Satwam rajas – Further Reading
“Oh, mighty armed Arjuna, these three Gunas or qualities, which are Purity, Passion and Dullness, are born of nature only. These bind the imperishable soul to the body.
These 3 Gunas, Rajas, Tamas and Sattva react only on those who look upon the body as their self. The use of the word Avyayam shows that in reality the soul is immortal. There is no bondage for it. It regards itself as bound because of ignorance. What binds the soul is the feeling of identification, attachment and sense of possessiveness in respect of bodies evolved from 3 Gunas. Realized souls knew the truth. Example Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He had realized that Aatma is a part of Paramaatmaa and it is different from the mortal body. In his last days, he was suffering from throat cancer. He was not able to drink even a glass of water. He was not at all worried. He was enjoying peace and when questioned by his disciple, he used to say, “The body is different; I do not have any pain”. This is the state of the realized soul.
The term ‘Guna’ means rope. Prakriti is made up of three Gunas. Prakriti is the nature of God. It is the manifestation of God or the very shadow of God. It is the Kshetra where the Kshetrajna or the Knower of field resides. The three Gunas are described as Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas.
Sattwa :
This Guna (tendency in us) is luminosity or brightness and purity. The people in whom this Guna predominates have a mind that is free from all agitations. There is inward peace and happiness and a greater understanding of subtle ideas. The quality of our thoughts due to the influence of the Sattwa guna is pure and straightforward.
There is a thrilling joy of mental serenity, a capacity to direct the mental strength of a dynamic and Saatwic mind towards any noble goal. There is constant search for knowledge.
There are some of the qualities that a man possesses who has in him the Sattwa Guna.
The presence of this Guna(equanimity) encourages people to follow the paths of real joy and happiness. They melt as butter at the joy or grief of others, or at the mention of the Leelas of the Lord. They are like bees that visit only fragrant flowers.
A Saatwic person enjoys good actions, bhajans, reading sacred books and the company of saints. Vibheeshana is an example of a person with this Guna.
Rajo guna (Energy):
The presence of this Guna brings about desires and creates a desire to enjoy the objective world. It is like a fly that sits on foul things as well as fair things. The Gunas leads to egoism, envy, jealousy and greed and consequently to lack of peace. Ravana is an example of this quality. He looked in the outside world for happiness.
Tamo guna (Inertia)
This causes man to confuse Truth as untruth and untruth as truth. It leads a person to negligence and error and to sorrow and grief. It degrades humans to sub-human levels. The Taamasic are like worms that creeps in the offal.
A person who has excess of this quality spends his time eating, drinking and sleeping. Kumbhakarna is the example of this quality.
The aim of all Religions is to foster the Sattwa guna and to lessen the impact of the other two gunas, so that man may attain real joy and happiness.
The Saatwic quality prompts us to become progressive seekers of Jnaana. Later on the desire for liberation also becomes bondage, one is fundamentally free; bondage is an illusion. So the desire to unloosen the bond is the result of ignorance.
When the 3 Gunas are in harmony, man is equal minded and has access to the Higher Reality.
Rajas:
This Guna is associated with red colour. Where Rajoguna predominates, the mind is torn into hundreds of painful feelings and passions. A man who has this ‘Guna’ constantly working in him, is full of thousand desires, urges and emotions. The cause of these agitations is desire and attachment. A Raajasic man is one who thirsts for satisfaction of some object of desire. After that desire is satisfied , there is attachment towards that object.
Thus we see how the Guna ‘Rajas’ increases our activities. If we think of something or see something attractive, it produces a great desire in us to possess it. In order to possess it we have to think , plan, earn more, labour hard, save etc. After getting hold of the desired thing, we get so attached to it that we develop fear an worry for its safety. Thus Rajoguna makes us restless and greedy and we become selfish and uncaring about others. We become feverish for more and more profits and we lose some of our understanding and fitness of things.
Tamas:
Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion – these arise when Tamas is the predominant Guna.
A person who has this Guna working in him does not have the capacity to discriminate wrong and right . Such a person is bound to his lower nature which is a bundle of misconceptions and wrong ideas and such person is indolent and uncaring in all that he does. He is asleep to the higher and nobler purpose of life. He does not have any aspirations for the divine life. There is no brilliancy of thought or tenderness of feeling and nobility of action in such a person.
When the Tamoguna predominates the intellect is dull and can take no decision. A state of drowsiness veils the truth and makes such a man take wrong decisions.
There is a tendency then to shirk responsibility and he has no confidence to undertake any great task. There is no enthusiasm to achieve anything in the world. Tamas saps ambitions. Eating and sleeping become the main occupation in the Tamasic person’s life. Tamas veils our discriminating capacity and drags us towards lower animal natures.
The term ‘Guna’ means a rope in Sanskrit. The spiritual beauty of life is tied down as it were to material objects. The three Gunas are three influences under which the mind functions. They are mental climates under which the mind behaves. If the Sattwa predominates the mind, then that person acts and works in a serene and good way. If Rajas influences him he is very active, planning and scheming to get his desires fulfilled. If Tamas influence is there, the actions are not well done and there is no purity and perfection.
These Gunas like chords bind the spirit to matter. The Infinite Supreme Aatma in us, is then forgotten and we feel we are the body, with its limitations and weaknesses. Though the Aatma can never be the Doer or the enjoyer or the sufferer, due to the influence of these Gunas, it gets bound to the idea that it is the body and mind.
Sattwa binds when the person who has this quality gets bound or attached to his particular way of life. For example, a scientist, working with dedication in his laboratory, a painter working at his canvas in his shabby studio, a poet poor and pale, a Saint who is martyred and tortured, all feel this great thrill and joy of life. But they get attached to that joy and do not aspire to reach God, the highest goal.
Rajas binds when it makes a man work and act for desire fulfillment.
Tamas binds a man due to ignorance of the true nature. It binds a man to an existence that is low and degrading.
Thus Lord Krishna has shown us that these 3 Gunas bind us down to the three moods that are prevalent at different times in our minds.
The Ganges water poured in different coloured bottles looks different in each bottle, not because the water has changed, but due to the different colour of the bottle. So also the 3 Gunas working in different proportions, influence the mental and intellectual personality.
How to rise above these three Gunas?
We must develop a capacity within us to diagnose any desire that arises within us. When we become sensitive, to recognize the influence within us, we will also get the strength to discard all wrong impulses and immoral urges. We will then become balanced in righteous living and self controlled. For example, if we are undertaking a long journey in a car, we must know the working and mechanism of the car. If anything goes wrong, the experienced driver knows what is wrong and sets it right tendencies and moods in our minds, we can substitute good thoughts, words and actions which will please our Lord Sai.
Examples: (For children)
- It is time to wake up early in the morning to get ready for your Bal Vikas class. But sleep over- powers you and your mind says why should I go every Sunday? I can take it some times and not go today. Besides, I can read up the stories at home etc. Which Guna is working in you at that time?
- You have made a chart for the project work in Bal Vikas. You are very enthusiastic to go on time and show the chart to the Bal Vikas Guru. You pray very hard to get a first prize in class. You keep adding more and more finishing touches and plan to go to the Guru’s house so that you can show her the chart and before any one else. You are full of energy and enthusiasm to win a prize and even plan what to do with the prize and show it to all your friends etc.,
- You have made a chart for the project work fr B V class. You have it ready and packed since 3 days. You have done your best at the drawing and do not think about it anymore. You pray that it portrays the subject properly and that Swami is happy. You go straight to the BV class in a cool way and appreciate all the charts shown by the class. You hope one of them gets the first prize. Which Guna is working in you?
Story:
The 3 brothers Vibheeshana, Raavana and Kumbhkarna
Raavana was the Raakshasaa emperor of Lankaa. He was well versed in the 4 vedas and the 6 shastras. His ten heads represented these. But he was full of Kaama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Maatsarya.
He took Mother Sita away from Lord Rama. He had not controlled his mind one bit, even though he had read the scriptures. He was full of Raajasic qualities. So he had to be taught lesson by Lord Rama.
Vibheeshana was the brother of Raavana, but what a difference between their characters! Vibheeshana was of a Saatwic nature. He was known from his youth for his devotion to God and his pious nature. He tried to stop Ravana from taking such a sinful step as to kidnap Sita.
He took shelter at the Lord’s feet and joined Lord Raama’s Army. On hearing Vedic Mantras being chanted over Vibheeshana’s house, Hanuman could make out what a great man lived there.
Kumbahkarna was the third brother and he was by nature sleepy and indolent. He ate, drank and slept for most of the year. He knew that Raavana had done a great act in abducting Sita, but he had not strength of mind to break away from Raavana. He felt it was his duty to fight for Raavana. Lord Raama killed him in a fierce battle.
Story:
A traveller was passing through a dense forest. Suddenly three thieves sprang on him and over powered him. They took away all his possessions. The first highway man then drew out his dagger to do away with the victim. The second bandit pleaded against such a drastic measure and voted for binding the fellow fast and leaving him to his fate. The advice was acted upon and the thieves quit the scene . But in a short while, the soft heartened third robber, reappeared and released the man who was bound and kindly showed him the way back home.
The grateful traveler requested his unexpected saviour to go along with him and accept his gratitude and hospitality. But the stranger politely expressed his inability to go beyond his bounds and disappeared in the forest.
This world is the forest.
The three Gunas are the three thieves.
The Jivaatmaa is the traveller.
The divine qualities are his possessions. Of the three Gunas,- Tamas tries to destroy him.
Rajas binds him with lust, greed and anger.
Sattwa saves him from these fetters and chains and shows him the God-ward way.
But Sattwa can only show the way- he does not know God.
2. Sita Deceived
Raavana was a black heartened Knave. No amount of pleading or threatening could make him change his mind. How does one straighten a bent, old and crooked tree? How does one change black into white? Such was the case of Raavana.
Raavana judged Raama according to his own wicked standards. He thought that if he could even at this late stage, persuade Seeta to yield to him, Raama would be dejected and heart broken and would leave Lankaa without fighting the war. He devised a cruel plan, He asked a skilled sorcerer called Vidyutjihva to prepare a model head which would resemble Raama every bit. Then he went to the Ashoka vana and said to Sita, ‘ You stubborn woman ! See what I have done. I have killed Raama and his entire Vaanara army. I am the supreme Lord now. Come and be my Queen. Raama is no more. See his head is here. Now do not weep for him, but rejoice and be the Queen of Lankaa’.
When Seetaa saw the head that was placed before her, she was dumb and aghast. She was fooled by the Mayaa of the sorcerer. She wept bitterly for her Lords saying, ‘Dear lord, O Raama, Why have you forsaken me’? Just then some of Raavana’s guards came and told him that he was wanted in the Council Meeting Hall. He left immediately. The illusory head of Rama went up in smoke. To maintain its appearance, Raavana’s presence was necessary. Sita was bewildered. At that time a Raakshasi called Saramaa told her that it was Raavana’s wicked plan to deceive her. She said,’ Sita, you are faithful and holy. Nobody can do anything to your Ramaa. It is Raavana who has reached his height of evil and will have to die.’
Seetaa’s heart was light and she prayed for the safety of her Lord.