Chapter 14 Verse 20
Guṇa Traya Vibhāg Yog
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान्।जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते।।14.20।।
guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān janma-mṛityu-jarā-duḥkhair vimukto ’mṛitam aśhnute
Word Meanings
| guṇān | the three modes of material nature |
| etān | these |
| atītya | transcending |
| trīn | three |
| dehī | the embodied |
| deha | body |
| samudbhavān | produced of |
| janma | birth |
| mṛityu | death |
| jarā | old age |
| duḥkhaiḥ | misery |
| vimuktaḥ | freed from |
| amṛitam | immortality |
| aśhnute | attains |
Translation
The embodied one, having crossed beyond these three Gunas from which the body is evolved, is freed from birth, death, decay, and pain, and attains immortality.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
This verse says the true self is not the body but the conscious being inside. The body and its changes come from three qualities (gunas) of nature.
When a person goes beyond these three gunas — no longer bound by them — they are freed from the cycle of birth, old age, death, and suffering. This freedom is spiritual immortality: no longer identified with temporary change.
Transcending the gunas means resting as the watcher of thoughts, feelings, and actions instead of being carried by them.
Life Application
- Practice simple daily witnessing: observe your thoughts and emotions for a few minutes without reacting.
- Do your duties with care but without clinging to results; this reduces the pull of the gunas.
- Include short, regular meditation or selfless service to weaken habits that bind you to fear, restlessness, or dullness.
Reflection Question
What habit most keeps you identified with your body or mind?