Gita Acharan

  Krishna explained about the three gunas or characteristics of nature viz. Satva, Rajo and Tamo on various occasions in the Bhagavad Gita. He declares that no living being on earth or the higher celestial abodes of this material realm is free from the influence of these three gunas (18.40). This implies that at any given point of time we are under the influence of one guna or another.   Krishna cautioned (3.27-3.29) that karmas (actions) in all situations are performed by the gunas ; one who is deluded by ahankaar thinks 'I am kartha (doer)'. One who knows that gunas interact with gunas is not attached. Gunas have the ability to hypnotize us and under their influence we are attached to the functions of gunas . In chapters seventeen and eighteen, some functions of gunas like worship, food, yagna, tapah (of body, speech and mind), daan (charity), knowledge, karma, kartha , intellect, dhruti (fortitude) and happiness, were explained.   Krishna gave a way fo...

  During our lives, we regularly go through polarities of happiness ( sukh ) and sadness ( dukh ). Krishna explained that when senses meet sense objects, polarities of sukh-dukh are generated (2.14). Praise gives us happiness and criticism makes us sad even though it is just a phenomenon of meeting of words with the ears. Life is a continuous interaction of senses and sense objects implying that polarities of sukh and dukh are an unavoidable feature for us. While mentioning that happiness is of three types based on gunas (18.36),   Krishna says, "That which is like poison in the beginning and nectar in the end is declared satvik happiness. It is a virtue born from the clarity of one's intellect" (18.37). Thus, satvik happiness is dhyan (meditation) for the mind and exercise for the body where we find it difficult to take out an hour's time regularly. In due course of time, they give benefits like peace of mind and physical fitness Krishna says, "The ha...

  After explaining the threefold nature of karta and karma , Krishna explains that buddhi (intellect) and dhruti (fortitude or courage) are also threefold as per gunas (18.29). He says, "The intellect is said to be satvik when it understands what is desireful action and renunciation, what is duty and what is not, fear and fearless, bondage and liberation (18.30). The intellect is considered to be rajasic when it is confused between dharma (righteousness) and adharma (unrighteousness), and cannot distinguish between kaaryam (dutiful action) and akaaryam (undutiful action) (18.31). That intellect is said to be tamasic which is enveloped in darkness, imagines adharma to be dharma and looks upon all things in a perverted way" (18.32). Our general understanding is that the nature of intellect varies from person to person as well as with time. The aforementioned verses clarify that our intellect manifests depending on the guna under whose influence we are at that...