Verse 14.6

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 14.6:

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात् प्रकाशकम् अनामयम् ।
सुख-सङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञान-सङ्गेन चानघ ॥ ६ ॥

tatra sattvaṃ nirmalatvāt prakāśakam anāmayam |
sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena cānagha || 6 ||

tatra–of these three qualities of nature; sattvam–the quality of goodness; nirmalatvāt–because of its pure nature; prakāśakam–illuminating; anāmayam–free from fault; sukha-saṅgena–through attachment to happiness; badhnāti–binds; jñāna-saṅgena–through attachment to knowledge; ca–and; anagha–O sinless one.

O sinless one, of these three modes, the quality of goodness is illuminating and free from vice due to its purity. It binds the living entity by attachment to happiness and knowledge.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

This verse explains the characteristics of sattva-guṇa, the quality of goodness, and how it binds the jīva. Anāmayam means ‘calm’, or ‘free from agitation’. Having become peaceful, the living entity becomes attached to the happiness derived from activities performed in the mode of goodness, which causes him to feel materially satisfied. And because he is illuminated by knowledge and attached to it, he thinks, “I am happy, I am knowledgeable.” These feelings of happiness and knowledge arise from ignorance, and it is because of these two conceptions that the intrinsically pure soul remains covered. “However, O sinless one, you should not accept this sin–this characteristic of the false ego–of thinking, ‘I am happy, I am knowledgeable.’”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

It was described in the previous verse how the three modes of material nature (prakṛti) bind the jīva to the body. The present verse specifically explains how sattva-guṇa, the mode of goodness, binds him. Of the three qualities of material nature, sattva-guṇa is relatively pure and illuminating, and it makes one peaceful. In this way, it binds the living entity to happiness and knowledge. Some people think that because the quality of goodness is superior to the other two modes of nature, liberation can be achieved simply by taking shelter of it. This, however, is completely untrue. In his commentary on this verse, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa says that this mundane knowledge, by which one discriminates between matter and consciousness, comes from sattva-guṇa, as does the happiness of the satisfied body and mind. Due to a person’s attachment to such knowledge and happiness, he engages in actions that foster a serene state of existence. Despite this, he has to accept another body to experience the result of those actions. Then, becoming attached to that body, he must again perform action. In this way, he remains perpetually within the cycle of birth and death and can never become released from it. Self identification with the mode of goodness is also sinful. This is the import of the word anagha (sinless) used to address Arjuna in this verse. Therefore, Arjuna (the sādhaka) is advised to not accept an ego in the mode of goodness.