Bhagavad-gītā 14.5

Explain simply

Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥५॥

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti
guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ
nibadhnanti mahā-bāho
dehe dehinam avyayam

Word for word (synonyms)

sattvam
mode of goodness
rajaḥ
mode of passion
tamaḥ
mode of ignorance
iti
thus
guṇāḥ
qualities
prakṛti
material nature
sambhavāḥ
produced of
nibadhnanti
does condition
mahā-bāho
O mighty-armed one
dehe
in this body
dehinam
the living entity
avyayam
eternal

Translation

Material nature consists of the three modes—goodness, passion and ignorance. When the living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these modes.

Purport

The living entity, because he is transcendental, has nothing to do with this material nature. Still, because he has become conditioned by the material world, he is acting under the spell of the three modes of material nature. Because living entities have different kinds of bodies, in terms of the different aspects of nature, they are induced to act according to that nature. This is the cause of the varieties of happiness and distress.

What this verse teaches

How the material modes bind the pure jīva

In thematic compilations 1

The Five Topics

  • Jīva is spiritual, but becomes conditioned due to contact with material nature. (14.5, 13.22)
  • Material Nature constitutes three qualities (guṇas) namely, goodness, passion and ignorance that carry out all material activities and bind the jīvas to this world. (3.27, 14.5)

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.