Illustration for Bhagavad Gita chapter 14 verse 5
Chapter 14 · Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga

The Three Tendencies · Naming Your Inner Weather

सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः । निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam

Meaning

"Goodness, passion, and ignorance — these are the three modes born of nature. O mighty-armed, they bind the imperishable soul to the body."

Explanation

Recognizing that your moods and tendencies come in these three broad flavors — clarity, restlessness, dullness — can help you name what's happening inside you without judgment. Awareness of the pattern is the first step toward gently shifting it.

Today's Life Lesson

Notice today which tendency — clarity, restlessness, or heaviness — is coloring your mood, and simply name it without judgment.

More verses to reflect on