Shloka 19

Adhyāya 41 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Gurv-anumati and Strategic Counsel (युधिष्ठिरस्य गुर्वनुमतिः)

Devanagari script

सम्बन्ध--गीताके तेरहवें अध्यायके इक्कीसवें श्लोकमें जो यह बात कही थी कि गुणोंका संग ही इस मनुष्यके अच्छी-बुरी योनियोंकी प्राप्तिरूप पुनर्जमका कारण हैः उसीके अनुसार इस जध्यायमें पॉचवेंसे अठारहवें #लोकतक गुणोंके स्वरूप तथा गुणोंके कार्यद्वारा बाँधे हुए मनुष्योंकी यति आदिका विस्तारपूर्वक प्रतिपादन किया गया। इस वर्णनसे यह बात समझायी गयी कि मनुष्यको पहले तम और रजोगुणका त्याग करके सत्त्वगगुणमें अपनी स्थिति करनी चाहिये और उसके बाद सत्त्वगुणका भी त्याग करके गुणातीत हो जाना चाहिये। अतएव गुणातीत होनेके उपाय और गुणातीत अवस्थाका फल अगले दो श्लोकोद्वारा बतलाया जाता है-- नान्यं गुणेभ्य: कर्तारें यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति । गुणेभ्यश्व परं वेत्ति मद्भावं सोडधिगच्छति

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ yadā draṣṭānupaśyati | guṇebhyaś ca paraṁ vetti madbhāvaṁ so 'dhigacchati ||

Translation

Arjuna said: When a person clearly perceives that no agent other than the three guṇas is responsible for actions, and also understands the Reality that transcends these guṇas, that person attains My state—freedom beyond conditioning and union with the Divine.

Word by Word

नnot

अन्यम्another (as)

गुणेभ्यःthan the guṇas / from the guṇas

कर्तारम्doer/agent

यदाwhen

द्रष्टाthe seer

अनुपश्यतिsees/realizes

गुणेभ्यःthan the guṇas / beyond the guṇas (as point of comparison)

चand

परम्the higher/supreme (reality)

वेत्तिknows

मद्भावम्My state/being (divine nature)

सःhe

अधिगच्छतिattains

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas)

The Lord (implied by madbhāva)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Actions belong to the guṇas of prakṛti, not to the true Self as an egoic ‘doer’. When one realizes both (1) guṇas alone operate as the functional agent and (2) the transcendent Reality beyond guṇas, one becomes guṇātīta and attains the Lord’s state (madbhāva).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Bhīṣma Parva’s Gītā dialogue on the battlefield, Arjuna speaks while seeking clarity about how to rise beyond the binding effects of sattva, rajas, and tamas. This verse frames the insight that dissolves doership and points to the goal: realizing the transcendent beyond guṇas and attaining divine being.