Devanagari
सत्त्वं ज्ञानं रज: कर्म तमोऽज्ञानमिहोच्यते ।
गुणव्यतिकर: काल: स्वभाव: सूत्रमेव च ॥ १३ ॥
Verse text
sattvaṁ jṣānaṁ rajaḥ karma
tamo ’jṣānam ihocyate
guṇa-vyatikaraḥ kālaḥ
svabhāvaḥ sūtram eva ca
Synonyms
sattvam
—
the mode of goodness
;
jṣānam
—
knowledge
;
rajaḥ
—
the mode of passion
;
karma
—
fruitive work
;
tamaḥ
—
the mode of ignorance
;
ajṣānam
—
foolishness
;
iha
—
in this world
;
ucyate
—
is called
;
guṇa
—
of the modes
;
vyatikaraḥ
—
the agitated transformation
;
kālaḥ
—
time
;
svabhāvaḥ
—
innate tendency, nature
;
sūtram
—
the mahat-tattva
;
eva
—
indeed
;
ca
—
also .
Translation
In this world the mode of goodness is recognized as knowledge, the mode of passion as fruitive work, and the mode of darkness as ignorance. Time is perceived as the agitated interaction of the material modes, and the totality of functional propensity is embodied by the primeval sūtra, or mahat-tattva.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In this world sattva is recognized as knowledge, rajas is action and tamas is ignorance. The Lord is identified with time, the agitator of the guṇas. Svabhāva or change arising from action is the same as mahat-tattva.
Where does this lead? Jṣāna is sattva, since it arises from sattva. Action is rajas and ignorance is tamas. These are the qualities of prakṛti. They appear in the jīva as impositions only. Thus they are counted as prakṛti only. “Time and svabhāva have been left out. Where do they belong?” That which produces the agitation of the guṇas, the Supreme Lord, is called time or kāla. Svabhāva, the change caused by action, is called mahat-tattva (sūtram), since mahat-tattva possesses all powers. [Note: Sūtra possesses kriya-śakti, the cause of action.] Thus kāla is included in the Lord and svabhāva is included in mahat-tattva. All authorities agree that the elements should not be increased to include knowledge, action, ignorance, time and svabhāva.
Purport
The impetus for the interaction of the material elements is the forward movement of time. Because time is passing, the embryo grows within the womb, gradually comes out, grows up, produces by-products, dwindles and dies. All of this is due to the pushing of time. In the absence of the time factor, the material elements do not interact but remain inert in the form of
pradhāna.
Lord Kṛṣṇa is establishing the basic categories of the material world so that human beings can conceive of the Lord’s creation. Were the categories not condensed, analysis and conceptualization would be impossible, since the Lord’s potencies are infinite. Although there are numerous divisions of material elements within the basic divisions, the spirit soul is always to be understood as a distinct transcendental element, meant for residence in the kingdom of God.