Bhagavad Gita 18.40 · Krishna
No one is free of the three
न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुनः।
सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभिः स्यात्त्रिभिर्गुणैः॥
na tadasti pṛthivyāṃ vā divi deveṣu vā punaḥsattvaṃ prakṛtijairmuktaṃ yadebhiḥ syāttribhirguṇaiḥ
There is no being, on earth or among the gods in heaven, free from these three gunas born of nature.
Words
- guṇa
- prakṛti
What it means
Krishna sums up. Every being, on earth or even among the gods, lives under the three gunas, born of prakriti, nature. Clear, restless, heavy. No one is exempt. So don't judge yourself or others too harshly for being caught by them. The goal isn't to never feel them. It's to see them, and lean toward clarity.
The story
Arjuna may have thought the great sages were beyond moods. Krishna says even the gods are subject to them. It's a humbling, comforting truth.
In your life
Imagine a teacher you idolised who once admitted they still lose their temper. It made them more human. Forgive yourself one mood today.
Everyone lives with the three. Lean toward clarity.