विद्धि न तु अहं तेषु ते मयि ॥
ye ca eva sāttvikāḥ bhāvāḥ rājasāḥ tāmasāḥ ca ye | mattaḥ eva iti tān viddhi na tu ahaṃ teṣu te mayi ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
ये ye यद् pron. (pronoun) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. which (ones)
च ca ind. (conj.) and
एव eva ind. (emph.) indeed
सात्त्विकाः sāttvikāḥ सात्त्विक (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. sāttvic / of goodness
भावाः bhāvāḥ भाव (m.) nom.pl. (nominative plural) states / dispositions
राजसाः rājasāḥ राजस (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. rājasic / of passion
तामसाः tāmasāḥ तामस (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. tāmasic / of ignorance
मत्तः mattaḥ अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) abl.sg. (ablative singular) from Me
इति iti ind. (quotative) thus
तान् tān तद् pron. (pronoun) acc.pl. (accusative plural)m. them
विद्धि viddhi √विद् impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) know!
न na ind. (neg.) not
तु tu ind. (contrast.) but / however
अहम् aham अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular) I
तेषु teṣu तद् pron. (pronoun) loc.pl. (locative plural)m. in them
ते te तद् pron. (pronoun) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m. they
मयि mayi अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) loc.sg. (locative singular) in Me
Purport

All material activities in the world are being conducted under the three modes of material nature. Although these material modes of nature are emanations from the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, He is not subject to them. For instance, under the state laws one may be punished, but the king, the lawmaker, is not subject to that law. Similarly, all the modes of material nature – goodness, passion and ignorance – are emanations from the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is not subject to material nature. Therefore He is nirguṇa, which means that these guṇas, or modes, although issuing from Him, do not affect Him. That is one of the special characteristics of Bhagavān, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
12. Know that all things in sattva, rajas and tamas come from Me. I am not in them, but they are in Me.
Commentary

The expressions of My powers (vibhūti), being the cause of things or the essence of things and being the living entities such as Rākṣasas [Note: The reference seems unclear since Rākṣasas have not been mentioned in the above list of vibhūtis.] have thus been mentioned to some degrees. There is no need to list these more extensively. All things are dependent on Me, and are an expression of My power. Those things (bhāvā) in the mode of goodness, like sense and mind control and the devatās; those things in the mode of passion, such as lust and pride, and the asuras like Hiraṇyakaśipu; and those things in the mode of ignorance like lamentation, illusion and the Rākṣasas—these are all the products of the guṇas of prakṛti belonging to Me. I do not exist in them: I do not depend on them like the jīvas. But they exist in Me: they are dependent on Me.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
12. Know that all things in sattva, rajas and tamas come from Me. I am not dependent on them, but they are dependent on Me.
Commentary

Having explained a little of His vibhūtis, the Lord now explains them all in summary. Know that all the differing states of sattva, rajas, and tamas, which are situated as the bodies, senses, and sense objects of the living entities and the cause of all these, receiving their respective powers from Me, arise from Me alone. But I am not situated in them. I am not at all dependent upon them for My existence (na tu aham teṣu). They are all dependent on Me for their existence (te mayi).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Krsna told us how to perceive Him while taking water. Even a drunkard while drinking his wine, if he acknowledges that the taste of the wine is Krsna ‑ the he will gradually become Krsna conscious. By seeing water, by seeing the light of the sun and moon, by seeing powerful people ‑ we are seeing Krsna. Krsna sums‑up by saying: 'Know that all states of being are manifested by My energy. I am in one sense everything." But although Krsna is everything, He is everywhere, ‑ He is independent! Krsna controls everything, Everything is under the control of the three modes of material nature. Krsna is above matter, he has nothing to do with it ‑ He is the source of it. He is independent. Krsna is everywhere. What is it that stop someone from knowing Krsna and surrender to Krsna, if He is everywhere? What is it that stops us? ‑ The answer is,

[ C . THE THREE MODES ARE CONTROLLED BY KRSNA THEREFORE SURRENDER (7. 13‑14) Deluded by these three modes, no one knows Krsna who is above the modes and is inexhaustible. Those who 'surrender' to Krsna, the control of the modes, will cross beyond the modes to know Him. ]

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

Still Krishna is not within modes, but is origin of modes and therefore He is Nirguna

Focus of Learning

(a) How to realize Supreme Lord impersonally (7.8)

Preliminarily perceived by His different energies
He is all pervasive by diverse material and spiritual energies
Analogy: For universal perception of the Lord by His different energies – Sun perceived by sun shine

(b) There is no contradiction between personalists and impersonalists (7.8)

Practically speaking impersonal conception and personal conception are simultaneously present in everything and there is no contradiction
Lord Caitanya’s sublime doctrine – Acintya-bheda and abheda tattva

(c) Krishna is Nirguna (not affected by the modes) – This is one of the special characteristics of

Bhagavan (7.12)

All material activities are conducted under the three modes
These modes emanate from the Supreme Lord and He is not subordinate to them
Analogy: king/law maker is not subject to state laws
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
7.12 Ye bhavah, those things; sattvikah eva, that indeed are made of (the ality of) sattva; and ye rajasah, those that are made (of the ality) of rajas; and tamasah, those that are made of (the ality of) tamas-whatever things are made (of sattva, rajas and tamas) according to the creatures's own actions: viddhi, know; tan, them, all without exception; mattah eva iti, to have sprung from Me alone when they come into being. Although they originate from Me, still, tu, however; aham, I; am na tesu, not in them-I am not subject to them, not under their control, as are the transmigrating bengs. Te, they, again; mayi, are in Me, subject to Me, under My control. [For sattva, rajas, and tamas see note under 2.45 as also Chapters 14, 17 and 18.-Tr.] 'The world does not know Me, the supreme Lord, even though I am of this kind, and am eternal, pure, intelligent and free by nature, [See note on p.4.-Tr.] the Self of all beings, free from all alities, the cause of burning away the seed of the evil of transmigration!'-in this way the Lord expresses regret. And what is the source of that ignorance in the world? That is being stated:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
7.12 Why should this be declared with particular illustrations? The reason is as follows: Whatever entities exist in the world partaking of the alities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas in the forms of bodies, senses, objects of enjoyment and their causes - know them all to have originated from Me alone, and they abide in Me alone, as they constitute My body. 'But I am not in them.' That is, I do not depend for My existence on them at any time. In the case of other beings, though the body depends for its existence on the self, the body serves some purpose of the self in the matter of Its sustenance. To Me, however, there is no purpose at all of that kind served by them constituting My body. The meaning is that they merely serve the purpose of My sport.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
7.12 See Comment under 7.13
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
7.12 Whatever beings (and objects) that are pure, active and inert, know that they proceed from Me. They are in Me, yet I am not in them.
Commentary

7.12 ये whatever? च and? एव even? सात्त्विकाः pure? भावाः natures? राजसाः active? तामसाः inert? च and? ये whatever? मत्तः from Me? एव even? इति thus? तान् them? विद्धि know? न not? तु indeed? अहम् I? तेषु in them? ते they? मयि in Me.Commentary This is a world of the three Gunas? viz.? Sattva (purity)? Rajas (passion) and Tamas (inertia). All sentient and insentient objects are the aggregate of these three alities of Nature. One ality predominates in them and the predominant ality imparts to the object its distinctive character or definite properties.In the gods? sages milk and green gram? Sattva is predominant. In Gandharvas (a class of celestials)? kings? warriors and chillies? Rajas is predominant. In demons? Sudras? garlic? onion and meat? Tamas is predominant.Though these beings and objects proceed from Me? I am not in them they are in Me. I am independent. I am the support for them they depend on Me just as the superimposed snake depends on the rope. The snake is in the rope? but the rope is never in the snake. The waves belong to the ocean but the ocean does not belong to the waves. (Cf.IX.4and6)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
7.12 Those things that indeed are made of (the ality of ) sattva, and those things that are made of (the ality of) rajas and tamas, know them to have sprung from Me alone. However, I am not in them; they are in Me!
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
7.12 Whatever be the nature of their life, whether it be pure or passionate or ignorant, they are all derived from Me. They are in Me, but I am not in them.
Related values & verses
Related values
Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 9.4 BG 14.19 BG 13.32 SB 1.7.23 SB 11.25.12 SB 10.87.15 CC Madhya 20.273 CC Ādi 2.65 CC Madhya 6.160 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.10Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.11
Concepts
Bhava
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
All states of existence — sattva, rajas, tamas — are manifested by My energy; they are in Me, but I am not in them.
Practical Applications
  • Don't identify Kṛṣṇa with the modes; the modes are His emanation, not His person.
  • Use this distinction when philosophizing about God.
  • Refuse pantheism that flattens the personal Lord into the impersonal.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I flattened Kṛṣṇa into 'the universe'?
  • What restores His personal distinctness?
Analogy

Sunlight produces colors but is not colored. Red glass makes the room red; blue glass makes it blue; the sun above is neither. Kṛṣṇa stands to the three guṇas as the sun to its filters: He is their source but not their hue. 'They are in Me; I am not in them.'

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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