Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 7
Guṇa-vibhāga: The Three Modes and the Path Beyond Them
धर्मे चार्थे च कामे च यदासौ परिनिष्ठित: । गुणानां सन्निकर्षोऽयं श्रद्धारतिधनावह: ॥ ७ ॥
dharme cārthe ca kāme ca yadāsau pariniṣṭhitaḥ guṇānāṁ sannikarṣo ’yaṁ śraddhā-rati-dhanāvahaḥ
Quando uma pessoa se dedica à religiosidade, ao progresso econômico e ao gozo dos sentidos, a fé, a riqueza e o prazer sensual obtidos por seus esforços revelam a interação das três guṇas da natureza.
Religiosity, economic development and sense gratification are situated within the modes of nature, and the faith, wealth and enjoyment obtained by them clearly reveal the particular situation of a person within the modes of nature.
FAQs
This verse explains that becoming firmly fixed in dharma, artha, and kāma is a product of the material modes (guṇas), which generates faith and attachment to worldly goals and results in wealth-seeking—thus strengthening material entanglement.
In the Uddhava Gītā, Kṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava on how the guṇas shape human motivation and bind the soul, so that Uddhava can understand the mechanism of attachment and progress toward transcendence and pure bhakti.
Use it as a self-check: if your faith and identity are mainly invested in success, pleasure, or status, recognize the influence of the guṇas and redirect daily priorities toward sādhana, devotion, and service rather than mere accumulation.