14-5

सत्त्वम् रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृति सम्भवाः ।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनम् अव्ययम् ॥ ५ ॥

sattvam rajastama iti guNAH prakRti sambhavAH |
nibadhnanti mahAbAho dehe dehinam avyayam || 5 ||

गुणाः [guNAH] The three qualities , सत्त्वम् रजस्तम [sattvam rajastama] sattva, rajas and tamas सम्भवाः [sambhavAH] come into existence प्रकृति [prakRti] in the environment. महाबाहो [mahAbAho] Arjuna, निबध्नन्ति [nibadhnanti] they bind अव्ययम् देहिनम् [avyayam dehinam] the imperishable Self देहे [dehe] in a body.

The three qualities bind the Self in a body.

Serenity ( sattva ), drive ( rajas ) and lethargy ( tamas ) are the three qualities that go with the material environment. In fact, they define the nature of the material environment.

They are not perceived directly. They are perceived only by the effects they bring - The quality of sattva brings learning, rajas brings desire and hatred, tamas brings reluctance to act.

They don’t exist before creation , when the environment is in its subtle state. They come into being during cosmic inflation , when the subtle singularity changes into a state of plasma, becoming sub-atomic particles that evolve into the five elements. Unique combinations of those elements produce human bodies and other forms.

A Self that’s bound to the environment is associated with one of these bodies. It is the owner of that body. While the body changes, the Self never changes or wears out. By its nature, the Self is not associated with the three qualities . Yet it’s tied down by them when it is in the body. Its bondage is caused by being inside a body.

Next, the Lord describes the characteristics of sattva , rajas and tamas . He also describes the way in which these qualities bind us.