^303:26 Union . . . Kshetrajna: The union of Kshetra and Kshetrajna, of the object and the subject, is of the nature of mutual Adhyasa which consists in confounding them as well as their attributes with each other, owing to the absence of discrimination of their real nature. This false knowledge vanishes when one is able to separate Kshetra from Kshetrajna.

^304:28 He injures . . . by self--like the ignorant man either by ignoring the Self in others (Avidya or nescience), or regarding the non-Self (physical body, &c.) as the Self (Mithya-jnana or false knowledge)--the two veils that hide the true nature of the Self.

^306:31 Being without beginning--having no cause.

Neither . . . affected--Because the Self is not the doer, therefore He is not touched by the fruit of action.

^307:34 Prakriti of beings: the material nature or delusion of beings due to Avidya.

FOURTEENTH CHAPTER

The Blessed Lord said:

1. Again shall I tell thee that supreme knowledge which is above all knowledge, having known which all the Munis have attained to high perfection after this life.

2. They who having devoted themselves to this knowledge, have attained to My Being, are neither born at the time of creation, nor are they troubled at the time of dissolution.

3. My womb is the great Prakriti; in that I place the germ; from thence, O descendant of Bharata, is the birth of all beings.

4. Whatever forms are produced, O son of Kunti, in all the wombs, the great Prakriti is their womb, and I the seed-giving Father.

5. Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas,--these Gunas, O mighty-armed, born of Prakriti, bind fast in the body the indestructible embodied one.

6. Of these Sattva, from its stainlessness luminous and free from evil, binds, O sinless one, by attachment to happiness, and by attachment to knowledge.

7. Know Rajas to be of the nature of passion, giving rise to thirst and attachment;

it binds fast, O son of Kunti, the embodied one, by attachment to action.

8. And know Tamas to be born of ignorance, stupefying all embodied beings; it binds fast, O descendant of Bharata, by miscomprehension, indolence, and sleep.

9. Sattva attaches to happiness, and Rajas to action, O descendant of Bharata; while Tamas, verily, shrouding discrimination, attaches to miscomprehension.

10. Sattva arises, O descendant of Bharata, predominating over Rajas and 'Tamas; and Rajas over Sattva and Tamas; so, Tamas over Sattva and Rajas.

11. When through every sense in this body, the light of intelligence shines, then it should be known that Sattva is predominant.

12. Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, unrest, longing--these arise when Rajas is predominant, O bull of the: Bharatas.

13. Darkness, inertness, miscomprehension, and delusion,--these arise when Tamas is predominant, O descendant of Kuru.