The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas

Krishna introduces the three gunas explicitly: 'Sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ'—sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance), these are the three gunas. 'Prakṛti-sambhavāḥ'—born from material nature. 'Nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam'—they bind (nibadhnanti) the eternal soul (dehinam avyayam) in the body (dehe). This is the key teaching: the three gunas, which are qualities of material nature, bind the eternal soul to the material body. Understanding this is crucial: you, the eternal soul, are being bound by the three gunas. They influence your thoughts, actions, and experiences. They keep you attached to material existence. The rest of the chapter will explain how each guna works and how to transcend them all.