Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingपुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान्।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु
puruṣhaḥ prakṛiti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛiti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaSince the soul is seated in Nature, therefore it experiences the qualities born of Nature. Contact with the qualities is the cause of its births in good and evil wombs.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
प्रकृति में स्थित पुरुष प्रकृति से उत्पन्न गुणों को भोगता है। इन गुणों का संग ही इस पुरुष (जीव) के शुभ और अशुभ योनियों में जन्म लेने का कारण है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiपुरुष# प्रकृतिस् थो हि
भुङ् क्ते प्रकृति जान् गुणान्
कारणङ् गुण सङ् गोऽस्य
सद सद्योनि जन्मसु
॥ २१ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthapuruṣhaḥthe individual soul
prakṛiti-sthaḥseated in the material energy
hiindeed
bhuṅktedesires to enjoy
prakṛiti-jānproduced by the material energy
guṇānthe three modes of nature
kāraṇamthe cause
guṇa-saṅgaḥthe attachment (to three guṇas)
asyaof its
sat-asat-yoniin superior and inferior wombs
janmasuof birth
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA13.21Why does the Self, seated in Nature, experience pleasure and pain at all?
Since the soul is seated in Nature, therefore it experiences the qualities born of Nature. Contact with the qualities is the cause of its births in good and evil wombs.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.