Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 14, verse 5 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 14.5 · Sattvam Rajastama Iti
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः ।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥
sattvaṃ rajastama iti guṇāḥ prakṛtisaṃbhavāḥ |
nibadhnanti mahābāho dehe dehinamavyayam ||
Translation
Sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (inertia) — these gunas, the qualities born of prakriti (nature), bind the imperishable embodied Self to the body, mighty-armed one.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 14, Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga — “The Three Gunas”, which has 27 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 14.5 mean?
Sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (inertia) — these gunas, the qualities born of prakriti (nature), bind the imperishable embodied Self to the body, mighty-armed one.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 14.5?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 14, Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga (The Three Gunas).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.