How can one surpass Guņa?

·         Arjuna inquired: “O my dear Lord,

·         by which symptoms is one known who is transcendental to these three modes?

·         What is his behavior?

·         And how does he transcend Guņa?”

·         He who

·         neither hates

-       illumination (borne of sattva),

-       attachment (borne of rajas) and

-       delusion (borne of tamas)

when they are prevalent,

·         nor long for them when they disappear.

·         is situated as neutral to the guņas,

·         never getting agitated,

·         knowing thus that guņas are acting, never flickers.

·         equal in happiness and distress,

·         being situated in him-Self,

·         for whom a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold are equal,

·         being steady considering dear and not-dear ones as equal,

·         is situated equally during his censure and praise.

·         treats honor and dishonor equally,

·         equal to both friends and enemies sides,

·         is the renouncer of all endeavors,

·         is said to have surpassed Guņa.

·         Also one who without fail serves Me by Bhakti-yoga, he surpasses all these guņas, comes to the level of Brahman.

·         Certainly I am the pratisţha (consideration) of Brahman, of Immortality, of imperishability, of eternity, of dharma, of bliss, also of the ultimate.

·         One who knows the banyan tree whose roots face upwards and its branches face downwards and whose leaves are hymns, is the knower of the Vedas.

·         Its branches extend downward and upward,

·         Nourished by Guņa,

·         The twigs (tender leaves at tips) are the vișaya (senses-objects).

·         The roots also extend downwards, and these are bound to karma in manușya-loka.

·         Also the form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world.

·         No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is.

·         With determination one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment.

·         Thereafter, one must seek that state from where, having gone, one never returns, and also certainly surrender to Him, the original Puruṣaḥ, from whom everything has extended and who is ancient.

·         One who is free from prestige, illusion and  has conquered the faults of attachment, who is always situated in Self (Adhyātma), disassociated from lust, who are freed from the dualities named happiness and distress, those wise attain to that imperishable position.

·         That supreme abode of Mine going where one never returns is neither illuminated by the sun nor by moon, nor by fire.