BG 14.9

O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one’s knowledge, binds one to madness.

14.9. O descendant of Bharata ! The Sattva fully dominates [the Embodied] in the field of happiness; the Rajas in action; but the Tamas also totally dominates in the field of negligence, by veiling knowledge.

14.9 Purity brings happiness, Passion commotion, and Ignorance, which obscures wisdom, leads to a life of failure.

14.9 See Comment under 14.10

14.9 Sattva mainly attaches one to pleasure. Rajas mainly attaches one to actions. But Tamas, veiling knowledge of true things and being the cause of false knowledge, mainly attaches one to actions which are contrary to those which ought to be done. The Sattva and other alities evolve from the nature of Prakrti, developed into the form of the body. Owing to this fact that they have evolved out of the nature of Prakrti, they always co-exist in bodies at all time. How, then, can they cause effects which are mutually contrary? He replies:

14.9 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, sattva, sanjayati, attaches one; sukhe, to happiness; rajas (-attaches is understood-) karmani, to action; tu, while; tamas, avrtya, covering up, veiling; jnanam, knowledge, the discrimination produced by sattva; sanjayati, leads pramade, to inadvertence; uta, also. Pramada means non-performance of a duty on hand. When do the alities produce the effects stated above? That is being answered:

14.9 Sattva generates attachment to pleasure, Rajas to action, O Arjuna. But Tamas, veiling knowledge, generates attachment to negligence.

14.9 O scion of the Bharata dynasty, sattva attaches one to happiness, rajas to action, while tamas, covering up knowledge, leads to inadvertence also.