Chapter 14 Shloka 16

कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम्।

रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम्।।१६।।

The fruits of virtuous deeds are

predominantly sattvic and pure.

The consequence of the

attribute of rajas is sorrow;

the fruit of tamas is ignorance.

Chapter 14 Shloka 16

कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम्।

रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम्।।१६।।

The Lord says:

The fruits of virtuous deeds are predominantly sattvic and pure. The consequence of the attribute of rajas is sorrow; the fruit of tamas is ignorance.

Sukrit (सुकृत) – Virtuous deeds

1. Acts of compassion.

2. Acts performed for the well-being of the other.

3. Unselfish deeds are sukrit.

4. Acts performed to help another.

5. Acts performed to establish another.

6. Acts that yield happiness to others.

7. Dextrous and skilful deeds.

8. An act which is performed with the spirit of giving importance to the other.

Sukrit is that act which is selfless and performed in the spirit of daan, tapas and yagya – charity, forbearance and selfless offering.

Daan

Sattvic daan is that which is given:

a) acknowledging the supremacy of the other;

b) out of one’s own share;

c) with a heart full of faith;

d) in the spirit of duty;

e) without any thought of one’s own importance.

That one is truly great:

a) who can melt your stone-like heart;

b) who can induce you to perform good deeds;

c) who can steal you away from yourself;

d) who can induce you to part with your belongings;

e) who can free you of your concepts;

f) who can bestow upon you true happiness – because you gain happiness by performing deeds for others.

To give mere wealth is not enough: to give of oneself is a far greater form of charity. Charity must be given with love and reverence.

It is you who are lowly – and the one to whom you give is the Lord Himself. For only the Lord can thaw your otherwise stony heart and induce it to give.

The greatness of a person whose actions are tinged with the attribute of sattva can be gauged by:

a) the humility with which he gives;

b) the love with which he gives;

c) the amount he persuades the other to accept his all;

d) the lengths to which he goes to give clandestinely;

e) his lack of ego in all he gives and his will to establish the other.

It is a supreme yagya to be able to establish the other without any selfish motive. Such an attitude will give rise to knowledge and its luminescence. This is the sign of those established in sattva. The dissemination of knowledge is not a sign of adherence to the Truth – love for mankind and one’s brethren exhibits one’s affinity with the Truth.

Tapas

The spirit of tapas lies innate in every action performed by the one who possesses the attribute of sattva.

1. He remains silent and unaffected by every unfavourable situation.

2. He is silent towards adversity.

3. He performs every deed of service or charity in a clandestine manner, for which he often receives calumny and insult instead of recognition and fame.

4. He remains silent towards such defamation.

5. He remains silent towards his trials and travails.

6. He expresses his own view only to the extent that is required by the other.

7. Often, those whom he establishes become inimical towards him – for they sought his friendship only to fulfil their aim of self-establishment. Once established, such selfish beings have no intentions of becoming subservient to the one who helped them – for they do not possess the attribute of sattva.

a) Therefore there is not a trace of gratitude in them.

b) Their friendship was in order to ensure their own establishment – not to subjugate themselves to others.

c) The sattvic benefactor becomes ‘useless’ and is discarded by the one in whom the attribute of rajas is predominant after his hopes, expectations and avarice are satiated.

d) In fact, he makes every endeavour to subjugate his sattvic benefactor. The one in whom rajas is predominant, exhibits humility only in order to fulfil his selfish aims, but actually he does not possess a trace of humility.

Thus the one in whom sattva inheres, is often the recipient of insincerity, insult and indifference. The one in whom rajas is predominant ‘befriends’ the other only for selfish gain. The sattvic being is silent towards any insult directed towards him. Thus he is a silent witness to the play of qualities taking place before him. His very silence is his tapas – the sign of his forbearance.

A person in whom tamas prevails, wishes to eradicate every trace of the one who inheres the attribute of sattva. The waxing and the waning of the attribute of sattva is dependent on the waxing and waning of rajas and of tamas. The strength of the attributes of rajas and tamas determine the intensity of their attack upon the attribute of sattva. The eternal silence of the sattvic being is his forbearance.

Yagya

Yagya combines both daan and tapas. The life of one in whom sattva is predominant, is imbued with yagya – thus its fruit is pristine purity.

Rajas

The actions of rajas bear the fruit of sorrow. The attribute of rajas binds a being with covetousness, desire and greed. Kamla, the state of one in whom the attribute of rajas is predominant has been to a great extent clarified in the description of the forbearance of the sattvic being.

1. The covetous being who is eternally engaged in the satiation of his desires is essentially rajsic.

2. This attribute is innately insatiable.

3. The rajsic being seeks only desire fulfilment.

4. The sole aim of a rajsic being’s life is the attainment of the objects of his desire. Now understand the actions of such a one.

Greed for wealth

Since wealth has the innate capacity to purchase objects, it can, to a great extent, satiate one’s yearnings. One is also acknowledged due to one’s wealth and status. The sincerity of the needy and the greedy can also be purchased to some extent with money. Several bodily comforts can similarly be purchased with wealth. Wealth also (it appears) has qualities which ensure the security of one’s life. The one who is governed by rajas is predominantly greedy and covetous, and hence he:

a) engages himself exclusively in the procurement of wealth;

b) performs several noteworthy deeds due to his thirst for recognition and fame.

One’s greed for recognition and wealth determine the intensity of one’s:

a) toil at work;

b) toil at accumulating knowledge;

c) interaction in the world;

d) lengthy explanations of knowledge;

e) service of the world;

f) engagement in great deeds;

g) involvement even in degraded deeds.

­­–  Those who possess such tendencies do not want to become great – they merely wish to be known as great.

­­–  They do not wish to give respect, but they seek respect for themselves.

­­–  They do not know the difference between truth and untruth. Even their actions are full of untruth.

­­–  Their charity is also replete with selfish desires.

­­–  Even their knowledge is tainted by desire.

No matter if that knowledge is spiritual or worldly, it is accumulated only to be sold for material gain. Look Kamla, those with great knowledge can also be rajsic in nature. Do not consider one who has knowledge to be necessarily sattvic.

Dutiful acts also comprise part of their business. They perform their duty with some selfish desire in their hearts. They are prepared to sever all relationships if there is no fame, wealth or some other desired object to be gained through that relationship. They then take shelter under some excuse or the other, such as:

1. “My parents are bad.”

2. “They are hard hearted.”

3. “My parents do not like me.”

4. “My parents are too demanding.”

5. “My parents interfere too much in my life.”

6. “My views do not match with those of my parents.”

7. “My parents are old fashioned.”

8. “Our relatives are not of our status.”

9. “We do not wish to get involved in all this give and take among relatives.” etc.

Expressing themselves thus, such people absolve themselves of all duties and blame.

The more the accumulation of wealth, the less their inclination towards duty. In fact, their duties and responsibilities should have increased in ratio with their wealth. However, with the advancement of their material gains, such people endeavour to accumulate even more. They seek only to fulfil their desired objective.

a) Once their work is done, their relationship ceases.

b) All the efforts of such people are directed at fulfilling their desire.

They must attain what they desire – no matter by what means.

1. Even though the other may be annihilated in the process;

2. Even at the risk of another’s death;

3. Even though the other may be afflicted with great sorrow in the bargain, such a one does not care.

4. “I must continue to receive what I seek – I do not mind if the other receives it too.”

5. Their attitude is, “Others must be there for me.”

6. The other belongs to them as long as their own gain lies in such proximity and so long as the other remains agreeable towards them.

The consequences of rajas

This attribute leads to sorrow, because such a person cherishes wealth and personal recognition more than he cherishes his wife, father, mother, children and other relations and friends. He prefers gross objects to living beings. But happiness is gained from what is akin to oneself – not from that which is fundamentally different. Hence acts of avarice for material gain can only beget sorrow.

Rajsic individuals enjoy their rajsic nature, but when the same tendencies are seen in their children, they are greatly distressed.

The attribute of tamas

The fruits of the deeds of tamsic individuals lead to ignorance.

1. The one in whom this attribute predominates is essentially an escapist.

2. He renounces his duty.

3. This attribute shuns the problems of life.

4. This attribute causes one to turn away even from the Lord.

5. This attribute causes harm to the other.

6. Moha and ignorance are born of tamas and tamas also promotes the growth of these tendencies.

7. The tamsic individual is dead for the other.

8. Moha causes him to renounce everyone.

9. The tamsic being is arrogant and proud. The attribute of tamas gives rise to the intellect which is subservient to the body – the dehatma buddhi.

The consequence of tamas is ignorance.

1. The idea ‘I am the body’ is ignorance.

2. The idea ‘I am the doer’ is ignorance.

3. Attachment and moha are ignorance.

4. Pride of intellect is ignorance.

5. The absence of the attribute of sattva is ignorance.

6. Being bound by one’s beliefs and concepts is ignorance.

7. Attachment to any quality whatsoever is ignorance.

All these tendencies have the attribute of tamas predominant in them.

Look Kamla! The Lord has specified clearly here as to how a human being should live and what his point of view must be.

The Lord has already described the characteristics of the bhakta – the true devotee, and the sthit pragya – the one who is established in the pure and stable intellect. He has specified the means to attain knowledge and given various other injunctions, thus illuminating the path of knowledge. He has indicated the path of Truth, the path of Yoga and the path of devotion and has also clarified that all these paths are essentially the same and no different from each other. The nature of the sadhak, as elucidated by the Lord, can only be discerned from the behaviour of that sadhak in his interaction with others. Spiritual practice lies in such interaction, which will also reveal the internal state of the sadhak. He who does not practice the qualities of divinity personally and individually can never hope to acquire that quality in its universal form.

a) The practice of the attribute of sattva in life is true knowledge.

b) The practice of the attribute of sattva is Adhyatam – the divine nature of Brahm.

c) Turning away from the attribute of sattva is ignorance.

d) Practice which is adverse to the attribute of sattva increases one’s ignorance.

e) The method to nurture and increase one’s knowledge is to practice the qualities of the Lord in one’s life.

f) Disregard of the Lord’s qualities in one’s life increases the darkness of ignorance.

1. The attribute of tamas is inherent in pride of knowledge.

2. The attribute of tamas is inherent in pride of actions.

3. The attribute of tamas is inherent in pride of status and recognition.

The attribute of tamas prevails in all these because pride is a characteristic of this attribute.

a) Even the one who possesses great knowledge is tamsic if he renounces his duty.

b) Even the one who is diligent in action is tamsic if he renounces his duty.

c) Even the one who is proud of his devotion is tamsic if he renounces his duty.

Because:

a) The performance of one’s duty is the greatest act of selflessness.

b) The performance of one’s duty is the greatest act of forbearance.

When dutiful actions don a universal form, they become a great yagya – a sacrificial offering at the feet of the Lord. Therefore the Lord clarifies that disregarding one’s duty is the reason for the intensification of ignorance. This is the direct consequence of the attribute of tamas.

The Lord has thus stated that the fruit of tamas is ignorance, and the fruit of rajas is sorrow.

a) The body is important to one in whom tamas is predominant.

b) The mind is important for the one in whom rajas is predominant.

c) The intellect is important for one in whom sattva is predominant.

The rajsic being is dependent on others for the fulfilment of his desires. He knows that:

1. If the other becomes reticent, his greed and desire will not be gratified.

2. He considers the other’s aid and support to be his birthright.

3. He suffers the greatest sorrow of his life when his children grow up and refuse to support him in his deeds.

Such a one rears his children as scions of royalty and gives in to their every whim throughout their childhood. Those children are therefore not at all used to serving their own parents. They have not learned to be obedient; they have learned merely to give orders and be obeyed.

4. The rajsic father had not given of himself to his children – he had merely given them his earnings, his wealth and all that it could buy.

Penniless parents sold themselves to give their children everything. Those children consequently considered themselves to be far superior to their parents and others around them. When they desert the parents, sorrow is inevitable.

The greed of the rajsic person gives rise to all kinds of imagined problems. The constant concern “I must get more” consumes the rajsic being, resulting in unhappiness and sorrow.

The tamsic individual is blind. He does not care for anyone. It is extremely easy for him to renounce the whole world. He has no concern for what the world may think of him or what is the right thing to do. Nor does he bother about honour or dishonour. The strange thing is that several traits of the sattvic individual seem to match with the tamsic being. Understand this carefully.

a) The flow of divine qualities is the characteristic of sattva.

b) The practice of divine qualities is the natural deed of one who abides in sattva.

c) The practice of divine qualities is the path of sattva.

Tamas is the antithesis of sattva.

1. Sattva cannot emerge when one causes sorrow to others.

2. The attribute of sattva does not emerge by claiming rights over others.

3. The renunciation of duty does not lead to the emergence of sattva.

The individual must not be affected by attributes, he must become a gunatit. He cannot achieve this state by running away from the attributes. If one endeavours to escape from adversity, ignorance will inevitably prevail.