2 By taking refuge in this knowledge, the soul attains a nature (predominantly) similar to Mine. Then he is neither born at the time of universal creation, nor does he experience the pangs of death at the time of universal annihilation.

3 O Bharata, material nature, known as pradhana, is the womb into which I cast the seed (in the form of the individual soul which is born of the marginal potency). From that place, all beings headed by Lord Brahma are generated.

4 O Kaunteya, Brahman personified as mother nature is the progenitress of all the various bodies born within all species of life, headed by demigods and humans and I (as the causal consciousness) am the seed-giving father.

5 O mighty hero, Arjuna, these three material modes of nature goodness, passion, and ignorance which are manifest from material nature, cause the unchangable, embodied spirit soul to be enslaved by mundane sentiments based on happiness, unhappiness, and delusion.

6 O sinless one, due to its comparatively purer nature among these three material modes, the mode of goodness is an illuminator of the nature of things and is of a peaceful nature. It enslaves the spirit by attachment to happiness and knowledge.

7 O son of Kunti, you should know the mode of passion to be the embodiment of obsessions for sensual enjoyment. The origin of covetousness and infatuation, it enslaves the soul by attachment to action.

8 And, O Bharata, you should know that the mode of ignorance is born from darkness, and is the deluder of all beings. That mode of ignorance captivates the embodied by carelessness, laziness, and slumber.

9 O Arjuna, goodness conditions the soul to happiness, and passion conditions him to action. But the mode of ignorance, covering the living being's knowledge, conditions him to indolence, slothfulness, and slumber.

10 O Bharata, goodness overcomes passion and ignorance, passion overcomes goodness and ignorance, and ignorance overcomes goodness and passion. Each mode in turn conquers the others in an unending battle for supremacy.

11 When cognizance of the factual nature of the sense objects abundantly appears within the perceptual senses of this body, you should surely know this to be the characteristic development of the mode of goodness. This will be recognized by the aforementioned symptom of happiness.

12 O Arjuna, most noble of the Bharata dynasty, know that greed, overexertion, ambitious attempts, incessant sensual pleasure, and desire are born when the mode of passion develops in a person.

13 O Kurunandana, with the influence of the mode of ignorance, all the symptoms of injudiciousness, despondency, indolence, and falsehood become manifest.

14 If any soul succumbs to the jaws of death at a time when predominantly the mode of goodness influences him, he goes to the pure planets of the worshipers of Hiranyagarbha (Brahma) and other gods.

15 When a person dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth in the karmi society of men addicted to fruitive work. If one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth amongst the animal or other grossly ignorant species.

16 It is proclaimed by the learned that good works bestow a result of peace and happiness, passionate works result in misery, and ignorant works result in darkness or deathliness.

17 From the mode of goodness, knowledge arises; from the mode of passion, greed arises; and from the mode of ignorance, insanity, delusion, and foolishness ensue.

18 Persons in the mode of goodness ascend (up to Satyaloka), those in the mode of passion remain in the middle (in human society), and abominable fellows of ignorant nature fall down to the lower planes (of hellish suffering).

19 When a person perceives that apart from the three modes of nature there is no other cause of action in this modal world, and when he can know the Lord of the three modes, who is transcendental to them, he becomes divinely inspired with love for Me.

20 When the soul transcends these three modes of material nature from which the body is produced, and becomes absolutely liberated from birth, death, old age, and misery, he then tastes the ambrosia of divine love unalloyed by the modes of nature.

21 Arjuna said: O Lord, (1) by which symptoms can a person transcendental to these three modes of material nature be identified? (2) How does he behave, and (3) how does he transcend the modes?

22-25 The Supreme Lord replied: O Pandava, (1) one who neither resents the appearance of revelation (the effect of the mode of goodness), activation (the effect of the mode of passion), and stupefaction (the effect of the mode of ignorance), nor hankers for their cessation; (2) who remains perfectly poised, being situated indifferently and unperturbed by the modal effects (based on happiness and unhappiness), remembering, 'The modes are engaging (with their respective objects)'; who is equally disposed to joy and sorrow; who is situated in continuous self-perception; who sees a lump of earth, a rock, or a piece of gold with the vision of equality; who is equipoised upon receiving either desirable or undesirable things; who is intelligent, and remains situated in equilibrium in the face of abuse or praise, honor or dishonor; who sees alike both friend and foe; and who is completely aloof to all causes of obsession and abnegation certainly such a person is to be known as having transcended the three modes of material nature.

26 (3) A person who renders service exclusively unto Me (in My form of Syamasundara) by the path of pure devotion (unadulterated by all spurious attempts based on exploitation or renunciation), absolutely transcends these three modes of material nature. He thus becomes qualified for the cognizance of his internal divine identity.

27 I alone am the original mainstay of the undivided divine vitality, the inexhaustible nectar, the timeless pastimes, and the sweetness of the ambrosia of profound love divine.