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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
14.1414.16

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 14.15

How goodness, passion and ignorance bind

रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते ।

तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥ १५ ॥

rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā

karma-saṅgiṣu jāyate

tathā pralīnas tamasi

mūḍha-yoniṣu jāyate

Translation

When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

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

The Aim of Human Life

  1. 1Death in passion leads to birth among those working for rewards; death in ignorance leads to animal life.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that human birth is not guaranteed again. From animal life, one must gradually rise back to human life.
  3. 3Take to goodness and good association, then rise beyond the modes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—the aim of human life.

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 14.15 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

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 14.15 — 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.