Devanagari
न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुन: ।
सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभि: स्यात्त्रिभिर्गुणै: ॥ ४० ॥
Verse text
na tad asti pṛthivyāṁ vā
divi deveṣu vā punaḥ
sattvaṁ prakṛti-jair muktaṁ
yad ebhiḥ syāt tribhir guṇaiḥ
Synonyms
na
—
not
;
tat
—
that
;
asti
—
there is
;
pṛthivyām
—
on the earth
;
vā
—
or
;
divi
—
in the higher planetary system
;
deveṣu
—
amongst the demigods
;
vā
—
or
;
punaḥ
—
again
;
sattvam
—
existence
;
prakṛti-jaiḥ
—
born of material nature
;
muktam
—
liberated
;
yat
—
that
;
ebhiḥ
—
from the influence of these
;
syāt
—
is
;
tribhiḥ
—
three
;
guṇaiḥ
—
modes of material nature.
Translation
There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from these three modes born of material nature.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
40. There is no living entity on earth or in heaven who is free from these three guṇas arising from prakṛti.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
40. There is no living entity or object on earth or in heaven who is free from these three guṇas arising from prakṛti.
Purport
The Lord here summarizes the total influence of the three modes of material nature all over the universe.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Including those things not mentioned, the Lord now summarizes this section. There is not anything, no living species or non-living things (sattvam), which is free from the three guṇas born of prakṛti. Everything in existence is composed of the three guṇas. The meaning of this section is that sattvic items are acceptable and those of rajas and tamas are not.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Summarizing the meaning of this topic, the Lord includes here all other things that He did not mention. In this world, among men, in the heavens of svarga, among the devas, among all creatures in creation from Brahmā down to immovable entities, there is no living entity (sattvam) and no object which is free of the three guṇas arising from prakṛti. Among all things made of the three guṇas, those in the mode of goodness should be accepted because they alone are useful, and those things in the lower modes should be rejected.
Surrender Unto Me
Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport that the modes of material nature are determining all activities, high, low, medium and in between, in each of the planetary systems througout the entire universe. They are doing everything in one sense but in other hand they are inert, so they are not doing anything.
After describing how to get free from the reactions of work (in the two first sections) and then describing how everything is simply controlled by the three modes of material nature and everyone is forced to work according to these modes, now Krsna is going to explain how to gain liberation. He is going to start climbing the yoga‑ladder, bottom‑most rangs to the top‑most rangs of this yoga‑ladder.
Krsna is going to describe how, although one is in the modes of material nature, one can transcend those modes using the work that is controlled by those modes. Krsna just describe that all activities in this material world are controlled by the modes, so therefore the question will be: 'how can one get out? Because everything I do is controlled by the modes.' Here Krsna is going to describe specifically that, how can get out of the modes of material nature using work according to those modes.
At the bottom rang of the yoga‑ladder there is sakama karma‑ yoga where one works with fruitive desires. He has desires but he is working according to sastra. That means that he does his prescribed duty according to his varna and asrama.
Here, when one is attached to the work and their fruits in the modes of material nature, how to get free by following varna‑ asrama is described.
Summary: the two first sections describe how to become free through detached work and then through jnana where one understands that he is not doing anything. And then, in the third section, if one is not doing anything , who is doing? ‑ the modes. And the fourth section is how to become free from the modes of material nature by using the modes of material nature.
[ D. WORSHIPING THE LORD THROUGH ONE'S OCCUPATIONAL WORK IS TRUE RENUNCIATION AND BRINGS FREEDOM FROM REACTIONS (18. 41‑48)
1. Thus being controlled by the modes, the brahmana is peaceful, self controlled, austere, tolerant, honest, wise, and religious. The ksatriya is determined, generous, resourceful, and courageous. The vaisya naturally tends towards business, farming, and cow protection, while the sudra tends towards labor and service to others. (41‑45) ]