Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 20
Nondual Vision Beyond Praise and Blame
Dvandva-nivṛtti and Ātma-viveka
विज्ञानमेतत्त्रियवस्थमङ्ग गुणत्रयं कारणकार्यकर्तृ । समन्वयेन व्यतिरेकतश्च येनैव तुर्येण तदेव सत्यम् ॥ २० ॥
vijñānam etat triy-avastham aṅga guṇa-trayaṁ kāraṇa-kārya-kartṛ samanvayena vyatirekataś ca yenaiva turyeṇa tad eva satyam
The material mind manifests in three phases of consciousness — wakefulness, sleep and deep sleep — which are products of the three modes of nature. The mind further appears in three different roles — the perceiver, the perceived and the regulator of perception. Thus the mind is manifested variously throughout these threefold designations. But it is the fourth factor, existing separately from all this, that alone constitutes the Absolute Truth.
As stated in Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.15), tam eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvaṁ/ tasya bhāsā sarvam idaṁ vibhāti: “Everything radiates its illumination in pursuance of His original illumination; His light illuminates everything in this universe.” As thus described, the entire range of perception, cognition and sensitivity is an insignificant expansion of the perception, cognition and sensitivity of the Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse says that beyond the three guṇas—seen as cause, effect, and doer—there is the turīya, the transcendental reality recognized through true realized knowledge; that turīya alone is the ultimate Truth.
In the Uddhava-gītā teachings, Kṛṣṇa guides Uddhava to discriminate the workings of the guṇas in all experience so that Uddhava can transcend them and become situated in the Fourth, the spiritual reality beyond material conditioning.
Observe how moods and actions shift as “modes” (sattva/rajas/tamas) and avoid identifying as the doer; cultivate steady remembrance and discernment so awareness rests in the witness beyond changing causes and effects.