Bg. 7.12 · Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Devanagari

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये । मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ॥ १२ ॥

Verse text

ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāś ca ye matta eveti tān viddhi na tv ahaṁ teṣu te mayi

Synonyms

ye — all which ; ca — and ; eva — certainly ; sāttvikāḥ — in goodness ; bhāvāḥ — states of being ; rājasāḥ — in the mode of passion ; tāmasāḥ — in the mode of ignorance ; ca — also ; ye — all which ; mattaḥ — from Me ; eva — certainly ; iti — thus ; tān — those ; viddhi — try to know ; na — not ; tu — but ; aham — I ; teṣu — in them ; te — they ; mayi — in Me.

Translation

Know that all states of being – be they of goodness, passion or ignorance – are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of material nature, for they, on the contrary, are within Me.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

12. Know that all things in sattva, rajas and tamas come from Me. I am not in them, but they are in Me.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

12. Know that all things in sattva, rajas and tamas come from Me. I am not dependent on them, but they are dependent on Me.

Purport

All material activities in the world are being conducted under the three modes of material nature. Although these material modes of nature are emanations from the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, He is not subject to them. For instance, under the state laws one may be punished, but the king, the lawmaker, is not subject to that law. Similarly, all the modes of material nature – goodness, passion and ignorance – are emanations from the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is not subject to material nature. Therefore He is nirguṇa, which means that these guṇas, or modes, although issuing from Him, do not affect Him. That is one of the special characteristics of Bhagavān, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The expressions of My powers (vibhūti), being the cause of things or the essence of things and being the living entities such as Rākṣasas [Note: The reference seems unclear since Rākṣasas have not been mentioned in the above list of vibhūtis.] have thus been mentioned to some degrees. There is no need to list these more extensively. All things are dependent on Me, and are an expression of My power. Those things (bhāvā) in the mode of goodness, like sense and mind control and the devatās; those things in the mode of passion, such as lust and pride, and the asuras like Hiraṇyakaśipu; and those things in the mode of ignorance like lamentation, illusion and the Rākṣasas—these are all the products of the guṇas of prakṛti belonging to Me. I do not exist in them: I do not depend on them like the jīvas. But they exist in Me: they are dependent on Me.

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

Having explained a little of His vibhūtis, the Lord now explains them all in summary. Know that all the differing states of sattva, rajas, and tamas, which are situated as the bodies, senses, and sense objects of the living entities and the cause of all these, receiving their respective powers from Me, arise from Me alone. But I am not situated in them. I am not at all dependent upon them for My existence (na tu aham teṣu). They are all dependent on Me for their existence (te mayi).

Surrender Unto Me

Krsna told us how to perceive Him while taking water. Even a drunkard while drinking his wine, if he acknowledges that the taste of the wine is Krsna ‑ the he will gradually become Krsna conscious. By seeing water, by seeing the light of the sun and moon, by seeing powerful people ‑ we are seeing Krsna. Krsna sums‑up by saying: 'Know that all states of being are manifested by My energy. I am in one sense everything." But although Krsna is everything, He is everywhere, ‑ He is independent! Krsna controls everything, Everything is under the control of the three modes of material nature. Krsna is above matter, he has nothing to do with it ‑ He is the source of it. He is independent. Krsna is everywhere. What is it that stop someone from knowing Krsna and surrender to Krsna, if He is everywhere? What is it that stops us? ‑ The answer is, [ C . THE THREE MODES ARE CONTROLLED BY KRSNA THEREFORE SURRENDER (7. 13‑14) Deluded by these three modes, no one knows Krsna who is above the modes and is inexhaustible. Those who 'surrender' to Krsna, the control of the modes, will cross beyond the modes to know Him. ]