Devanagari
सत्त्वे प्रलीना: स्वर्यान्ति नरलोकं रजोलया: ।
तमोलयास्तु निरयं यान्ति मामेव निर्गुणा: ॥ २२ ॥
Verse text
sattve pralīnāḥ svar yānti
nara-lokaṁ rajo-layāḥ
tamo-layās tu nirayaṁ
yānti mām eva nirguṇāḥ
Synonyms
sattve
—
in the mode of goodness
;
pralīnāḥ
—
those who die
;
svaḥ
—
to heaven
;
yānti
—
they go
;
nara
—
lokam — to the world of human beings
;
rajaḥ
—
layāḥ — those who die in the mode of passion
;
tamaḥ
—
layāḥ — those who die in the mode of ignorance
;
tu
—
and
;
nirayam
—
to hell
;
yānti
—
they go
;
mām
—
to Me
;
eva
—
however
;
nirguṇāḥ
—
those who are free from all the modes .
Translation
Those who leave this world in the mode of goodness go to the heavenly planets, those who pass away in the mode of passion remain in the world of human beings, and those dying in the mode of ignorance must go to hell. But those who are free from the influence of all modes of nature come to Me.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Those who leave this world in sattva go to the heavenly planets, those who pass away in rajas remain in the world of human beings, and those dying in tamas must go to hell. But those who are free from the influence of all modes of nature come to me, even while living.
The results attained by the guṇas present at the time of leaving the body are described. Whatever guṇa is strong at that time, that guṇa becomes particularly visible in the destination. Thus when people die with strong sattva, they go to Svarga. When rajas is strong at the time of death (rajo-layāḥ) they are born as humans. When they die with strong tamas, they go to hell. The word laya or dying is not used for those beyond the guṇas. Even while living, without dying, those who are beyond the guṇas because of bhakti to me attain me.