Chapter 14 · Verse 15·Spoken by Arjuna
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते।तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते
rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā karma-saṅgiṣhu jāyate tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣhu jāyate
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Sanskrit recitation by Swami Brahmānanda
Audio from the Gītā Supersite, IIT Kanpur
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Reading set · 5 translations · 3 commentaries
Translation · 5 voices
When one dies while rajas predominates, they are born among people attached to activity. Similarly, when one dies while tamas predominates, they take birth among the stupid species.
Swami Gambiranandaafter Śaṅkara's bhāṣya· paired with Śaṅkara
(a) When Rajas is prevalent, one meets with dissolution and is born among those attached to work. (b) Similarly, when Tamas prevails, one who has met with dissolution is born in the womb of beings lacking intelligence.
Swami Adidevanandaafter Rāmānuja's bhāṣya· paired with Rāmānuja
By meeting death when Rajas is on the increase, he is born among those who are attached to action; likewise, by meeting death when Tamas is on the increase, he is born in the wombs of the deluded.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayanafter Madhva's bhāṣya· paired with Madhva
Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action; and dying in Tamas, he is born in the womb of the thoughtless.
Swami SivanandaThe Bhagavad Gita
When passion prevails, the soul is reborn among those who love activity; when ignorance rules, it enters the wombs of the ignorant.
Shri Purohit SwamiThe Geeta
Having gone to dissolution, to death, when rajas has grown, one is born among men attached to action, joined with clinging to action. So too, dissolved, dead, when tamas has grown, one is born in the wombs of the deluded, in the wombs of beasts and the like. The matter of the foregoing verse is told in brief.
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.
When rajas is grown strong, having reached death, one is born in the families of those who do action for the sake of fruit; born there, one becomes qualified for the actions that are the means to heaven and other fruits. This is the meaning. Likewise, when tamas is grown strong, one who has died is born in deluded wombs, the wombs of dogs, pigs, and the like; one is born unfit for the undertaking of any human goal. This is the meaning.
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.
This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.
Madhvacharya does not comment on this verse.
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.