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Adhyāyas / Karma Yogaḥ / verse 28

Mūla — the verse

Gita Press numbering
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः। गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते
tattva-vit tu mahā-bāho guṇa-karma-vibhāgayoḥ guṇā guṇeṣhu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate
Anuṣṭubh

Translation

Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣya

But, O mighty-armed one, the one who is a knower of the facts about the varieties of the gunas and actions does not become attached, thinking thus: 'The organs act on the objects of the organs.'

हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda

परन्तु हे महाबाहो ! गुण और कर्म के विभाग के सत्य (तत्त्व)को जानने वाला ज्ञानी पुरुष यह जानकर कि "गुण गुणों में बर्तते हैं" (कर्म में) आसक्त नहीं होता।।

Pronunciation — Vaamshii

from Vaamshii
तत् त्ववित् तुमहा बाहो
गुण कर्म विभागयोः
गुणा गुणे षुवर् तन्ते
इति मत् वा न सज्ज ते
॥ २८ ॥
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

padārtha
tattva-vitthe knower of the Truth
tubut
mahā-bāhomighty-armed one
guṇa-karmafrom guṇas and karma
vibhāgayoḥdistinguish
guṇāḥmodes of material nature in the shape of the senses, mind, etc
guṇeṣhumodes of material nature in the shape of objects of perception
vartanteare engaged
itithus
matvāknowing
nanever
sajjatebecomes attached

Themes

from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad Gītā
EgoGuṇa

Meaning — Questions & Solutions

from Q&A with KnA
3.28The three-fold envelope.

Swami Tejomayānanda of the Chinmaya Mission has explained this magnificently; I paraphrase him. All three guṇas bind the Puruṣa, though they function differently (14.5). All of them form the three veils of Prakṛti — another name for Māyā — hiding her husband, the Puruṣa. Sattva's veil is like smoke over a flame: a gentle breeze removes it, revealing the blaze. Rajas' veil is like dust over a mirror: some effort is needed to wipe it clean and reveal the surface. Tamas' veil is like the membranes over a developed foetus: much time and energy — and pain — are needed to deliver it. So Kṛṣṇa leaves the choice to us: how, and through which dominant guṇa, we would rather uncover the Puruṣa, and which is the quicker way.