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न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुनः।सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभिः स्यात्ित्रभिर्गुणैः।।18.40।।

na tad asti pṛithivyāṁ vā divi deveṣhu vā punaḥ sattvaṁ prakṛiti-jair muktaṁ yad ebhiḥ syāt tribhir guṇaiḥ

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 18, Verse 40
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
There is no being on earth or in heaven among the gods that is liberated from the three qualities born of Nature.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: there is no being on earth, or even among the gods in heaven, that is free from these three qualities born of nature, closing out the long threefold breakdown by reminding everyone, no exceptions, that these three qualities operate universally across every kind of being.

In life: no one, regardless of how advanced or wise they appear, is fully exempt from experiencing all three qualities at different times, the goal was never total exemption, it was the discernment and non-attachment described throughout this chapter.

Teaching: give up any lingering expectation that sufficient growth will eventually make you fully exempt from ever experiencing restlessness or confusion again, this verse explicitly states no being is fully exempt, discernment and non-attachment, not exemption, is the actual realistic target.

nano
tatthat
astiexists
pṛithivyāmon earth
vāor
divithe higher celestial abodes
deveṣhuamongst the celestial gods
vāor
punaḥagain
sattvamexistence
prakṛiti-jaiḥborn of material nature
muktamliberated
yatthat
ebhiḥfrom the influence of these
syātis
tribhiḥthree
guṇaiḥmodes of material nature

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
18.40 न not? तत् that? अस्ति is? पृथिव्याम् on the earth? वा or? दिवि in heaven? देवेषु among the gods? वा or? पुनः again? सत्त्वम् being? प्रकृतिजैः born of Prakriti (matter)? मुक्तम् freed? यत् which? एभिः from these? स्यात् may be? त्रिभिः from three? गुणैः by alities.Commentary The Gunas form the warp and woof of everything as threads do in the case of cloth.Here in the world of mortals or there in the heavenworld? there is no creature that is not bound by the three alities of Nature. Can there be a cloth without threads Can there be a man without blood and bones Can there be a mountain without stones Even so there is not a single creature in the whole universe into whose composition the three alities of matter do not enter. The whole of creation is wrought of these three alities. They have given rise to the Trinity (Brahma? Vishnu and Siva). In the world of mortals the triplicity of agent? action and fruit owe their origin to them. They are the cause of the different functions of the four castes. This Samsara has been compared to the peepul tree in chapter XV.1. This Samsara is made up of the three alities and is kept up by the force of ignorance.Action? instruments of action and fruits have set the wheel of Samsara in motion and this wheel is revolving from beginningless time. It is only a liberated sage who has attained knowledge of the Self who puts a check to this wheel? goes beyond the cause and the effect? and breaks the bonds of Karma.Cut this mysterious tree of Samsara with the strong sword of nonattachment? transcend the three Gunas and rest in your own essential divine nature as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute.