Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya 448

Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya

Chapter-14 Guṇa-traya-vibhāg Yogaḥ

Commentary Knowledge is defined as the perception of things as they really are — by ‘nescience’ (ajñāna) is meant that which is opposed to it or false knowledge. Tamas, arising from false knowledge, deludes all beings. Delusion is mistaken comprehension; in other words, Tamas is the cause of error. Being the cause of negligence, indolence and sleep, it binds the embodied Atman. ‘Negligence’ — is lack of attention, which causes one to do the wrong thing. ‘Indolence’ — is the tendency to avoid work; it may even develop into complete inaction. ‘Sleep’ — is the state of cessation of all externally directed activities due to exhaustion and the need to recover from the same. In sleep (nidrā) when only the externally directed action of the senses stops, [but the mind continues to function] it is called the dream state (svapna). When even the mental activity ceases it is called dreamless sleep (suṣupti). sattvaṃ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata | jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty-uta || 9 || 9. The Mode of Sattva generates attachment to pleasure, Rajas to action, O Arjuna. But the Mode of Tamas, obscuring wisdom, generates attachment to negligence.