Gita 14.5
Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः | निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ||५||
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ | nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam ||5||
In essence: Sattva, rajas, and tamas - these three gunas born of prakriti bind the imperishable Self to the body.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Wait - even sattva binds? I've been trying so hard to cultivate sattva, to become more peaceful and wise. Are you saying that's also bondage?"
Guru: "A golden chain is still a chain. Sattva is the finest prison, decorated with clarity and peace, but it still keeps you identified with the gunas rather than transcending them."
Sadhak: "Then what's the point of spiritual practice if sattva also binds?"
Guru: "Sattva is necessary but not final. It's much easier to see through a clean window than a dirty one. From sattva, you can more clearly recognize the game of gunas altogether. Trying to transcend from tamas is nearly impossible - you're too dull to see clearly."
Sadhak: "So I should cultivate sattva but not get attached to it?"
Guru: "Exactly. Use sattva as a ladder, but don't make it your home. The sattvic person enjoys peace but still identifies as a peaceful person. The liberated one witnesses peace arising and passing like any other state. They are the dehi, the imperishable witness, not the guna-states that come and go."
Sadhak: "This is subtle. How do I know if I'm in sattva or beyond it?"
Guru: "If you prefer sattva and dislike tamas, you're in the game of gunas. If you can witness all three with equal equanimity - not forcing yourself but naturally resting as awareness - you're touching the beyond. We'll learn more as Krishna describes each guna's specific binding mechanism."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Upon waking, ask yourself: which guna dominates right now? Don't judge, just identify. Heavy and resistant to getting up - tamas. Mind already racing with plans - rajas. Clear and ready for a conscious day - sattva. This simple identification begins the discrimination that loosens the gunas' grip.
Throughout the day, notice how gunas shift like weather. After lunch, tamas might increase. In a heated discussion, rajas flares. In meditation or nature, sattva arises. You are the sky watching these weather patterns. The more you witness their coming and going, the less you mistake yourself for any particular pattern.
Before sleep, recall today's dominant gunas. Without judgment, notice: were you bound by them, reacting automatically? Or were there moments of witnessing, of being the imperishable observer? Celebrate the witnessing moments. Don't berate the bound moments - recognition is already progress. Set intention to increase witnessing tomorrow.