Bhagavad Gita
Guna-traya-vibhaga-yoga (The Yoga of Distinguishing the Three Modes of Material Nature)14.5
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Bhagavad Gita · 14.5
Devanāgarī

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

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

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सत्त्वम् रजः तमःsattvam rajaḥ tamaḥsattva, rajas, and tamas.
इति गुणाःiti guṇāḥthese guas.
प्रकृतिसम्भवाःprakṛti-sambhavāḥborn of material nature.
निबध्नन्तिnibadhnantithey bind, they condition.
महाबाहोmahā-bāhoO mighty-armed one!
देहेdehein the body.
देहिनम्dehinamthe embodied one, the soul.
अव्ययम्avyayamimperishable, eternal.
Translation

“O mighty-armed one, material nature consists of three guas — sattva [goodness], rajas [passion], and tamas [ignorance]. These guas, born of material nature, bind the eternal, embodied soul that dwells within the body.”

Version

cda4a40cddd2 · published Jul 2, 2026, 12:00:00 PM UTC

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