|
Chapter 18
Link:—The Lord, classified knowledge, action and happiness, under three heads, characterized by the three modes of nature. In the next verse, He winds up the topic, by declaring that all the objects of this creation, are classified under these three heads, characterized by three modes of nature.
na tadasti prthiryam va divi devesu va punah sattvam
prakptijau muktath yadebhih syattribhirgunai
There is no being on earth nor even among the gods in heaven, that is free, from the three modes, born of nature (prakrti). 40
Comment:-
[At the beginning of this chapter, Arjuna desired to know severally, the true nature of renunciation (Sannyasa) and Tyaga (Karmayoga). So the Lord, first described Karmayoga. Winding up the topic the Lord declared, "Pleasant, unpleasant and mixed - threefold, is, the fruit of action, accruing to those who have not relinquished the fruit. But there is none whatever, for those who have relinquished the fruit." Having declared so, in the thirteenth verse, by beginning the topic of Sankhyayoga (Discipline of Knowledge), He explained five factors, which contribute to the accomplishment of action. In the sixteenth and seventeenth verses, He decried those, who look upon the self, as doer and praised those, who are free from egoistic notion. In the eighteenth verse, He mentioned the factors, which motivate action and also the constituents of actions, while the self is free, from incitement and constituents. Then, He classified knowledge, action, agent, intellect, dhlti and happiness into three kinds. While describing the three kinds of happiness, He explained the superiority of sattvika happiness to rajasika and tamasika, though all the three are derived by having affinity with Prakrti. But, the real joy which transcends, the three modes of nature, is unique and supreme [1].
Even the sattvika happiness, is not eternal, because the Lord has declared, that it springs from placidity of mind and whatever is born, is not eternal. The Lord means that a striver, has to rise above this sattvika happiness, also. By transcending the nature and its three modes, he has to realize the real bliss of God or the self. So the Lord declares—]
Na tadasti prthivyadl va diva devesu va punch:- Here; the term 'Prthivyam', denotes mortal worlds, as well as, other lower worlds, than the earth. Didt denotes heaven, 'Devesu, denotes all beings, such as men, gods, demons, devils, birds, beasts, insects, trees and plants etc., whether moving or non-moving, while the expression 'Va punah', denotes infinite universes. It means, that either in the celestial world, or in the middle region or in the terrestrial world, in infinite universes, there is no object or being, free from these three modes of nature. All of these are connected with the three modes of nature.
|
|