Chapter-14

THE MODES OF MATERIAL NATURE

Connection between Chapter 13 and Chapter 14 

  • Chapter 13 explained how the living-entity (purusa) is entangled in the external energy (prakrti) due to his desire for enjoyment.
  • Chapter 14 explains how material energy binds the soul through the three modes of material nature as indicated in Bg. 13.22; the knowledge of Bg. 13.22 will now be expanded.
  • The key verse connecting Chapter 13 to Chapter 14 is Bg. 13.22
BREAKDOWN OF CHAPTER-14
  • Krishna glorifies the knowledge that He will speak now
  • By Him, the Supreme Lord, the material energy is impregnated with the living entities
  • The eternal living entity connects with the material energy thorough conditioning by the three modes of material nature
  • One is conditioned by the mode of
    1. Goodness: to happiness
    2. Passion: to fruitive activities
    3. Ignorance: to madness
  • Modes compete with one another for supremacy within an individual
  • Manifestation from the mode of
    1. Goodness: is knowledge
    2. Passion: is attachment, uncontrollable desire and intense endeavor
    3. Ignorance: is inactivity and madness
  • Both, the results of one’s action and the results after one’s death, are predominated by a specific mode of nature and thus bring about certain results.
  • One transcends all the modes by knowing the following two points:
    1. All within this world takes place under the modes
    2. Krishna’s activities are transcendental to the modes
  • Krishna explains that one can transcend the modes by engaging unfailingly in full devotional service
  • One will then come to Brahman platform of which Krishna is the source
Summary of Chapter-14
SECTION I (14.1 – 14.4)
THE LIBERATION AND CONDITIONING OF LIVING ENTITIES

Text (14.1-14.2)

Introduction and glorification of Chapter 14

  • One who understands this chapter attains liberation (not born at creation or disturbed at dissolution) and attains to transcendental nature like “My own” (14.2)
  • Knowing which all the sages have attained the Supreme perfection (14.1)

Text (14.3-14.4)

These verses explain how the soul comes into the material world and is placed within the modes of material nature

  • Material nature is the mother, supplying living-entity with the body (14.3)
  • The Lord puts him there by His potent glance and thus impregnates the material nature with the seed
SECTION II (14.5 – 14.9)
THE MODES BIND THE PURE SOUL

Text (14.5)

The living entity gets conditioned

  • The eternal living entity comes in contact with material nature and becomes conditioned by it. In other words, despite his desire for independent enjoyment, his existence is subject to strict control by the modes of material nature.
  • The fault which causes the soul’s conditioned state certainly rests in his own independent desire. We cannot blame Krishna any more than a criminal can blame a judge for his jail sentence.

Text (14.6-14.8)

Effects (Binding-force) of each of the modes upon the conditioned souls.

WORKINGS OF THE THREE MODES
ModeBinding force
(14.6-14.8)		Characteristics & manifestations
(14.11 – 14.23)		Destination at death
(14.14–14.15)		Results of action
(14.16 – 14.18)
GoodnessSense of:
 1. Happiness
2. Satisfaction
3. Knowledge
4. Superiority		1. Illuminates the gates of the body
with knowledge
2. Frees one from sinful reactions		Attains the pure, higher
planets of the great sages		1. Pure
2. Knowledge (sees things as they are)
3. Elevation to higher planets like
Brahmaloka or Janaloka
Passion1. Attachment to
fruitive activities
2. Binds by the
ropes of desire
and attachment		1. Intense, unlimited desires and longings
2. Great attachment
3. Fruitive activities		Attains earthly planets1. Misery
2. Greed
3. Earthly planets
Ignorance1. Madness
2. Indolence
(Laziness)
3. Sleep		1. Delusion/ illusion
2. Darkness
3. Madness
4. Inertia		Birth in lower species1. Foolishness
2. Madness
3. Illusion
4. Life in hellish worlds
SUMMARISED THEME 

OBSTACLES PRESENTED BY THE MODES

  • GOODNESS
  • No impetus to take up spiritual life. Why?
    o Because you’re too happy and satisfied to do what Krsna says
  • Hard to be humble. Why?
    o Have sense of superiority
  • Hard to learn. Why?
    o I already know (have knowledge)
  • PASSION
  • Can’t give up the fruits – Why?
    o Because wants to fulfill unlimited desires
  • Thus becomes very attached
  • Often willing to sin to fulfill desires
  • Thus cannot take up Bhakti with determination
  • IGNORANCE
  • Too deluded to recognize Krishna’s instructions
  • Too lazy to perform austerities

Text (14.9)

This verse summaries Texts 14.6 – 14.8

  • Goodness conditions one to happiness;
  • Passion conditions one to fruitive action; and
  • Ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness.

SECTION III (14.10 – 14.13)
RECOGNIZING A MODE’S SUPREMACY

Text (14.10)

Modes compete with each other

  • After describing the effects of the modes, Krishna now tells Arjuna that the modes are not constant in their influence upon the living entity. According to our karma, our work, our association, our choice of food and so on, a particular mode becomes predominant within us.
  • Here Krishna indicates the awkwardness of the eternal, nonchanging soul’s predicament within this constantly changing world. Srila Prabhupäda therefore writes, “. . . One who is actually intent on advancing in Krishna consciousness has to transcend these three modes.”

Text (14.11-14.13)

Symptoms of three modes – These verses explain how the effects of the three modes of material nature, as explained in Texts 14.6 – 14.8, are manifested externally.

SECTION IV (14.14-14.18)
ACTING AND DYING WITHIN THE MODES

Text (14.14-14.18)

  • Death in different modes (14.14-14.15)
  • Results of actions in different modes (Covered in Summarized Theme above) (14.16-14.18)

SECTION V (14.19-14.27)
TRANSCENDING THE MODES

Text (14.19)

Platform of real knowledge

  • Three modes perform all material activities
  • Supreme Lord controls all these modes

Text (14.20)

Result of realizing this knowledge i.e. the result of transcending the modes

  1. One becomes liberated (freedom from distress)
    • Devotional service in Krishna consciousness is a sign of liberation from material entanglement (Ref BG Chapter 18)
  2. One can relish nectar even in this life (Enjoys life on spiritual platform)
    • Text 14.20 explains how to relish transcendental position even in this body
    • “Dehi” – Indicates that even within the material body, by advancement in spiritual knowledge, one can be free from the modes of material nature
        1. One can enjoy happiness of spiritual life even in this body
        2. Till one goes to spiritual sky, where there is full happiness available

Text (14.21)

Three questions asked by Arjuna

  • What are the symptoms of one who has transcended the modes?
  • What is his behavior?
  • How does he transcend the modes?

Text (14.22-14.26)

1. Answers to the first 2 questions – “Symptoms” and “Behavior” (14.22-14.25)

2. Answers to the 3rd question – By pure devotional service one can transcend and achieve Brahman
liberation (14.26)

Text (14.27)

 Shri Krishna says: “And I am the basis of impersonal Brahman”

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