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BG 18.40 — 18.40 There is no being on earth or again in heaven among the gods, that is liberated from the three alities born of Nature.
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न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुनः |
सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभिः स्यात्त्रिभिर्गुणैः ||१८-४०||

na tadasti pṛthivyāṃ vā divi deveṣu vā punaḥ . sattvaṃ prakṛtijairmuktaṃ yadebhiḥ syāttribhirguṇaiḥ ||18-40||


18.40 There is no being on earth or again in heaven among the gods, that is liberated from the three alities born of Nature.

Word-by-word meanings

18.40 न not? तत् that? अस्ति is? पृथिव्याम् on the earth? वा or? दिवि in heaven? देवेषु among the gods? वा or? पुनः again? सत्त्वम् being? प्रकृतिजैः born of Prakriti (matter)? मुक्तम् freed? यत् which? एभिः from these? स्यात् may be? त्रिभिः from three? गुणैः by alities.Commentary The Gunas form the warp and woof of everything as threads do in the case of cloth.Here in the world of mortals or there in the heavenworld? there is no creature that is not bound by the three alities of Nature. Can th

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

18.40 Na asti, there is no; tat, such; sattvam, entity, living creatures like men and others, or non-living things; prthivyam, in the world; va punah, or, again; an entity devesu, among the gods; divi, in heaven; yat, which; syat, can be [-this is connected with the preceding portion 'na tat, there is no such (entity)'-]; muktam, free; hih, from these; trubhih, three; gunaih, gunas, sattva etc.; prakrti-jaih, born of Nature. It has been said that the entire transmigratory state together with its roots, characterized by action, agent and resuls-consisting of the gunas, sattva, rajas and tamas-, and projected by ignorance, is an evil. And this also has been said through the imagery of the Tree in the verse, '৷৷.which has its roots upward' etc. (15.1). It has been further said that, 'after felling that (Tree), with the strong sword of detachment, thereafter, that State has to be sought for' (15.3-4). And, as to that, since all things consist of the three gunas, there arises the impossibility of the eradication of the cause of worldly existence. Hence, it has to be shown how it can be eradicated. Besides, the purport of the scripture Gita has to be summed up, and it has also to be shown that the import of all the Vedas and the Smrtis, which must be put into practice by those who long for the Goal of human life, is verily this much. Hence begin the verses, 'The duties of the Brahmanas, the Ksatriyas and the Vaisyas৷৷.', etc.

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

18.40 There is no such entity in the world or, again, among the gods in heaven, which can be free from these three gunas born of Nature.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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