*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 13.*
Satva, Rajas and Tamas -- they are the Gunas of Buddhi (Prakriti), not
of Atma -- control Rajas and Tamas by means of Satva and control Satva
by Satva itself. When Satva grows in Man, he acquires Dharma, which is
Devotion to Me. By worshipping Satvic objects Satva increases and Dharma
is the outcome. That Dharma kills Rajas and Tamas and it increases
Satva. When Rajas and Tamas are killed, Adharma which is an outcome of
Rajas and Tamas is also killed. The scriptures, water, men, land, time,
karma, regeneration, meditation, mantra and purification these ten are
accessaries to the Gunas. Of these what the Sages praise are Satvic,
what they blame are Tamasic, what they neither praise nor blame are
Rajasic. Have resort to only those of them that are Satvic, for then
Satva will increase. Dharma follows that increase and wisdom follows
Dharma. But wisdom has its field only so long as memory lasts and the
(Gunas) are not exhausted. Fire that is produced by the friction of
bamboo pieces, burns up the forest and is then extinguished of itself
even so the body caused by disturbance of the Gunas is extinguished of
itself, (at that final stage).
(Of the scriptures, there are some that speak of inclination, others
that speak of disinclination. The latter only are to be followed. Water
which has a purifying effect, as that of a sacred place is to be used,
not pointed water and wine. Bad men are to be shunned and good men are
to be mixed with. Quiet solitary places are to be sought, not highways
and gambling places. The time before sun rise is preferable for
meditation not night fall or night. Nitya Karma is to be performed, not
Kamya Karma. Initiation causes a second birth. Vaishnava or Saiva
initiation is Satvic and not Sakta initiation. Meditation upon Vishnu is
Satvic and not the meditation upon women or upon those that are hostile
to Vishnu. The Pranava Mantra is Satvic and not the lower Kamya Mantras.
The cleansing must be purification of self, not the mere cleansing of
Deva houses. _Sridhara_. By these Satvic pursuits, Satva Guna prevails
in man. When Satva prevails the whole nature becomes Satvic. The
tendencies are all such as to lead to calmness, which is the essence of
Satva. This is Dharma Adharma is the opposite of this. It is identified
with such a nature as leads to distractions. Dharma is followed by
wisdom. For when the mind is calm and tranquil, truths are reflected on
it in their entirety and they are fully perceived. That wisdom lasts as
long as memory lasts _i.e._ as long as Dvaita perception exists. But
when the Gunas themselves die out, wisdom vanishes of itself, for when
there is direct perception of Brahma as self, the knower, the known and
knowledge become one and the same.)