14.6 Clarity binds too Krishna speaks

तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम्
सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ

tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśhakam anāmayam
sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena chānagha

Of these, clarity, being spotless, illumines and is free of trouble. It binds by attachment to happiness and to knowledge.

Explanation

Clarity binds too, and this is the surprise.

It is spotless, it illumines, it is free of trouble — and it binds by attachment to happiness and to knowledge.

So the good strand ties you with good rope. Being attached to your own clarity is still attachment, which is why the goal of the chapter turns out to be going past all three rather than winning with one.

Word by word

tatra: amongst these
sattvam: mode of goodness
nirmalatvāt: being purest
prakāśhakam: illuminating
anāmayam: healthy and full of well-being
sukha: happiness
saṅgena: attachment
badhnāti: binds
jñāna: knowledge
saṅgena: attachment
cha: also
anagha: Arjun, the sinless one