Chapter 14, Verse 5 · The Three Gunas
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ।निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥
Sattvaṃ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥNibadhnanti mahābāho dehe dehinam avyayam
Sattva, Rajas and Tamas — these qualities, born of nature, bind the imperishable soul in the body, O mighty-armed Arjuna.
Chapter 14, Verse 26 · Devotion Transcends the Gunas
मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते ।स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥
Māṃ ca yo'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevateSa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
One who serves Me with unswerving devotion through the yoga of devotion — he transcends the three modes of nature and reaches the level of Brahman.
Chapter 14, Verse 6 · The Mode of Goodness
तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् ।सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ ॥
Tatra sattvaṃ nirmalatvāt prakāśakam anāmayamSukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena cānagha
O sinless one, the mode of goodness — being purer than the others — illuminates and frees from all sinful reactions. Those in this mode become conditioned by the sense of happiness and knowledge.
Chapter 14, Verse 17 · The Fruits of the Three Gunas
सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च ।प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च ॥
Sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṃ rajaso lobha eva caPramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato'jñānam eva ca
From sattva, knowledge is born. From rajas, greed arises. From tamas, negligence, delusion and ignorance are born.
Chapter 14, Verse 23 · Beyond the Gunas — The Witness
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते ।गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते ॥
Udāsīnavad āsīno guṇair yo na vicālyateGuṇā vartanta ity eva yo'vatiṣṭhati neṅgate
One who sits as if indifferent, who is not disturbed by the modes of nature and who remains so, knowing that the modes alone are active — he is steady and does not waver.