*SKANDHA XI. CHAP. 25.*
"_Sama_ or Control of the mind, _Dama_ or Control of the Senses,
forbearance, discrimination, tapas, truthfulness, compassion, memory,
renunciation, contentment, faith, shame and charitableness are the
attributes proper of _Satva_. Selfish desire, Selfish exertion, pride,
discontent, variety, selfish-invocation of the Devas, idea of
separateness, material enjoyment, love of excitement, love of fame,
derision, power and violence, are the attributes proper of _Rajas_.
"Anger, greed, untruthfulness, cruelty, begging, parading of religion,
languor, quarrel, repentance, delusion, grief, dejection, sleep,
helplessness, fear and indolence are the attributes proper of _Tamas_.
"The sense of I-ness and My-ness is produced by the mixture of the three
Gunas (I have Sama, selfish desire and anger. My Sama, selfish desire
and anger. Thus _I_ and _My_ are common to all the three Gunas.
_Sridhara_) All our dealings having the elements of Manas (Satvic), the
Tanmatras (Tamasic), the Indriyas and the Pranas (Rajasic) in them,
proceed from a mixture of the three Gunas. Devotion to Dharma (Satvic),
Kama (Rajasic) and Artha (Tamasic), that bears the fruits of faith
(Satvic), attachment (Rajasic) and wealth (Tamasic) is also based on a
mixture of the Gunas.
"The performance of religion for the gratification of desires (Kamya
Dharma which is Rajasic), the performance of the duties of married life
(Grihasta Dharma which is Tamasic) and the performance of the daily and
occasional duties assigned to one's position in life (Svadharma which is
Satvic) are based on a union of the three Gunas. Man is Satvic, when he
has got the Satvic attributes. He is Rajasic when he has got the Rajasic
attributes. He is Tamasic when he has got the Tamasic attributes.
"When a man or woman worships Me with unselfish devotion and by the
performance of duties, he or she is Satvic.
"The person who worships Me, for the attainment of desires is Rajasic.
"The person who worships Me with a view to do injury to others is
Tamasic.
"Satva, Rajas and Tamas are attributes that grow in the minds of jivas,
they are not My attributes.
"When Satva prevails over the other two Gunas, man acquires
religiousness, wisdom, and other attributes, as also happiness. When
Rajas prevails, it causes distraction, attachment and a sense of
separateness. Man acquires karma, fame and wealth. But he becomes
miserable.
"When Tamas prevails, delusion, inaction and ignorance follow.
"When the Mind attains calm, the senses become abstemious, the body free
from fear and the mind free from attachments, Satva grows up and makes
it easy to perceive Me.
"When the mind becomes distracted by actions, and desires multiply, when
the senses of action become disordered and the mind always wanders away,
Rajas has its hold over man.
"When the mind can not grasp, when it languishes, when even desires do
not crop up, and there is indolence, melancholy and ignorance, they all
proceed from Tamas.
"With Satva, the Deva element prevails, with Rajas, the Asura element
prevails and with Tamas, the Rakshas element prevails.
"The waking is from Satva, dream from Rajas and deep sleep from Tamas.
"By Satva, people go higher and higher up, by Rajas they move about in
the middle, and by Tamas they move lower down.
"Satva takes one to Svarga Loka, Rajas to human Loka and Tamas to
Naraka. Those who are void of Gunas attain Me.
"Action that is offered up to Me or that is unselfish is Satvic. Selfish
action is Rajasa. Heartless action is Tamasa.
"Satvic wisdom is that which relates to Atma, as separate from the body.
"Rajasic is half perceived wisdom. Tamasic is wisdom relating to the
material universe.
"Wisdom centred in Me is Nirguna or without Gunas.
"Satvics like to reside in the forest. Rajasics in human habitations and
Tamasics in gambling houses. Houses where I am worshipped are beyond all
the Gunas. Births are caused by Guna and Karma. Those who conquer these
become devoted to Me and attain my state."