Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 9 (BG 14.9) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

14.9 सत्त्वम् purity? सुखे to happiness? सञ्जयति attaches? रजः active force? कर्मणि to action? भारत O Bharata? ज्ञानम् knowledge? आवृत्य shrouding? तु verily? तमः inertia? प्रमादे to heedlessness? सञ्जयति attaches? उत but.Commentary Just as a dark cloud enshrouds the sun? so also Tamas envelops knowledge or the light of the Self. Tamas creates an attachment for heedlessness? that is? ignorance or forgetfulness of duty or the nonperformance of necessary (obligatory) duties.

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

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

Modern

The present verse is a summary of the three verses that precede it. Since the Bhagavad Gita takes the form of a dialogue between the universal Teacher and His disciple, the Lord Sri Krishna, desiring the welfare of His disciple Arjuna who possesses ordinary understanding, briefly points to the subjects that have been discussed in detail before. Now He speaks about when these qualities perform the aforementioned actions.