With the above stanza the exhaustive description of the three Gunas as impinging upon the personality of all living organisms, is concluded. On the whole, this section of the chapter has given us a psychological explanation for the variety of men that we meet with, in the world-of-plurality, not only in their personality-structures but also in their individual-behaviours. The three types of beings have been described exhaustively — by an analysis of “knowledge,” “action,” “agent,” “understanding” and “fortitude.” This is only for our guidance so that we know where we stand in our own inner nature and outer manifestations.
If we detect, with the above-mentioned slide-rule of personality, that we belong to the Tamasic or the Rajasic types, we, as seekers of cultural expression and growth, are to take warning and strive to heave ourselves into the Sattwic state. Remember, and I repeat, REMEMBER, these classifications are given NOT TO CLASSIFY OTHERS but to provide us with a ready-reckoner to help us in our constant and daily self-analysis and self-discipline.
These three gunas have been described because there is no living organism in the world, “NO CREATURE EITHER ON EARTH OR AGAIN AMONG THE GODS IN HEAVEN,” who is totally free from the influence of these three gunas; no living creature can act or work beyond the frontiers provided by these three gunas. Nature (Prakriti) itself is constituted of these gunas; the play of these three gunas is the very expression of Prakriti.
But at the same time, no two creatures react to the world outside in the same fashion, because the proportion in which these three gunas come to influence each one is different at different times. These three gunas put together are the manifestation of “Maya.” Individuals differ from one another because of the different textures of the gunas that predominantly rule over them; it is this Maya that gives them their individuality. An individual cannot, at any time, exist without all these three gunas, whatever be their relative proportion.
No sample of “coffee” is possible without its three ingredients, the decoction, the milk, and the sugar; but at the same time, the proportion in which they are mixed together may be different from cup to cup according to the taste of the partaker. He who has transcended the three gunas comes to experience the very plurality in the world as the play of the One Infinite. So, let us introspect and evaluate ourselves every day, every minute. Let us avoid the lower gunas and steadily work ourselves up towards the achievement of the Sattwic state. Only after reaching the status of the good (Sattwic) can we be ushered into the State of Godhood — Perfection Absolute.
With these three measuring rods — the qualities (gunas) Krishna classifies the entire community of man under three distinct types. The criterion of this classification is the texture of man’s inner equipments which he brings into play for his achievements in his fields of activity. Accordingly, the Hindu scriptures have brought the entire humanity under a four-fold classification. So, its applicability is not merely confined to India — BUT IS UNIVERSAL.
Certain well-defined characteristics determine the types of these four classes of human beings; they are not always determined by heredity, or accident of birth. They are termed, in our society, as: the Brahmanas — with a major portion of Sattwa, a little Rajas and with minimum Tamas; the Kshatriyas — mostly Rajas with some Sattwa, and a dash of Tamas; the Vaishyas — with more Rajas, less Sattwa and some Tamas; and the Shudras — mostly Tamas, a little Rajas, with only a suspicion of Sattwa.
This four-fold classification is universal and for all times. Even today it holds good. In modern language, the four types of people may be called: (1) the creative thinkers; (2) the politicians; (3) the commercial employers; and (4) the labourers (the proletarians). We can easily recognise how each subsequent classification holds in awe and reverence the previous higher class — the employees are afraid of the employer, the commercial men are suspicious of the politicians and the politicians tremble at the courageous, independent thinkers.
In the following stanzas, by the discussions contained in them, in the immediate context of the Krishna-Arjuna summit talks, the Lord is only trying to make Arjuna understand that his inner equipment is such that he can be classified only as a Kshatriya. Being a Kshatriya, his duty is to fight, championing the cause of the good, and thus establish righteousness. He cannot, with profit, retire to the jungle and meditate for self-unfoldment, since he will have to grow, first of all, into the status of the Sattwic personality (Brahmana) before he can successfully strive on the path of total retirement and a life of rewarding contemplation. Therefore, with the available texture of mind and intellect, the only spiritual Sadhana left for Arjuna is to act vigorously in the field of contention. Thereby he can exhaust his existing vasanas of Rajas and Tamas.
IN THE FOLLOWING VERSES THE DUTIES ORDAINED BY ONE’S NATURE, “SWABHAAVA,” AND ONE’S STATION IN LIFE, “SWADHARMA,” ARE LAID OUT WITH THE THOROUGHNESS OF A LAW BOOK:
