The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Brahman said:
The qualities cannot be explained altogether distinctly (from one another). Passion, goodness, and darkness likewise are seen mixed up (with one another). They are attached to one another, they feed on one another. They all depend on one another, and likewise follow one another! There is no doubt of this, that as long* as there is goodness so long darkness exists. And as long as goodness and darkness, so long is passion said (to exist) here. They perform their journey together, in union, and moving about collectively. For they act with cause or without cause*, moving in a body. Of all these acting with one another, but differing in development, the increase and diminution will now be stated. Where darkness is increased, abiding 5 in the lower entities, there passion should be understood to be little, and goodness likewise to be less. Where passion is developed, abiding in those of the middle current !, there darkness should be understood to be little, and goodness likewise to be less. And where : goodness is developed, abiding in those of the upward current ?, there darkness should be understood to be little, and passion likewise to be less*. Goodness is the cause of the modifications in the senses, and the enlightener *. For there is no other higher duty laid down than goodness. Those who adhere to (the ways of) goodness go up; the passionate remain in the middle; the men of the quality of darkness, being connected with the lowest quality, go down’. The three qualities abide in the three castes thus: darkness in the Sûdra, passion in the Kshatriya, and the highest, goodness, in the Brâhmaṇas. Even from afar’, darkness, goodness, and passion also, are seen to have been together and moving about collectively. We have never heard of them (as existing) separately. Seeing the sun rising, evildoers are alarmed, and travellers, suffering trouble from the heat, feel the warmth. The sun is goodness developed, evil-doers likewise are darkness, and the heat to the travellers is said to be a property of passion’. The light in the sun is goodness ; the heat is the quality of passion; and its eclipse on the Parvan? days must be understood to be of the quality of darkness. So in all shining bodies, there exist three qualities. And they act by turns in the several places in several ways. Among immovable entities, darkness is in the form of their belonging to the lower species; the qualities of passion are variable ; and the oleaginous property is of the quality of goodness*. The day should be understood to be threefold, the night is stated to be threefold, and likewise months, half-months, years, seasons, and the conjunctions*. Threefold are the gifts given’, threefold the sacrifices performed, threefold are the worlds, threefold the gods, threefold the (departments of) knowledge, and threefold the patht. The past, the present, and the future; piety, wealth, and lust; the Prâṇa, the Apâna, and the Udâna; these are the three qualities. And whatever there is in this world, all that is (made of) these three qualities’. The three qualities—goodness, passion, and darkness also—are always acting unperceived. The creation of the qualities is eternal. Darkness, unperceived, holy *, constant, unborn, womb, eternal, nature, change‘, destruction, Pradhâna, production and absorption, not developed, not small, unshaking, immovable, immutable,existent and also non-existent5— all these, the unperceived, (consisting) of the three qualities, is said to be. These names should be learnt by men who ponder on matters relating to the self. He who understands correctly all the names of the unperceived, and the qualities, and its pure operations, he, freed from the body, understanding the truth about (all) distinctions, and being free from all misery, is released from all qualities.
* Cf. Gita inter alia, p. 104. ? Cf. p. 318 supra. rod
* So Arguna Misra. Nîlakaṇṭha says on this, ‘ However much goodness may be increased, it is still held in check by darkness, and thus there is the continual relation of that which checks and that which is checked between the three qualities ; hence they are alike. So also passion being increased, holds goodness and darkness in check. The sense seems to be that the qualities dominate all in this world and exist together though varying in strength’ (Gita, p. 73).
* Le. spontaneously, Arguna Misra. Cf. Santi Parvan (Moksha), chap. 194, st. 35.
* It is in the lower species that darkness is predominant.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Brahman said:
The qualities cannot be explained as entirely distinct from one another. Passion, goodness, and darkness are all seen mixed up with one another. They cling to one another, they feed on one another. They all depend on one another and likewise follow one another—of this there is no doubt: as long as goodness exists, so long does darkness exist. And as long as goodness and darkness exist, so long is passion said to exist here. They travel together, in union, moving about as one. For they act, with cause or without cause, as a body. Of all these acting together yet differing in their development, the increase and diminution will now be stated. Where darkness is increased, abiding 5 in the lower entities, passion should be understood to be little, and goodness likewise to be less. Where passion is developed, abiding in those of the middle current, darkness should be understood to be little, and goodness likewise to be less. And where goodness is developed, abiding in those of the upward current, darkness should be understood to be little, and passion likewise to be less. Goodness is the cause of the modifications in the senses, and the enlightener. For no other higher duty than goodness is laid down. Those who adhere to the ways of goodness go up; the passionate remain in the middle; the men of the quality of darkness, being connected with the lowest quality, go down. The three qualities abide in the three castes thus: darkness in the Sûdra, passion in the Kshatriya, and the highest, goodness, in the Brâhmaṇas. Even from afar, darkness, goodness, and passion are seen to have been together and moving about collectively. We have never heard of them as existing separately. When the sun rises, evildoers are alarmed, and travellers suffering from the heat feel its warmth. The sun is goodness developed, evildoers likewise are darkness, and the heat felt by travellers is said to be a property of passion. The light in the sun is goodness; the heat is the quality of passion; and its eclipse on the Parvan days must be understood to be of the quality of darkness. So in all shining bodies there exist three qualities, and they act by turns in their several places in several ways. Among immovable entities, darkness takes the form of their belonging to the lower species; the qualities of passion are variable; and the oleaginous property is of the quality of goodness. The day should be understood to be threefold, the night is stated to be threefold, and likewise months, half-months, years, seasons, and the conjunctions. Threefold are the gifts given, threefold the sacrifices performed, threefold are the worlds, threefold the gods, threefold the departments of knowledge, and threefold the path. The past, the present, and the future; piety, wealth, and lust; the Prâṇa, the Apâna, and the Udâna—these are the three qualities. And whatever there is in this world, all of it is made of these three qualities. The three qualities—goodness, passion, and darkness—are always acting unperceived. The creation of the qualities is eternal. Darkness, unperceived, holy, constant, unborn, womb, eternal, nature, change, destruction, Pradhâna, production and absorption, not developed, not small, unshaking, immovable, immutable, existent5 and also non-existent—all these names belong to what is called the unperceived, which consists of the three qualities. These names should be learned by men who ponder on matters relating to the self. He who correctly understands all the names of the unperceived, and the qualities, and its pure operations—he, freed from the body, understanding the truth about all distinctions and being free from all misery, is released from all qualities.
* Cf. Gita inter alia, p. 104. † Cf. p. 318 supra. rod
* So Arjuna Misra. Nîlakaṇṭha says on this, 'However much goodness may be increased, it is still held in check by darkness, and thus there is the continual relation of that which checks and that which is checked between the three qualities; hence they are alike. So also passion being increased, holds goodness and darkness in check. The sense seems to be that the qualities dominate all in this world and exist together though varying in strength' (Gita, p. 73).
* That is, spontaneously, Arjuna Misra. Cf. Santi Parvan (Moksha), chap. 194, st. 35.
* Darkness is predominant in the lower species.