FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 14.9

సత్త్వం సుఖే సఞ్జయతి రజ: కర్మణి భారత । జ్ఞానమావృత్య తు తమ: ప్రమాదే సఞ్జయత్యుత ॥ ౯ ॥
sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati
[sattvam sukhe sanjayati]
rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
[rajah karmani bhaarata]
jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ
[jnaanam aavritya tu tamah]
pramāde sañjayaty uta
[pramaade sanjayaty uta]
Word-for-word
sattvam — the mode of goodness sukhe — in happiness sañjayati — binds rajaḥ — the mode of passion karmaṇi — in fruitive activity bhārata — O son of Bharata jñānam — knowledge āvṛtya — covering tu — but tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance pramāde — in madness sañjayati — binds uta — it is said .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati
sattvam
the mode of goodness
sukhe
in happiness
sañjayati
binds
rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
rajaḥ
the mode of passion
karmaṇi
in fruitive activity
bhārata
O son of Bharata
jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ
jñānam
knowledge
āvṛtya
covering
tu
but
tamaḥ
the mode of ignorance
pramāde sañjayaty uta
pramāde
in madness
sañjayati
binds
uta
it is said .
Important Words
  • sukhe sañjayati — binds in happiness
    Sam-jan — to glue together. Sattva glues the soul to a particular sukha. The bond is sticky-sweet; that is precisely why it is hard to notice as a bond at all.
  • karmaṇi — in fruitive activity
    Locative — the realm rajas glues you into. Same word as BG 2.47's karmaṇi, but here turned against the embodied: not 'in your duty' but 'in result-chasing work'. The shift of register matters.
  • jñānam āvṛtya — covering knowledge
    Ā-vṛ — to cover, to veil. Tamas's signature move: it does not destroy knowledge, it veils it. Lift the veil — by hearing, by association, by light food — and the knowledge re-emerges, having been there all along.
  • pramāde — in madness, in heedlessness
    Locative — the room tamas locks you into. Pramāda is the deeper word here than 'madness' suggests in English. It is the chronic miss — the meeting forgotten, the practice skipped, the friend unreplied-to. Tamas is mostly a series of such small misses adding up.
O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness.
Purport

A person in the mode of goodness is satisfied by his work or intellectual pursuit, just as a philosopher, scientist or educator may be engaged in a particular field of knowledge and may be satisfied in that way. A man in the mode of passion may be engaged in fruitive activity; he owns as much as he can and spends for good causes. Sometimes he tries to open hospitals, give to charity institutions, etc. These are signs of one in the mode of passion. And the mode of ignorance covers knowledge. In the mode of ignorance, whatever one does is good neither for him nor for anyone.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Sattva produces attachment to happiness; rajas produces attachment to action; and tamas, covering knowledge, produces attachment to inattention, O descendent of Bharata.
Commentary

The Lord summarizes what He has just said in this verse. Sattva subjugates or binds the jīva who is attached to the happiness he has achieved from his actions. Rajas binds the jīva who is attached to the actions he performs. Tamas binds the jīva who is inattentive to his works, and produces ignorance in him (jṣānam āvṛtya).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Sattva produces attachment to happiness; rajas produces attachment to action; and tamas, covering knowledge, produces attachment to inattention, O descendent of Bharata.
Commentary

When one guṇa becomes prominent, it spreads its effects. This is explained in two verses. When sattva is prominent, it attaches the jīva to happiness, its effect. When rajas is strong it attaches the jīva to actions. When tamas is strong it attaches the jīva to carelessness or error, and covering knowledge, producing ignorance (jṣānam āvṛtya).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

If one would be in a pure state of goodness, he would be able to surrender to the Supersoul and go back home, back to Godhead. But when one is contaminated by goodness he is too satisfied to do what Krsna says. When one is contaminated by the mode of passion, his own desires are speaking too loudly to hear the voice of his dear friend, the Supersoul. And when one is contaminated by the mode of ignorance, he is too inert, crazy and mad, to hear the Supersoul. He is too many other voices from here and there... In this way, the modes of nature conditione the living entity and keep him satisfied and seeking pleasure within the different encasements of the material world.

[5. The modes compete with one another for supremacy within the individual. (10) ]

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

This verse summaries Texts 14.6 – 14.8

Focus of Learning

(a) Difference between passion and ignorance – Both may work hard but in:

Passion – one engages in fruitive action and owns as much as he can, but spending for the good cause, e.g. Sometimes he opens hospitals, charity institutions etc.
Ignorance – All actions are neither good for him, nor for others: but one acts whimsically without following the regulative principles

SUMMARISED THEME 14B

OBSTACLES PRESENTED BY THE MODES

A) GOODNESS

No impetus to take up spiritual life. Why?
Because you’re too happy and satisfied to do what Krsna says
Hard to be humble. Why?
Have sense of superiority
Hard to learn. Why?
I already know (have knowledge)

B) PASSION

Can’t give up the fruits – Why?
Because wants to fulfill unlimited desires
Thus becomes very attached
Often willing to sin to fulfill desires
Thus cannot take up Bhakti with determination

C) IGNORANCE

Too deluded to recognize Krishna’s instructions
Too lazy to perform austerities
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
14.9 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, sattva, sanjayati, attaches one; sukhe, to happiness; rajas (-attaches is understood-) karmani, to action; tu, while; tamas, avrtya, covering up, veiling; jnanam, knowledge, the discrimination produced by sattva; sanjayati, leads pramade, to inadvertence; uta, also. Pramada means non-performance of a duty on hand. When do the alities produce the effects stated above? That is being answered:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
14.9 Sattva mainly attaches one to pleasure. Rajas mainly attaches one to actions. But Tamas, veiling knowledge of true things and being the cause of false knowledge, mainly attaches one to actions which are contrary to those which ought to be done. The Sattva and other alities evolve from the nature of Prakrti, developed into the form of the body. Owing to this fact that they have evolved out of the nature of Prakrti, they always co-exist in bodies at all time. How, then, can they cause effects which are mutually contrary? He replies:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
14.9 See Comment under 14.10
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
14.9 Sattva attaches to happiness, Rajas to action, O Arjuna, while Tamas verily shrouding knowledge attaches to heedlessness.
Commentary

14.9 सत्त्वम् purity? सुखे to happiness? सञ्जयति attaches? रजः active force? कर्मणि to action? भारत O Bharata? ज्ञानम् knowledge? आवृत्य shrouding? तु verily? तमः inertia? प्रमादे to heedlessness? सञ्जयति attaches? उत but.Commentary Just as a dark cloud enshrouds the sun? so also Tamas envelops knowledge or the light of the Self. Tamas creates an attachment for heedlessness? that is? ignorance or forgetfulness of duty or the nonperformance of necessary (obligatory) duties.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
14.9 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, sattva attaches one to happiness, rajas to action, while tamas, covering up knowledge, leads to inadvertence also.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
14.9 Purity brings happiness, Passion commotion, and Ignorance, which obscures wisdom, leads to a life of failure.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 18.37 BG 18.38 BG 18.39 SB 11.25.16 SB 1.2.24 SB 3.26.22 CC Madhya 19.149 CC Madhya 24.32 CC Madhya 6.156 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.9Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.5
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Sattva binds to happiness, rajas to fruitive action, tamas to delusion — each mode's binding is specific.
Practical Applications
  • Diagnose the specific binding of your dominant mode.
  • Apply the specific antidote.
  • Don't generalize; modes bind specifically.
Reflection Questions
  • What specific binding do I most struggle with?
  • What is its specific antidote?
Analogy

Three different drugs, three different effects: one numbs you with pleasure, one inflames you with restlessness, one drops you into a stupor. The modes are pharmacologically distinct — the cure must be too.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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