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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Explanation & Life Application

This verse from Chapter 14 of the Bhagavad Gita highlights a practical insight: 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?".

In The Yoga of the Three Gunas (Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga), Krishna explains The three qualities of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance.

— Explained by the Nitya Team

Chapter Context

The three qualities of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance.

Key themes in this chapter include Three gunas, Material nature, Transcendence.

When to Apply This Verse

  • •When you need steadiness while dealing with three gunas
  • •When practicing material nature amid uncertainty
  • •When applying transcendence to real-life choices

Verse FAQs

What is the main idea of Bhagavad Gita 14.21?
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?". This verse emphasizes three gunas with clarity and purpose.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 14.21 in daily life?
Apply this teaching when making choices or doing your duties. Focus on material nature and keep your mind steady regardless of outcomes.

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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← Back to Chapter 14: The Yoga of the Three Gunas

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