Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14 Verse 8 (14.8)
Reflective Prompt:
What is the primary way each of the three qualities (gunas) binds the human mind?
- ▪ Option 1: Sattva binds through attachment to happiness and knowledge; Rajas through attachment to action and desires; Tamas through negligence and laziness.
- ▪ Option 2: They do not bind us at all; our actions are completely independent of our mental qualities.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14 Verse 8 (14.8)
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् । प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत | | १४-८ | |
tamastvajñānajaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarvadehinām pramādālasyanidrābhistannibadhnāti bhārata
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- तमः
(tamah)— तम(darkness/ignorance) - तु
(tu)— लेकिन(but) - अज्ञानजम्
(ajnana-jam)— अज्ञान से उत्पन्न(born of ignorance) - विद्धि
(viddhi)— जानो(know) - मोहनम्
(mohanam)— मोहित करने वाला(deluding) - सर्वदेहिनाम्
(sarva-dehinam)— सभी देहधारियों को(of all embodied beings)
Line 2:
-
prajoined in pramādālasyanidrābhistannibadhnāti - माम्
(mam)— मुझको(Me) -
dalasjoined in pramādālasyanidrābhistannibadhnāti - यत्
(yat)— जो कि(that which) -
idrabisjoined in pramādālasyanidrābhistannibadhnāti - तत्
(tat)— वह(that) - इबनइ
(nibadhnati)— बांधता है(binds) - भारत
(Bharata)— हे भारत(Arjuna)
English: Tamas, born from lack of understanding, clouds the mind and traps people through carelessness, laziness, and sleep.
Learnings from Shloka 8:
- The Heavy Chain:: Tamas causes mental dullness, procrastination, lack of clarity, and physical fatigue.
- Dangers of Negligence:: Overcome Tamas by cultivating discipline and active awareness to avoid falling into delusion.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 14.8 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
Tamas is born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings. It binds the soul through negligence, laziness, and sleep, pulling consciousness downward.