Gita 14.11
Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga
सर्वद्वारेषु देहेऽस्मिन्प्रकाश उपजायते | ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ||११||
sarva-dvāreṣu dehe 'smin prakāśa upajāyate | jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād vivṛddhaṁ sattvam ity uta ||11||
In essence: When illumination and knowledge shine through all the senses - know that sattva predominates.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "I've experienced this illumination sometimes - everything seems clearer, I understand things more easily. But it doesn't last. How do I make it stay?"
Guru: "You cannot make any guna stay permanently - that's what we learned in the previous verse. But you can create conditions favorable to sattva's frequent return."
Sadhak: "What conditions?"
Guru: "Sattvic food - fresh, light, naturally sweet. Sattvic company - wise, peaceful, truthful people. Sattvic environment - clean, orderly, beautiful. Sattvic activity - study, meditation, selfless service. These increase sattva's 'vote share' in the internal election."
Sadhak: "But I can't control all my conditions. I work with rajasic people in a tamasic environment."
Guru: "You control more than you think. Your internal environment - what you feed your mind, how you interpret events, where you place attention. Even in a rajasic office, you can maintain inner sattva through brief pauses of awareness, through not feeding reactive thoughts, through remembering your true nature."
Sadhak: "The illumination itself - is that sattva, or is that the Self?"
Guru: "Excellent question. The illumination is reflected light - the Self's light reflecting through sattvic mind. Sattva is the clearest mirror, so it shows the Self's light most accurately. But even this illumination is within prakriti. The Self is the source of the light, not the reflection."
Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.
🌅 Daily Practice
Upon waking, assess: is there illumination through the gates? Are the senses clear and alert? Does the mind grasp easily? If yes, sattva is dominant - an excellent time for study, meditation, important decisions. If not, work to invite sattva through movement, light, fresh air, or prayer before demanding complex cognition.
Use 'illumination check' before important activities. Before a meeting, creative work, or difficult conversation, notice: is there mental light, or fog? Is understanding easy, or effortful? If sattva is low, consider postponing if possible, or at least not expecting optimal performance. Work with your current guna rather than against it.
Reflect on today's moments of illumination. When did knowledge flow easily? What conditions preceded that clarity? Were there environmental factors, internal factors, or both? This reflection builds understanding of your personal sattva-triggers, helping you create them more intentionally.