As an introduction to what is to follow immediately, here it is said that “knowledge,” “action,” and the “actor” (agent), all the three because of the difference of the temperament in the individuals, at the given time of observation, fall under a three-fold division. This classification is being exhaustively explained in the following stanzas.

Guna is the preponderance of a given type of temperament in one’s inner nature. The human mind and intellect function constantly, but they always come to function under the different “climatic conditions” within our mind. These varying climates of the mind are called the three gunas: the ‘good,’ the ‘passionate’ and the ‘dull.’

Under each of these temperaments the entire human personality behaves differently, and, naturally therefore, the permutations and combinations of the varieties make up the infinite types that are available in the world; even within the biography of one and the same personality we find different moods and behaviours at different periods of time, depending entirely upon the occasion, the type of the situation, the nature of the problem and the kind of challenge the person is called upon to face.

According to the Science of the gunas, as enunciated in Kapila’s Saankhya Yoga, “Knowledge,” “Action” and “Actor” are each classified under these three categories. They are being enumerated here and Krishna invites the students of the Geeta to ‘LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO THEM.’ It is meaningless, in fact, to ask Arjuna to listen to the discourses, because he was all the time listening to the Lord. The implication must be that the teacher is attracting the special attention of the student because of the importance of the theme.

HERE FOLLOWS THE THREE-FOLD TYPE OF “KNOWLEDGE”:

Jnanam, knowledge; karma, action-not the objective case in the technical sense, which is defined as ‘that which is most cheirshed by the subject’; and karta, agent, the accomplisher of actions; procyate, are stated; guna-sankhyane, in the teaching about the gunas, in the philosophy of Kapila; to be eva, only (-only is used for emphasis, by way of showing that they have no classification other than that based on the gunas-); tridha, of three kinds; guna-bhedatah, according to the differences of the gunas, i.e. according to the differences of sattva etc. Even that philosophy teaching about the gunas is certainly vaild so far as it concerns the experiencer of the gunas, though it is contradictory so far as the non-duality of the supreme Reality, Brahman, is concerned. Those followers of Kapila are acknoweldge authorities in the ascertainment of the functions of the gunas and their derivatives. Hence, that scripture, too, is being referred to by way of eulogy of the subject-matter going to be spoken of. Therefore there is no contradiction. Srnu, hear; tani, about them; api, also; yathavat, as they are, as established by reason and as propounded in the scriptures. Hear about knowledge etc. and all their diversities created by the differences of the gunas. The idea is , ‘Concentrate your mind on the subject going to be taught.’ And now the threefold classification of knowledge is being stated: