ye chaiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāśh cha ye
matta eveti tān viddhi na tvahaṁ teṣhu te mayi
ye — whatever;
cha — and;
eva — certainly;
sāttvikāḥ — in the mode of goodness;
bhāvāḥ — states of material existence;
rājasāḥ — in the mode of passion;
tāmasāḥ — in the mode of ignorance;
cha — and;
ye — whatever;
mattaḥ — from me;
eva — certainly;
iti — thus;
tān — those;
viddhi — know;
na — not;
tu — but;
aham — I;
teṣhu — in them;
te — they;
mayi — in me
In this verse, Krishna is explaining how everything we experience in life comes from three types of qualities or energies: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Think of these as three different flavors that affect how we think and act. For example, when someone is in a good mood and acts kindly, they are showing the quality of goodness. When someone is very ambitious and seeks success, they are showing passion. And when someone is confused or lazy, they are influenced by ignorance.
Krishna, however, says that while these qualities come from Him, He is not controlled by them. Imagine a king who has the power to make laws. People in the kingdom have to follow those laws, but the king himself is not bound by them; he can change them whenever he wants. In the same way, Krishna is the source of these qualities, but He is above them. He doesn’t get influenced or affected by them like we do.
This means that while we see ourselves as being influenced by our moods and circumstances, Krishna remains unaffected. This is what it means when we say He is 'nirguna' – free from these qualities. It shows us how Krishna is unique; he creates the laws of nature but is not bound by them like we are. So, no matter how much the three qualities influence our lives, Krishna stands apart from them.
This understanding helps us realize that we are sometimes driven by our moods, but Krishna remains stable and unaffected, guiding us from above. It encourages us to seek a connection with that unchanging source, which is Krishna himself.