Trailokya Gita: Chapter-9: Gunavichaara Yoga (The Association with Enquiry of Qualities)

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Trailokyā Uvāca:-

1) Jñānināmagra gaṇyastvaṃ, Datta! Brūhi guṇānimān ।
Jaganmūlān Jaganniṣṭhān, Jagallīnān Jaganmatān ।।

[Ms. Trailokya asked:- O Datta! You are counted as the foremost spiritual preacher. Please tell me about all these qualities, which are the cause of creation, which are existing in the creation, which are merged with creation on the dissolution of creation and which are thought to be this entire creation itself.]

Dattasvāmī Uvāca:-

2) Trailokye! Medhayā śreṣṭhe! svottaraṃ cā'vadhāraya ।
Proktānyeva guṇadravyā-ṇyatra mithyā svasattayā ।।

[Shri Dattaswami spoke:- O Trailokya, the top most intellectual! Please hear My reply with attention. In this world whatever item is spoken as materialized substratum or dravya and whatever item is spoken as the quality (subtle energy) or guṇa—both these types of items are relatively real only and not absolutely real with respect to God. Dravya and guṇa differ in the angle that dravya is gross whereas guṇa is subtle. But, both dravya and guṇa are similar in the angle that both are relatively real only.]

3) Guṇanailyotpala dravya—bheda ssūkṣma ghana sthitiḥ ।
Samā tu vyavahārārtha—sattā sarvā jagatparā ।।

[For example, the lotus flower is dravya and its blue colour is guṇa. The lotus flower is gross matter and the blue colour is subtle energy. This way of difference exists between both, but, the relative reality is common to both since the entire creation is relatively real.]

4) Sṛṣṭi mūlaṃ Parabrahma, paramārtha saducyate ।
Asat paraṃ svayaṃ kuṇḍī, sat pūrvaṃ sā mṛdādimā ।।

[The creator or the cause of this creation is unimaginable God and He alone is said to be absolutely real. The mud exists before the production of pot and is absolutely real. The pot is the creation of mud, which comes afterwards and is relatively real. The pot is inherently unreal whereas the mud is inherently real. Similarly, unimaginable God or ParaBrahman is in the beginning and is inherently real. The creation that was produced by God afterwards is inherently unreal, but, shines as absolute reality due to the gifted absolute reality from God.]

5) Mṛtsattā masa dādatte, sadvinodāt samarthataḥ ।
Ato dravya guṇā mithyā, jagatsarvaṃ ca tattathā ।।

[The unreal effect-pot borrows the reality of the causal mud and appears as real. Similarly, the inherently unreal creation borrows the inherent absolute reality of God and appears as absolutely real. The creation is called relatively real because it is inherently unreal and appears to be the absolutely real due to the borrowed absolute reality from God. But, we should not mistake that the quality (pot) is relatively real whereas the substratum (mud) is absolutely real because both these quality and substratum are relatively real with respect to the absolutely real God. This means that the entire creation is relatively real with respect to the absolutely real God. Unimaginable God is omnipotent and hence made the inherently unreal creation as absolutely real for the sake of His real entertainment unlike a less potent human being, who cannot make its imaginary world as equivalently real for the sake of its real entertainment. We must remember here that the unimaginable God created this world for His entertainment as said in the Veda (Ekākī na ramate).]

6) Jaḍa śaktiḥ pura ssṛṣṭā, yato dravya cidāgatā ।
Sarge rajastama ssattvaṃ, cidguṇāḥ parasaṅgamāt ।।

[First, the unimaginable God created inert energy from which gradually matter and relative awareness are created. This awareness is called as sattvam, the original inert energy is called as rajas and the materialized substrata are called as tamas. The non-inert qualities belong to the non-inert awareness or sattvam basically, but, different non-inert qualities resulted due to contamination of the other two qualities called rajas and tamas. Sattvam is always awareness. But, rajas and tamas exist as inert substances as well as non-inert qualities of awareness. When Sattam is associated with the inert substances called rajas and tamas, the sattvam itself becomes qualities of rajas and tamas. For example, inert energy and inert matter are the inert substances called rajas and tamas respectively. Sattvam becomes qualities of rajas and tamas due to association with the inert substances called rajas and tamas. Ego is the quality of rajas and laziness is the quality of tamas.]

7) Na hi dṛṣṭa stveka guṇaḥ, sarvadā miśramā dguṇe ।
Na mūla cidacidbhedaḥ, ciddattā tena vā guṇaḥ ।।

[Among the three qualities called sattvam, rajas and tamas, no single quality can be available in isolated state. If you say 100% sattvam or rajas or tamas, it means only that any such single quality is the major constituent and the other two qualities are the minor constituents. Since relative awareness or soul is told in the Veda as the last product appearing in the relative creation (Annāt puruṣaḥ) from the five relative inert elements, there is no fundamental difference between relative awareness and relative inert materials because both come under relative creation only. Due to this reason, you cannot say that relative awareness is the absolutely true creator. Even if you say that in the chain of creation when a cause is always giving the product with some new extra quality, in such case, the non-inert awareness appearing as such new extra quality of the product delivered from inert cause, you can treat such extra quality or awareness is given by God and by this you cannot say that awareness is the creator!]

8) Guṇāścideva parayoḥ, prabhāva nnāma bhidyate ।
Acit parau rajo mūlaṃ, sarga mūlāstrayo guṇāḥ ।।

[Sattvam is knowledge based on awareness and hence, awareness can be taken as sattvam. Rajas is inert energy having particle nature. Rajas means the dust having tiny particles. Tamas is concentrated inertia, which is becoming inert matter. Inert energy, inert matter and non-inert awareness are the fundamental building materials of the creation, which are rajas, tamas and sattvam respectively. All the non-inert qualities belong to sattvam, but are influenced by rajas and tamas either to small extent or to great extent. In the case of small extent, these non-inert qualities of sattvam are called sāttvik qualities. In the case of great extent, these non-inert qualities are called as rājasic or tāmasic qualities. In all these three types of non-inert qualities, sattvam exists as the basic material. Hence, rājasic and tāmasic qualities do not mean that they are inert qualities due to rajas and tamas respectively. It only means that the influence of inert rajas and tamas are more on these non-inert sāttvik qualities.]

9) Ādhārādheya sambandhau, dravya dharmau jagatyapi ।
Ādhāro Jagadādheyaḥ, sa nohyo nirguṇa stataḥ ।।

[Dravya or materialized substratum is the basis for guṇa or subtle quality as we see the gross lotus flower as dravya and the subtle blue colour as guṇa. This relationship of independent basis or dravya and dependent quality is seen in the creation. But, the entire creation becomes dependent quality or guṇa and its basis or independent dravya is the unimaginable God. Hence, the unimaginable God is dravya and the creation is guṇa. This means that the unimaginable God before creation is called as Nirguṇa or attributeless. Here, guṇa means the entire creation and not the guṇas or dependent qualities like blue colour of the lotus flower, ego etc., that are seen in the creation.]

10) Saguṇo jagatā nohyaḥ, sattva dharmaiśca sa prabhuḥ ।
Nohyacittu sarvaśakteḥ, bhrāntā jīva cidātmagāḥ ।।

[Based on this analysis, Saguṇa means God associated with the created creation. Of course, Saguṇa also means God associated with non-inert qualities of awareness or sattvam or sāttvik qualities since rājasic and tāmasic qualities of awareness are absent in the mediated God or first energetic incarnation called Datta. The point here is that if you concentrate on the meaning of guṇas as sāttvik qualities, the possessor of such sāttvik qualities can be both the original unimaginable God as well as God Datta. If you concentrate on the meaning of guṇa as creation, Nirguṇa means the original unimaginable God only before creation. This original unimaginable God thought to create the world and this may raise the doubt about the presence of awareness with unimaginable God even before creation since awareness is created only during the process of creation. The clarity here is that the awareness associated with the unimaginable God before creation is not the imaginable relative awareness that is created during the process of creation. This awareness is the unimaginable awareness, which means only process of simple thinking without inert energy and without materialized nervous system. It is called as unimaginable awareness and not relative imaginable awareness because this unimaginable awareness is simple process of thinking done by the omnipotence of unimaginable God and not by conversion of inert energy in the materialized nervous system. Everybody misunderstood the three divine preachers saying that God is awareness, which strictly means the unimaginable awareness and not the imaginable relative awareness or the soul created by God in the end of the creation. This resulted in the doubt of some inherent relationship between the unimaginable God and the imaginable relative awareness or soul. The word ‘process’ mentioned in the case of unimaginable awareness means that God also knows the object, which is also known by the soul. This word ‘process’ does not mean all the mechanism of the process of knowing involving conversion of inert energy in the functioning brain-nervous system and all this mechanism of process of knowing is absent in the case of unimaginable awareness, which is done simply by the omnipotence of unimaginable God. The conclusions are:-

1. The unimaginable God or ParaBrahman can create anything (called as unimaginable thing) through His omnipotence and unimaginable power and such created thing cannot be treated as the normal creation that follows the Vedic chain of creating five elements etc. For example, even before creation chain, awareness (thinking to create creation for entertainment) was created by unimaginable God and this awareness is called as unimaginable awareness.

2. The unimaginable God before thinking about creation has no unimaginable awareness and due to this only one unimaginable God without any second thing existed and, in such state, the unimaginable God can be called as Nirguṇa, which means one unimaginable God without any second thing created by Him.

3. When unimaginable God started thinking (unimaginable awareness), He is associated with the first creation (unimaginable awareness) and hence, He is called as Saguṇa.

4. When unimaginable God merged with His first creation of energetic body and energetic soul to become God Datta, the first mediated unimaginable God or God Datta is also Saguṇa, which means that the unimaginable God is with His first created medium.

5. Saguṇa means not only God with creation, but also anything including God associated with the non-inert qualities of awareness or sattvam along with other non-inert qualities of sattvam or awareness influenced by rajas or tamas or both. Even before creation, God Datta or unimaginable God can be associated with such non-inert qualities created by the omnipotence and referred as unimaginable qualities.

6. Even God Datta can be called as Nirguṇa before His creation of extended creation and He can be called as Saguṇa after His extended creation.]

11) Mithyāyāṃ paramārthasya, vibhūtirna same kvacit ।
Tadvibhūtīkṣaṇā lloke, mithyedaṃ satyasattu tat ।।

[The creation done by the unimaginable God must be relative reality and the unimaginable God alone must be absolute reality because one absolute reality cannot do any type of miracles (creation, change of one item into other item, dissolving creation etc.) in another absolute reality. One absolute reality can do any type of miracle in another relative reality only. We are clearly seeing existence of unimaginable events called miracles in this world. For example, your reality is equal to the reality of water and petrol and hence you cannot change water into petrol. But, you can change water into petrol in your imaginary world since you are greater reality compared to the reality of your imaginary world.]

12) Cidguṇās trividhāḥ tattat—guṇaprādhānya bhāṣitāḥ ।
Ekaiko dvimukha ssādhu, rasādhurvā mukhāśritaḥ ।।

[When we take the non-inert qualities of awareness only as the meaning of the word quality, we said that these qualities are divided into:- 1. Sāttvik qualities, which are of major sattvam with very minute influences of rajas and tamas ex: spiritual knowledge, 2. Rājasic qualities, which are non-inert qualities of sattvam or awareness influenced by predominant rajas ex: greediness and 3. Tāmasic qualities, which are non-inert qualities of sattvam or awareness influenced by predominant tamas ex: illegitimate sex. Every one of these three types of qualities can be good or bad based on its projected good or bad face.]

13) Sadasan mukhamāśritya, sadasadguṇa ucyate ।
Idaṃ sāmānya makhile, guṇasaṅghe hi tatkṛte ।।

[People say that six qualities are bad since they are rājasic or tāmasic and these six are called as the enemies of the soul (Ṣaḍguṇas or Ariṣaḍvarga), which means that every one of these six qualities is totally bad. This is not correct understanding. Every one of these six qualities has both good and bad faces. If the quality is projected towards its good face, it is a good quality. If the same quality is projected towards its bad face, it is a bad quality. Not only these six, any quality created by God in this world follows this principle.]

14) Kāmakrodha lobhamoha—mada mātsarya ṣaḍguṇe ।
Ekaiko dvimukho grāhyaḥ, vivekena same tathā ।।

[The six bad qualities of rajas and tamas are sex, anger, greediness, fascination, ego and jealousy. Every one of these six has two faces out of which one is good and another is bad. Based on the projection of good or bad face, the quality is said to be good or bad. The good and bad faces can be known by wisdom in the following way:- 1. Sex is good if it is legitimate and bad if it is illegitimate. 2. Anger is good if shown to bad people and bad if is shown to good people. 3. Greediness is good if it is shown to undeserving receivers and bad if it is shown to deserving receivers. 4. Fascination is good if it is shown towards God and bad if is shown towards world. 5. Ego is good if it is maintained in the minimum level as basic ego that gives confidence and self-identity and is bad if is shown in excess as pride. 6. Jealousy is good if it is used in constructing self and is bad if is used in harming others. Like this every quality in the world is both good and bad depending upon its projected good and bad faces.]

15) Durguṇāt pāpa bādhā hi, tadduṣṭa Daiva nirmitāt ।
Ityuktir vitathā sādhuḥ, sarvo vaktreṇa tatkṛtaḥ ।।

[Some people criticize God that He has created some bad qualities, which provoke us to do sins and when we are punished, God is entertained like a sadist. This is utter nonsense because no quality is totally good or bad and becomes good by its projected good face and becomes bad by its projected bad face. When God created all qualities existing in this world, all were good because all were projected with good faces only.]

16) Sadasan mukhata ssarve, sadvā'sadvā samantataḥ ।
Sadasat sacca mukhataḥ, jīvena vyatyayaḥ kṛtaḥ ।।

[The soul turned every quality towards its bad face and stamped those qualities as totally bad qualities. Similarly, the soul projected some qualities by their good faces and stamped them as totally good qualities. The truth is that any good quality can become bad quality when turned to its bad face and any bad quality can become good quality when turned to its good face. The soul has brought this confusion of making some qualities as good and some other qualities as bad. God created all qualities as good only because God will never create bad.]

17) Bhīṣma Droṇa dayā pāpaṃ, puṇyāya Kṛṣṇavañcanā ।
Matāntare'pyagni gartaḥ, dayākrodhau Prabhor matau ।।

[Kindness is a good quality, but becomes bad quality if you show it on bad people, which brings you sin and punishment. Bhīṣma and Droṇa supported unjust Kauravas and were severely punished by God in the war. Cheating is a bad quality and becomes good quality if you show it on cheaters. Kṛṣṇa cheated Kauravas in the war, who cheated good Pāṇḍavas in gambling with dice. Some religions say that only kindness shown to all people is divinity. This is not correct because the same religions say that bad people are punished severely by throwing them in liquid fire of hell and this is not kindness. Hence, both kindness and anger are divine qualities of God because God shows kindness to good people and shows anger to bad people.]

18) Avatārasya kāruṇyaṃ, saṃskārāyā'ghavatyapi ।
Anyathā narake daṇḍaḥ, na virodha ssamanvayāt ।।

[Regarding those religions propagating kindness to be shown to sinners, there is a special point to be noted. God in human form showed kindness towards the people, who killed Him also, with a view that such kindness may reform the cruel souls so that in such cases even the pending sins get cancelled. In order to give this advantage, God in human form made the last prayer to the God (since those sinners did not believe this human incarnation as God) to excuse those sinners. Had the reformation came to the sinners atleast in such last stage, they will be certainly saved. But, if they were not reformed, certainly they would have been thrown into liquid fire in the hell. Hence, the correlation exists between this divine policy and the kindness shown by God even to the sinners. If the sinners were not reformed, the divine policy stands as it is, which is severe punishment of sinners.]

19) Pravṛttāvapi sahasā, dhanārthī pāpa duḥkhavān ।
Aśānto na sthirāṃ buddhiṃ, nivṛttau kurute naraḥ ।।

[This ego based jealousy is mainly responsible for the tendency to do sins. When the neighbour is wealthy, our stomachs develop acidity and in course of time severe burning results since the acidity ended as ulcer. Then, to pacify this stomach pain, we rush to earn more and more wealth in short time and in this process, we do several sins even in normal worldly life called Pravṛtti. Due to punishments of sins, we get lot of misery and tension, which disturb our peaceful concentration in spiritual life called Nivṛtti also.]

20) Nivṛttau ca skhalatyeṣa, tatrā'tra Daiva dūravān ।
Ahantā matsarī naṣṭaḥ, sarvatreti vilokyatām ।।

[Even in Nivṛtti, due to this ego-based jealousy, the devotee slips from the identification of contemporary human incarnation, which is the direct God Datta in human medium coming to earth in order to help and guide the devotees through excellent true spiritual knowledge. Due to the same ego-based jealousy, the devotee after entering energetic body after death slips from the identification of the energetic incarnation in the upper energetic world. In this way, the soul slips in both Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti and also misses God here and there, which is total loss everywhere as said by the Veda (Mahatī vinaṣṭiḥ). One shall look all this patiently in depth.]

Iti Trailokyagītāyāṃ ‘Guṇavicāra yogo’ nāma navamādhyāyaḥ।।

(Like this, in Trailokya Gītā, the ninth chapter called ‘Association with enquiry of qualities’ is completed.)

Chapter-1: Daiva Kartavya Yogah (Association with Divine Duty)

Chapter 2: Kartavyatattva Yoga (The Association of Philosophy of Divine Duty)

Chapter-3: Yogavichaara Yoga (The Association of Enquiry of Yoga)

Chapter-4: Jnaanabhaktikarma Yoga (The Association of Knowledge, Devotion and Practice)

Chapter-5: Brahmaadivichaara Yoga (The Association of the Enquiry About Brahman)

Chapter-6: Trimata Samanvaya Yoga (The Association of the Correlation Among Three Divine Philosophies)

Chapter-7: Avataara Vyavahaara Yoga (The Association of the Knowledge of Behaviour of the Incarnation Towards Devotees)

Chapter-8: Madamaatsarya Jnaana Yoga (The Association with Knowledge of Ego and Jealousy)

Chapter-9: Gunavichaara Yoga (The Association with Enquiry of Qualities)

Chapter-10: Eshaana Vimarsha Yoga (The Association with Analysis of Strong Attachment)