Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14 Verse 21 Meaning
Arjuna said, "What are the marks of one who has transcended the three qualities, O Lord? What is their conduct, and how do they go beyond these three qualities?"
BG 14.21
अर्जुन उवाचकैर्लिंगैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो।किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते
arjuna uvācha kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho kim āchāraḥ kathaṁ chaitāns trīn guṇān ativartate
Meaning
Arjuna said, "What are the marks of one who has transcended the three qualities, O Lord? What is their conduct, and how do they go beyond these three qualities?"
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What Does Bhagavad Gita 14.21 Mean?
At this point in Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga, Krishna deepens His teaching on the three qualities of nature. Arjuna said, "What are the marks of one who has transcended the three qualities, O Lord? The verse advances the dialogue by connecting abstract principle to the concrete situation Arjuna faces. Ramanuja's commentary highlights how this verse reinforces the accessibility of the Gita's path. The teaching on the three qualities of nature is presented not as an elite attainment but as a practical orientation available to anyone willing to examine their motivations and actions honestly.
The practical invitation is to hold this verse as a mirror. Where in your life does the principle of the three qualities of nature feel most challenging? That is precisely where the teaching has the most to offer.
— Explained by the Nitya Team
What Is the Context of Bhagavad Gita 14.21?
The three qualities of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance.
Key themes in this chapter include Three gunas, Material nature, Transcendence.
How Can I Apply Bhagavad Gita 14.21 in Daily Life?
- •When you need steadiness while dealing with three gunas
- •When practicing material nature amid uncertainty
- •When applying transcendence to real-life choices
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Related Verses
BG 14.5
These qualities, O Arjuna, born of Nature, bind fast in the body of the embodied, the indestructible: purity, passion, and inertia.
BG 14.17
From Sattva arises knowledge, and greed from Rajas; heedlessness and delusion arise from Tamas, and also ignorance.
BG 1.1
Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"
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