Guṇa-vibhāga: The Three Modes and the Path Beyond Them
शमो दमस्तितिक्षेक्षा तप: सत्यं दया स्मृति: । तुष्टिस्त्यागोऽस्पृहा श्रद्धा ह्रीर्दयादि: स्वनिर्वृति: ॥ २ ॥ काम ईहा मदस्तृष्णा स्तम्भ आशीर्भिदा सुखम् । मदोत्साहो यश:प्रीतिर्हास्यं वीर्यं बलोद्यम: ॥ ३ ॥ क्रोधो लोभोऽनृतं हिंसा याच्ञा दम्भ: क्लम: कलि: । शोकमोहौ विषादार्ती निद्राशा भीरनुद्यम: ॥ ४ ॥ सत्त्वस्य रजसश्चैतास्तमसश्चानुपूर्वश: । वृत्तयो वर्णितप्राया: सन्निपातमथो शृणु ॥ ५ ॥
śamo damas titikṣekṣā tapaḥ satyaṁ dayā smṛtiḥ tuṣṭis tyāgo ’spṛhā śraddhā hrīr dayādiḥ sva-nirvṛtiḥ
心与诸根的调伏、忍耐、明辨、安住于所当行之法、真实、慈悲、忆念、知足、布施、舍离感官享乐、对灵性导师的信信、对不当行为的惭愧、施舍、质朴、谦卑与内在自足——此为善性(sattva)之相。物欲、强烈的作为、鲁莽、得利亦不满足、虚妄我慢、祈求世间进益、自认高人一等、感官之乐、好斗之急、爱听称赞、讥笑他人、炫耀勇力并以力量为行事辩护——此为激情(rajas)之相。难忍之怒、吝啬、无经典权威之言、暴烈憎恨、寄生度日、伪善、久疲、争斗、哀叹、迷妄、不乐、抑郁、嗜睡、虚妄期待、恐惧与懒惰——此为愚昧(tamas)之相。今当听闻三性相杂之理。
In 11.25.4, Śrī Kṛṣṇa lists anger, greed, falsehood, violence, hypocrisy, quarrel, lamentation, delusion, depression, fear, excessive sleep, and lack of effort as tamasic tendencies.
Kṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava to recognize how the modes shape behavior, so one can avoid tamasic habits, cultivate clarity and goodness, and ultimately transcend all modes through devotion.
Use the verse as a self-check: when anger, fear, laziness, dishonesty, or quarrel dominate, treat it as a tamas warning sign and shift toward sattvic routines and bhakti practices like truthful speech, nonviolence, regulated sleep, and sincere remembrance of Kṛṣṇa.