14.10 They rise by turns Krishna speaks
रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत
रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा
rajas tamaśh chābhibhūya sattvaṁ bhavati bhārata
rajaḥ sattvaṁ tamaśh chaiva tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajas tathā
Clarity rises when restlessness and inertia are overcome; restlessness when clarity and inertia are; and inertia when clarity and restlessness are.
Explanation
They rise by displacing each other.
Clarity grows when the other two are overcome; restlessness when the other two are; inertia likewise.
So none of them is a baseline. What a person is at any moment is a ratio, not a type — which cuts against how the previous chapter's talk of natures is usually read.
Word by word
- rajaḥ
- mode of passion
- tamaḥ
- mode of ignorance
- cha
- and
- abhibhūya
- prevails
- sattvam
- mode of goodness
- bhavati
- becomes
- bhārata
- Arjun, the son of Bharat
- rajaḥ
- mode of passion
- sattvam
- mode of goodness
- tamaḥ
- mode of ignorance
- cha
- and
- eva
- indeed
- tamaḥ
- mode of ignorance
- sattvam
- mode of goodness
- rajaḥ
- mode of passion
- tathā
- also
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