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References to triguna may also be traced to the time much much before the
Gita i.e. in Samkhya - one of the most ancient darsana which, incidentally
is the base for the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. In fact one of the core themes
running throughout the Yoga Sutras are the processes involved in
transcending the trigunas.  The Yoga Sutra also clearly informs that the
Supreme is beyond trigunas and may therefore be considered as our primary
Guru.

while it is true as shri Sudarshan says " A deep understanding of the
concept and reality of
"tri-gUNa-s" is very essential to the practice of the
Vedantic faith......"

one is not sure whether "...... Those few who succeed in that
understanding attain the state of Brahman....".   The  Upanashids are
replete with
emphatic declarations that Brahman is not a state to attain or easily
understood by the ordinary senses.   The Yoga Sutras clearly say that once
the trigunas are comprehended then 'viveka khyati' occurs, that is, a
discrimination apparently appears to spontaneously flower. This
discrimination is not born out of the intellect or mind stuff and is more
in the realm of intuitive perception.

Forgive this writer for whatever is said out of error.

Om tat sat
tat tvam asi



                                                                                
                             
                      sudarshan                                                 
                             
                      madabushi                  To:      
tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                       
                      <mksudarshan2002@y         cc:      
srirangasri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,                       
                      ahoo.co.in>                oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    
                             
                                                 Subject: [Oppiliappan] More on 
"tri-gUNa": Sattva, Rajas &  
                      02/07/04 05:26 PM          Tamas                          
                             
                      Please respond to                                         
                             
                      Oppiliappan                                               
                             
                                                                                
                             
                                                                                
                             




Dear friends,

A member of SriRangasri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sri Tatachar
wrote in response to my earlier post on this subject:

 "It (triguNa) is fact not because it is in the gIta,
rather, the  otherway, because it is there to begin
with, (it's why) the Lord addresses it in the gIta."

Sri Tatachar is 100% right.

                ****************

If my arithmetic is not wrong, there are about 65
'shlOkA-s' in all in the Gita devoted to examining in
great detail the subject of "tri-gUNa":

(1) In Chapter 7, Krishna while explaining the nature
of the material world ("prakruti") brings up the
subject for the first time. He does it quite suddenly
in Stanzas# 12 & #13 almost springing a surprise on
Arjuna (throughout the Gita, we see this as a common
occurence... Krishna taking poor Arjuna by surprise by
introducing a new idea or new strand of thought
suddenly in the middle of a long exposition on another
theme...):

     "tribhir-gUNa-mayyair-bhAvair-
        abhi sarvamidam jagath
      mOhitam nAbhi-jAnAti
        mAmEbhyah param-avyayam"

     The nature of all the world
         and all this universe
     Mired as they are in the three "gUNa-s",
        is caused by them;
     They veil the world
      from Me --
     I am beyond them
      Eternal and unchanged!

               ****************

Then in Chapter 14, beginning with Stanza #5 through
#18, Krishna introduces Arjuna to the concepts of
Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. He provides us their
definitions, explains their properties and even
constructs a cause-effect matrix to help open Arjuna's
eyes to the reality of the "tri-gUNa-s". Arjuna then
beholds and recognizes the world in a wholly new
light. Slowly he begins to understand it all in terms
of the threefold elements of "tri-gUNa-s".

Reading these stanzas carefully and reflecting deeply
upon them we too begin to understand that Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas are great powerful Forces indeed
acting upon and in this world, in much the same way
perhaps as we know, say, Gravity, Magnetic-fields or
Radio-activity rule this world.

None can ever grasp or clutch at a handful of Gravity
but everyone, everything in this world is bound by it
("badhnAti"). Similarly, you cannot hold a
magnetic-field within the palm of the hand, but just
go near a source of magnetism and see what happens...
it will envelop you like an octopus embraces its prey.
Again, you never actually get to see X-rays,
radio-waves, alpha, gamma or infra-red rays in the air
around you, but nonetheless they are all out there all
the time -- in every single breath you take in and
out, every blessed moment of your life...

There is no way that the "tri-guNA-s" can be
avoided... no more than one can avoid Gravity in this
world. But quite like Gravity itself the "tri-gUNa-s"
can be overcome and made to work to our advantage or
to even serve our chief purposes in life. If you climb
a height and are careless enough to slip, Gravity will
surely ensure your painful fall. But if you know and
master the art of sky-gliding, you can use the same
force of Gravity to your advantage and take to the
great skies. In pretty much the same way, although we
have no power whatsoever over Sattva, Rajas and Tamas
we can nonetheless learn to use and exploit them
wisely and profitably in order to further our own true
purposes in life.

                  ************

Next, in Chapter 17, Krishna adopts a very scientific
approach in explaining the operation of the
"tri-gUNa-s" in the world. Starting with Stanzas#
7,8,9 and #10 and proceeding step-by-step -- beginning
with Stanza #20 all the way through Stanza#40 --
Krishna expounds the way Sattvas, Rajas and Tamas
function in this world (and within the body-mind-soul
complex of Man). Like a cold, clinical and methodical
professor, Krishna gives Arjuna a wonderful lesson,
full of elegance, profundity and penetrative insight
into the working of the "tri-gUNa-s".

You cannot study the great Forces of the world or
understand how they work through mere conceptual
constructs or speculation alone. You must instead
learn to see them as they actually operate or function
in the real world. Now how to do that?

Newton studied Gravity and Motion through serious
inquiry into why as simple an object as an apple
falls from a tree to the ground. Faraday studied
Magnetism by carefully studying how iron-filings react
when brought within the proximity of a magnetic field.
Nuclear-scientists study wave-radiation by watching
how radio-active substances (like say, uranium
isotopes) react under process...

The same method and approach may be used to study
"tri-gUNa-s" too -- i.e. we may study it by studying
the behaviour of objects and entities upon which the
forces of "tri-gUNa" operate. To study Rajas and to
understand how it operates, you simply turn your
attention to objects/entities/persons upon whom Rajas
is acting. To study Tamas, all you have to do is to
study the behaviour of objects/entities/persons that
are recognized to be under the powerful influence of
Tamas...

To help us readily and easily recognize the many
categories of objects/entities in the world upon which
the "tri-gUNa-s" are acting, Krishna provides in the
Gita many useful illustrations and typical
case-studies. These, in effect, provide us (as well as
they did Arjuna at Kurukshetra) great psychological
insight into the phenomenon of "tri-gUNa". Krishna in
effect tells Arjuna:

 "You can understand "tri-gUNa-s" by simply taking up
the careful study of the behaviour of one who is under
the grip of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Watch what he
worships most in life ("shraddha"). Watch how he goes
about "worshipping" in life ("yajantE"). Inquire into
the kinds of food he eats, and keep a tag on his
eating-habits ("aahAra-niyamam"). Observe too how he
gives away gifts/charity in life ("dAna"). Keenly take
note of the extent and quality of sacrifices
("yagnya", "tapas") he makes in life. Watch too how he
speaks ("vAkyam") and the quality of his utterances.
Focus too on the many ways his mind ("mana-prasAdah:")
works and manifests itself in his actions.... All
these, O Arjuna, are clear and categorical pointers to
the operation of the "tri-gUNas"... Study them and you
shall unlock the mystery of the "tri-gUNa-s" and by
doing so shall you be enabled to conquer them, go
beyond them, become fit for Bhakti and ultimately
reach to my own State of Brahman!":

      "mAm cha yO'avya abhichArENa
        bhakti-yOgEna sEvatE;
       sa gUNAn samateet-tyaitAn
        brahma-bhUyAya kalpatE"   (14.26)

      He who serves Me with Bhakti
       By crossing beyond the GunAs
      Becomes fit and ready
       For the state of Brahman!

              *************

In the final Chapter #18 of the Gita, in Stanzas #7
through #10 and later in Stanzas #20 through #40,
Krishna explains to Arjuna how actually the
"tri-gUNa-s" may be overcome by Man and how such
conquest paves the way for attaining the State of
Brahman.

In the course of a thrilling and final peroration in
the Srimadh Bhagavath-Gita, Krishna explains how even
the most precious possessions of Man, his Buddhi
(Intellect) and Manas (Mind) are subject to the
influence of the "tri-gUNa-s" and how even the
Knowledge (GnyAna) that we gain and come to possess in
our earthly existence is conditioned and coloured by
the three-fold characters of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

To go beyond the "tri-gUNa-s" is to conquer them. It
is possible for Man and that is one of the principal
themes of the 18th Chapter of the Gita. It IS possible
to overcome the "tri-gUNA-s" just as it is possible to
conquer Gravity, Magnestism or Radioactivity in this
world.

Man's conquest of "tri-gUNa-s" involves "nyAsa" --
Renunciation or Surrender ("parityadja"). This too,
says Krishna, is of three types: Sattvic, Rajasic and
Tamasic and make sure you "adhere in life to the
Sattvic mode of Renunciation", declares Krishna. And
that mode lies in performing your duties in a spirit
of complete and absolute "nyAsa" -- acting without
expectation of returns, fruit or reward ... or else
surrendering them all to the Almighty ... "sarvam sri
KrishnArpaNam".

                     **********

Thus, in very brief sketch, ends the Gita's
magnificent treatment of the subject of "tri-gUNa-s".

A deep understanding of the concept and reality of
"tri-gUNa-s" is very essential to the practice of the
Vedantic faith. Those few who succeed in that
understanding attain the state of Brahman. Those many
who do not succeed fall short of understanding
Brahman, but still achieve something very valuable out
of all their effort -- a fuller understanding of the
large world around them and of their own inner true
selves.

Thanks and regards,

dAsan,
Sudarshan









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