13-21 first part

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान् गुणान् ।

puruSaH prakRtistho hi bhuGkte prakRtijAn guNAn |

पुरुषः [puruSaH] The Self भुङ्क्ते [bhuGkte] experiences गुणान् [guNAn] the peculiarities प्रकृतिजान् [prakRtijAn] born out of the environment, प्रकृतिस्थः हि [prakRtisthaH hi] as long as it is bound in the body.

This Shloka talks about ‘the qualities born out of the environment’.

These are the effects of the three qualities - sattva results in serenity and knowledge, rajas leads to the ‘drive’ that comes from desire and hatred, tamas leads to lethargy.

The natural state of the Self is to experience itself in the form of perpetual pure joy.

However, when the Self is in the environment, it is bound to the material world. It experiences the effects of the three qualities . This leads to comfort, sorrow and so on.

Next, the Lord states the reason for the Self to be bound in the material world: