14-19

नान्यम् गुणेभ्यः कर्तारम् यदा दृष्टाऽनुपष्यति ।
गुणेभ्यः च परम् वेत्ति मद्भावम् सोऽधिगच्छति ॥ १९ ॥

nAnyam guNebhyaH kartAram yadA dRSTA'nupaSyati |
guNebhyaH ca param vetti madbhAvam so'dhigacchati || 19 ||

दृष्टा [dRSTA] An intelligent person न अनुपष्यति [na anupaSyati] doesn’t see कर्तारम् [kartAram] any cause of outcomes, गुणेभ्यः अन्यम् [guNebhyaH anyam] Other than the three qualities . यदा च [yadA ca] And when वेत्ति [vetti] he knows गुणेभ्यः परम् [guNebhyaH param] beyond these qualities , मद्भावम् अधिगच्छति [madbhAvam adhigacchati] he gains My state of being.

In the Gita, it is said that the Self takes initiative in every action (13-20). It also says that the Self does not make outcomes happen, as in 13-29: ‘definitely, actions are due to the environment’ and in 3-27: ‘An ignorant person thinks of his body as himself and does not realize that actions are a result of the qualities of nature’.

Though the first one seems to contradict the other two, it doesn’t. The Self takes initiative - it has an intent and initiates action. What follows is the ‘happening’ – the action may happen or not; the outcome may be perceived as favorable or unfavorable; he may feel elated or disappointed – all of these are a result of the qualities of nature.

These qualities attach to the Self as a result of actions committed in the past. Actions are ‘committed’ when we believe that what ‘happens’ is under our control and get attached to it, instead of recognizing that outcomes happen as a result of the qualities of nature.

The Self initiates action. Outcomes happen as a result of the qualities that bind the person.

A person suppresses the qualities of rajas and tamas comprehensively and cultivates sattva . He does this by consuming food and nourishing the body in-line with the quality of sattva . With work that’s done without attachments, only for the Lord’s worship, he cultivates sattva . It then gains predominance in him. This person has seen and uncovered the true nature of things.

This Shloka says - ‘ Other than the three qualities , an intelligent person doesn’t see a cause of outcomes in anything else’. When such a person doesn’t see anything other than the three qualities in making things happen, he knows beyond these qualities ‘

Meaning, such a person sees that the three qualities make outcomes happen in accordance with their respective qualities. Having seen this, he realizes that the Self does not make things happen. He realizes that the Self is distinct from the qualities that make things happen. Such a person shall attain My state of being; he becomes equivalent to Me.

In summary, what the Lord said is - The Self is pure and free by nature. It is limited by attachment to actions, due to various deeds committed in the past. This causes its ‘doership’ in various actions. By nature, the Self does not make things happen. It has the form of pure and limitless knowledge. When a person realizes this true nature of the Self, he attains equivalence to Me.

Having seen that the Self does not make anything happen, that it is different from the qualities , a person attains equivalence to the Lord - this has been said. What does it mean to attain equivalence to the Lord? That is explained next.