Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Next Krishna gives the summary that exactly in one verse how the three mode binds the soul. 

Bg 14.9

sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati
rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata
jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ
pramāde sañjayaty uta

Synonyms: 

sattvam — the mode of goodness; sukhe — in happiness; sañjayati — binds; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; karmaṇi — in fruitive activity; bhārata — O son of Bharata; jñānam — knowledge; āvṛtya — covering; tu — but; tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance; pramāde — in madness; sañjayati — binds; uta — it is said.

Translation: 

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.

 

sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati, that in Sattva Guna one is bound by Shukha 

rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata, in Rajo Guna one is bound by Karma

In tamah which is jñānam āvṛtya one is bound by pramāde, madness 

Mode of goodness: I know more than others, I look purer and better than others, I am happy in living this way, so this is good in one sense that one is not living sinfully but it destructive as one is not able to free one selves elevate one selves and transcend from material existence 

Karama is one want more and more which Rajo Guna. rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata, the characteristic are Raga and Trishna, Raga is what one have and Trishna is what one wants and both of them cause bondage to Karma.

pramāde sañjayaty uta, in ignorance one is bound by madness here madness is not that one is admitted to a mental asylum it means a person who is terrible in distress he may not be aware about his distress but the actions are in destructive and distress, acting for one’s own distress and other’s distress also. He may not wanted to give pain to him intentionally but it happens as a result. E.g. some people cut their own body and in that pain they forget everything else, some people go and watch horror movie to forget their sufferings.

End of transcription.