Devanagari
सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रज: कर्मणि भारत ।
ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तम: प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
sattvaṁ sukhe saṣjayati
rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
jṣānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ
pramāde saṣjayaty uta
Synonyms
sattvam
—
the mode of goodness
;
sukhe
—
in happiness
;
saṣjayati
—
binds
;
rajaḥ
—
the mode of passion
;
karmaṇi
—
in fruitive activity
;
bhārata
—
O son of Bharata
;
jṣānam
—
knowledge
;
āvṛtya
—
covering
;
tu
—
but
;
tamaḥ
—
the mode of ignorance
;
pramāde
—
in madness
;
saṣjayati
—
binds
;
uta
—
it is said.
Translation
O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
9. Sattva produces attachment to happiness; rajas produces attachment to action; and tamas, covering knowledge, produces attachment to inattention, O descendent of Bharata.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
9. Sattva produces attachment to happiness; rajas produces attachment to action; and tamas, covering knowledge, produces attachment to inattention, O descendent of Bharata.
Purport
A person in the mode of goodness is satisfied by his work or intellectual pursuit, just as a philosopher, scientist or educator may be engaged in a particular field of knowledge and may be satisfied in that way. A man in the mode of passion may be engaged in fruitive activity; he owns as much as he can and spends for good causes. Sometimes he tries to open hospitals, give to charity institutions, etc. These are signs of one in the mode of passion. And the mode of ignorance covers knowledge. In the mode of ignorance, whatever one does is good neither for him nor for anyone.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The Lord summarizes what He has just said in this verse. Sattva subjugates or binds the jīva who is attached to the happiness he has achieved from his actions. Rajas binds the jīva who is attached to the actions he performs. Tamas binds the jīva who is inattentive to his works, and produces ignorance in him (jṣānam āvṛtya).
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
When one guṇa becomes prominent, it spreads its effects. This is explained in two verses. When sattva is prominent, it attaches the jīva to happiness, its effect. When rajas is strong it attaches the jīva to actions. When tamas is strong it attaches the jīva to carelessness or error, and covering knowledge, producing ignorance (jṣānam āvṛtya).
Surrender Unto Me
If one would be in a pure state of goodness, he would be able to surrender to the Supersoul and go back home, back to Godhead. But when one is contaminated by goodness he is too satisfied to do what Krsna says. When one is contaminated by the mode of passion, his own desires are speaking too loudly to hear the voice of his dear friend, the Supersoul. And when one is contaminated by the mode of ignorance, he is too inert, crazy and mad, to hear the Supersoul. He is too many other voices from here and there...
In this way, the modes of nature conditione the living entity and keep him satisfied and seeking pleasure within the different encasements of the material world.
[5. The modes compete with one another for supremacy within the individual. (10) ]