SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
karmaNa: sukruthasyAhu: sAthvikam nirmalam palam |
rajasas thu palam dhu:kham agyAnam thamasa: palam ||
word-by-word meaning
sukruthasya karmaNa: – deeds which are done without attachment to the results (by one born in the clan of knowledeable)
sAthvikam palam – the result of sathva guNam
nimalam Ahu: – said [by those who know the greatness of sathva guNam] that there will be no trace of sorrow.
rajasa: palam thu – the result of rajO guNam(prevailing at the time of death)
dhu:kham (Ahu:) – said [by those who know the nature of rajO guNam] that it leads to continuous suffering in samsAram (material realm).
thamasa: palam (thu) – the result of thamO guNam (prevailing at the time of death)
agyAnam (Ahu:) – said [by those who know the nature of thamO guNam] that it leads to further ignorance only.
Simple Translation
The result of sathva guNam is said [by those who know the greatness of sathva guNam] to be free from trace of sorrow in the deeds which are done without attachment to the results (by those who are born in the clan of knowledgeable). The result of rajO guNam(prevailing at the time of death) is said [by those who know the nature of rajO guNam] to be that it leads to continuous suffering in samsAram (material realm). The result of thamO guNam(prevailing at the time of death) is said [by those who know the nature of thamO guNam] to be that it leads to further ignorance only.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘The fruit of good works, they (the wise) say, is Sātvika-purity; but pain is the fruit of Rajas, and unwisdom the fruit of Tamas.’
Thus, one who dies when Satvam is predominant, is born amid the ātma-enlightened (=sages). He performs virtuous acts with no motives for fruit, but such as are solely intended to be for My worship. The fruit for such work would be the gaining of more of Satvam. Purity means painlessness. So say those who are in a position to judge of such matters.
The result of Rajas reigning at the time of death is birth among those who, desirous of fruit, are tied down to works; who actually engage in works with such intent; birth again for enjoying the fruits of such works; and then again embarking on such fructiferous works as tend to develope more and more of Rajas; thus a perpetuation of the sorrows of Samsāra. So say the connoisseurs of the ways of the Rajas-quality.
Similarly, the fruit of Tamas is unwisdom or ignorance, i.e., a perpetuation thereof.
What that pure (or happy) fruits born of Satva etc., are now stated:—
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