SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti
guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ
nibadhnanti mahā-bāho
dehe dehinam avyayam
‘Satvam, Rajas, Tamas[1. Vide footnote 1 to verse 2.45], are qualities matter-born, which, O Great-armed! bind the imperishable ego in the body.’
Satvam, Rajas and Tamas are the three qualities (or affections or humours or tempers) of matter=those inhering in the matter-stuff. To matter they stand in the relation of attributes, and their existence is to be inferred from the effects which they are instrumental in producing such as brightness (of disposition, dullness etc).
These qualities are in a latent state in matter when unevolved; but manifest in its evolutes[2. meaning: those that evolve from], Mahat etc.
And they impound in a body, the essentially free soul, but forced withal to dwell in bodies such as those of deva, man etc., —forms manufactured, from out of the Mahat and other evolutes[3. meaning: those that evolve from] of matter-stuff.
The properties severally of Satvam, Rajas and Tamas, and the mode of their binding the souls are now described:—
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