The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran

chapter fourteen
╭ The Forces of Evolution
T he last chapter gave us the distinction
between Purusha and prakriti. This chapter will tell
us in more detail about the nature of prakriti – the basis of
the world of mind and matter. Here the Gita explains human
experience in terms of the three qualities of prakriti, known
as gunas : sattva, rajas, and tamas . When the soul attains illumination
it goes beyond the confines of prakriti into the spiritual
realm of Purusha. But until then, the soul must learn to
deal with these three all-powerful forces.
No single English word can be given to translate the words
sattva, rajas, and tamas . The quality of sattva combines goodness,
purity, light, harmony, balance. In terms of evolution,
sattva is on the highest level. Rajas is energy – or, on the
human level, passion – which can be both good and bad. In
personality rajas may express itself in anger, hatred, or greed;
but it also provides motivation, the will to act. Rajas is ambitious,
which is not altogether a bad thing for the evolution
of the soul. It is definitely superior to the third guna, tamas,
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