Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 22

Guṇa-vibhāga: The Three Modes and the Path Beyond Them

Devanagari script

सत्त्वे प्रलीना: स्वर्यान्ति नरलोकं रजोलया: । तमोलयास्तु निरयं यान्ति मामेव निर्गुणा: ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

sattve pralīnāḥ svar yānti nara-lokaṁ rajo-layāḥ tamo-layās tu nirayaṁ yānti mām eva nirguṇāḥ

Translation

Those who leave this world in the mode of goodness go to the heavenly planets, those who pass away in the mode of passion remain in the world of human beings, and those dying in the mode of ignorance must go to hell. But those who are free from the influence of all modes of nature come to Me.

Synonyms

• सत्त्वे: in sattva
• सत्त्वे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• प्रलीनाः: absorbed (into)
• प्रलीनाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र√ली (धातु)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; 'merged/absorbed'

• स्वः: heaven
• स्वः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्/स्वः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (indeclinable-like stem), Accusative, Singular; object of यान्ति

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: Present/लट्, 3rd Person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• नरलोकम्: the human world
• नरलोकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; compound: नर (man) + लोक (world)

• रजोलयाः: those absorbed in rajas
• रजोलयाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस्-लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; compound: रजस् (rajas) + लय (dissolution/absorption) meaning 'absorbed in rajas'

• तमोलयाः: those absorbed in tamas
• तमोलयाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस्-लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; compound: तमस् + लय

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrastive

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: Present/लट्, 3rd Person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphatic

• निर्गुणाः: those beyond the guṇas
• निर्गुणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; bahuvrīhi: 'whose (state) is beyond guṇas' i.e., 'free from guṇas'

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Uddhava

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the destinations attained through sattva, rajas, and tamas?

This verse states that absorption in goodness leads to heavenly worlds, passion leads to continued human birth, and ignorance leads to hellish conditions—each destination corresponding to one’s dominant mode.

Why did Krishna explain the results of the three gunas to Uddhava in Canto 11?

In the Uddhava Gītā, Krishna teaches Uddhava how conditioned souls are carried to different births by the modes, and He emphasizes the higher goal: becoming nirguṇa and attaining the Lord Himself.

Practical application: how can I become 'nirguna' in modern life according to this shloka?

Cultivate devotion that is not driven by ego, reward, or lethargy—steadily offer your actions and mind to Krishna, so your identity shifts from mode-based habits to God-centered consciousness.