Changes

== विषयः पार्श्वभूमिश्च ॥ Subject Matter and Background<ref name=":1">A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1998), [https://ebooks.iskcondesiretree.com/pdf/00_-_Srila_Prabhupada/Bhagavad_Gita/Bhagavad_Gita_As_It_Is.pdf Bhagavad Gita As It Is], USA: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.</ref> ==

== विषयः पार्श्वभूमिश्च ॥ Subject Matter and Background<ref name=":1">A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1998), [https://ebooks.iskcondesiretree.com/pdf/00_-_Srila_Prabhupada/Bhagavad_Gita/Bhagavad_Gita_As_It_Is.pdf Bhagavad Gita As It Is], USA: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.</ref> ==

It is said that the knower of the Supreme Reality is instantly liberated. It is followed by a summary of what constitutes true knowledge. Then is the declaration of the Supreme Atma, the knowledge of which grants us immortality.   

The previous chapter (Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga) explained that knowledge of Purusha and Prakrti along with the Gunas,<ref name=":2">Swami Nikhilananda (1944), [https://estudantedavedanta.net/Srimad%20Bhagavad%20Gita%20with%20Commentary%20-%20Swami%20Nikhilananda%20(1944)%20%5BEnglish%5D.pdf The Bhagavad Gita], New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center.</ref> would facilitate freedom from material entanglement. And that a living entity gets entangled in this material world due to its association with the three Gunas.<ref name=":1" />  <blockquote>य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह । सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते ॥१३.२३॥  

In the thirteenth Chapter, it was clearly explained that by humbly developing knowledge one may possibly be freed from material entanglement.  

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्‌क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् । कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥१३.२१॥<ref>Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 13 (Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga)]</ref>

ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते । 13.12

ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakr̥tiṁ ca guṇaiḥ saha । sarvathā vartamāno'pi na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate ॥13.23॥

I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste the eternal. ASA

puruṣaḥ prakr̥tistho hi bhuṅ‌kte prakr̥tijānguṇān । kāraṇaṁ guṇasaṅgo'sya sadasadyonijanmasu ॥13.21॥</blockquote>This forms the basis for the discussion in this chapter on what the three Gunas are, how they act, how they bind and how they facilitate moksha.  

I will now describe that which ought to be known, through the knowing of which one attains immortality.

Shri Krishna begins by stating that the knowledge explained in this chapter is supreme wisdom, the best of all knowledge.<ref name=":1" /> It is that knowledge by understanding which all sages have attained highest perfection after passing from this world.<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>परं भूयः प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानानां ज्ञानमुत्तमम् । यज्ज्ञात्वा मुनयः सर्वे परां सिद्धिमितो गताः ॥१४.१॥<ref>Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 14 (Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga)]</ref>

य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह । सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते ॥१३- २३॥

paraṁ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi jñānānāṁ jñānamuttamam । yajjñātvā munayaḥ sarve parāṁ siddhimito gatāḥ ॥14.1॥</blockquote>Thus, it is expected that the one who understands this fourteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita will also attain perfection.

One who understands this philosophy containing material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position.ASA

Moreover, resorting to this this knowledge, one attains similarity with the Supreme Being and thereby is neither born at the time of creation nor is trubled at the time of dissolution.

 

 

It has also been explained that it is due to association with the modes of nature that the living entity is entangled in this material world.

 

 

The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.ASA

 

 

Now in this chapter, the Supreme Personality explains what those modes of nature are, how they act, how they bind and how they give liberation.

 

The knowledge explained in this chapter is proclaimed by the Supreme Lord to be Superior to the knowledge given so far in other chapters. By understanding this knowledge, various great sages attained perfection and transferred to the spiritual world. The Lord now explains the same knowledge in a better way. This knowledge is far far superior to all other processes of knowledge thus far explained, and knowing this many attained perfection. Thus, it is expected that one who understands this fourteenth chapter will attain perfection.

 

 

 

 

The Lord said: Once more I will expound that Supreme knowledge, the most exalted of all forms of knowledge, by gaining which all the sages have attained highest perfection after passing from this world.  

इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः । सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ॥१४- २॥

इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः । सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ॥१४- २॥