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Chapter 14 · The Three Modes of Material Nature · 27 verses

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Nature & guṇasChapter 14 · The Three Modes of Material Nature
14.914.11

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 14.10

How goodness, passion and ignorance bind

रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत ।

रज: सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तम: सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥ १० ॥

rajas tamaś cābhibhūya

sattvaṁ bhavati bhārata

rajaḥ sattvaṁ tamaś caiva

tamaḥ sattvaṁ rajas tathā

Translation

Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

The Modes Compete

  1. 1Goodness, passion, and ignorance constantly compete, with each sometimes overcoming the other two.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness requires going beyond all three modes to pure goodness, where one can understand God.
  3. 3Practice developing goodness to overcome passion and ignorance, while aiming to go beyond goodness too.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 14, The Three Modes of Material Nature: how goodness, passion and ignorance bind.

What it teaches

Theme summary

The modes of nature condition behavior.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: prakṛti, guṇa.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 14.10 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to nature & guṇas?

Practice

Observe which mode shaped your last decision.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 14 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 14.5How goodness, passion and ignorance bindBG 14.6How goodness, passion and ignorance bindBG 7.14Crossing beyond māyā

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Ask about BG 14.10 — get a simple answer linked to related ideas and verses.

Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.