Verse 12.24 [The Three Guṇas]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चैव त्रीन् विद्यादात्मनो गुणान् ।
यैर्व्याप्यैमान् स्थितो भावान् महान् सर्वानशेषतः ॥ २४ ॥

sattvaṃ rajastamaścaiva trīn vidyādātmano guṇān |
yairvyāpyaimān sthito bhāvān mahān sarvānaśeṣataḥ || 24 ||

Know Sattva, Rajas and Tamas to be the three qualities of the Self, by means of which the Great One completely pervades all these beings.—(24)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

All that appertains to the Action-side of human activity has been expounded; what appertains to the Knowledge-side of it. is now set forth. And what is now stated, at the outset, deals with the subordinate factors, and hence appears to savour of Dualism.

Sattva and the rest are the three qualities of the ‘Self.’ The term ‘Self’ here stands, not for the Soul, but for the Great Principle. In fact, the term ‘Self’ denotes one’s nature, and not necessarily the inner side of things. And then the Soul by its very nature, is devoid of qualities.

Or what is mentioned here refers to the Soul that undergoes experiences,—the qualities being the object of experience.

‘Great One’—This stands for Primordial matter itself,—this being what happens to be in closest proximity to the Great Principle, which is the first to evolve out of Primordial Matter. It is so called (the ‘Great One’) because it is the source of all Emanations.—(24)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta p. 487);—find in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Prāyaścitta, 40b.)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Yājñavalkya (3.182).—‘Sattva, Rajas and Tamas have been declared to be the attributes of Ātman; when obsessed by Rajas and Tamas, it is made to revolve like a wheel.’