Verse 14.5

Verse 14.5: “Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas are the (three) constituent aspects that originate from the Primal Nature. It is they, O Long-armed, that fetter within the body the Immutable Body-owner. (138)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

‘Sattva’, ‘Rajas’ and ‘Tamas’ are the three names of the Gunas (Constituent-aspects) and their birth-place is Prakriti. Of these three, ‘Sattva’ is the best, ‘Rajas’ of middle quality and ‘Tamas’ the most inferior of the three. All these three dwell together in one and the same mind, in the way one and the same body has to experience childhood, youth and old age; or in the way one and the same pure gold is degraded in point of fineness and reaches point five, as alloy is mixed with it, or in the way the state of alertness, shrouded by laziness (drowsiness) makes room for sound sleep—in that way any disposition growing intense and strong through embracing nescience, reaches the ‘Tamas’ passing through the (intermediate) doors of Sattva and Rajas Gunas. Know ye, O Arjuna, that these (mental conditions) are named the Gunas, and now hear how they fetter (the soul). The soul as the Fieldknower, as soon as it enters the bodyform, as the individual soul, begins to identify the body with himself. Then as soon as he embraces egoism in regard to all his bodily functions from birth to death, the individual soul is entrapped, and then the soul is caught like a deer in their meshes, in the way the fisherman gives a sudden jerk and gathers in his net, as soon as the fish has swallowed the bait with the hook hidden inside.