For Eternal Beginners
रजस् तमश्च अभिभूय सत्त्वम् भवति भारत ।
रजः सत्त्वम् तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वम् रजस्तथा ॥ १० ॥
rajas tamazca abhibhUya sattvam bhavati bhArata |
rajaH sattvam tamazcaiva tamaH sattvam rajastathA || 10 ||
भारत [bhArata] Arjuna, सत्त्वम् [sattvam] the quality of
sattva भवति [bhavati] takes effect अभिभूय [abhibhUya] by overpowering रजस् तमः च [rajas tamaH ca] rajas
and
tamas
. रजः [rajaH] The quality of
rajas सत्त्वम् तमः च एव [sattvam tamaH ca eva] comes forth too, by suppressing
sattva
and
tamas
. तमः [tamaH] The quality of
tamas सत्त्वम् रजः तथा [sattvam rajaH tathA] suppresses
sattva
and
rajas
in the same way.
Even while the three qualities of sattva , rajas and tamas bind every Self with the environment, they expand or contract due to past actions and due to various foods that are consumed to nurture the body.
Sometimes, the qualities of rajas and tamas contract. This makes way for sattva to take precedence. Sometimes, rajas predominates by suppressing sattva and tamas . Likewise, sometimes tamas takes effect by suppressing sattva and rajas .
At any point in time, one of these qualities dominates the other two.
Next, the Lord says that the predominant one among these qualities is known only by its effect.