Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 1
Guṇa-vibhāga: The Three Modes and the Path Beyond Them
श्रीभगवानुवाच गुणानामसम्मिश्राणां पुमान् येन यथा भवेत् । तन्मे पुरुषवर्येदमुपधारय शंसत: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca guṇānām asammiśrāṇāṁ pumān yena yathā bhavet tan me puruṣa-varyedam upadhāraya śaṁsataḥ
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O best among men, please listen as I describe to you how the living entity attains a particular nature by association with individual material modes.
The word asammiśra indicates that which is not mixed with anything else. Lord Kṛṣṇa now explains how each of the three material modes (goodness, passion and ignorance), acting separately, causes a conditioned soul to manifest a particular type of existence. The living entity is ultimately transcendental to the modes of nature, being part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa, but in conditioned life he manifests material qualities. This is described in the following verses.
FAQs
In this verse, Krishna begins explaining how a person’s nature and behavior arise from the influence of the material modes when they act in an unmixed way.
Krishna teaches Uddhava to recognize how material qualities shape consciousness, so one can discriminate, detach, and progress toward transcendence and pure devotion.
By identifying whether one’s thoughts and habits are sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic, a person can consciously elevate their lifestyle and mindset and move toward steadiness, clarity, and devotion.