Gita Chapter 14

Gita Chapter 14

Key Points:

Lord elaborates some of the key points from Chapter 13.  The concept of creation having come to existence due to the combination of the impure Prakriti and the pure Atman or jiva.  Also He provides a method as to how the seeker cam free himself from this bondage.
Jiva or the life form comes from, and is part of God or Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma, a member of the trinity)
Material  world is part of Prakriti.
Placement of Jivansh by Brahman or God in the Prakriti is the basis of the creation of 84 lakh species, Human being one of them
Jiva  being an ansh of God is inherently pure while material being part of Prakriti is impure
Association of Pure  Jiva with the impure  material prakriti and jiva not remembering it’s true nature leads to Jiva going through lot of suffering not only in this life but in the future lives as well.
Prakriti has 3 properties or qualities: ( The good, the bad and the ugly )
               Sattvic:    The ‘good’  leaning to Knowledge, light and calmness
               Rajasic     The ‘bad’  leaning to action, dynamism, selfishness
               Tamasic    The ‘ugly’   Destructive, negative,  driven by ignorance

Sattvic qualities are characterized by inclination to knowledge, spiritual practices, mental tranquility.
Rajas qualities are characterized by action, dynamism, enjoyment of the financial and material prosperity.
Tamas qualities are characterized by ignorance, not realizing who we truly are, engaging in intoxication, crimes and selfishness.
When Jiva identifies itself with these qualities it  is subject to the effects  of these qualities.  
This association also leads to the bondage of the Jiva in this life and due to the association with these qualities and the effect of these qualities it is destined to be born in a future life of Sattva, Rajas or Tamas.  Even though it would appear that Sattva is a great  quality to have and that is true relative to the Rajas and Tamas, but Sattva being a quality of Prakriti, nevertheless, it is still a form of bondage because it is not a quality of Brahman or God.


When a person is inclined to spiritual pursuits it is said that Sattva is dominant
When a person is driven by action and dynamism and life’s material enjoyments, it is said that Rajas is dominant
When a person is living a life of intoxication, crime, greed and selfishness and harming others, it is said that Tamas is dominant.
In a given person’s life at one time or the other  one of these three are dominant and the the proportion of these three is constantly changing.  So that we will see that the same individual behaves in a Sattvic manner at one time while at other times it behaves in a Raajasic or  Tamasic manner.  Often not knowing that his behavior is being determined by one of these qualities.
Our goal  should be to be able to  understand that my true nature is pure and divine and I am not part of the prakriti.  Therefore when  in me or around me when I see the effect of one of these qualities, I should not be perturbed and strive to continuously abide in my true self.  If I am able  see myself to be separate from these qualities, than I am able to get in touch my true nature and that is where the unlimited peace, tranquility and happiness is.  In other words I am able to reunite with the Supreme, from where I originated to begin with.