The three Gunnas

Swami Ram Swarup Ji Yogacharya

Vedas are treasure of unlimited knowledge about creation, worldly matters, science, spiritualism etc. That is why all Vedas like Samved mantra 50, stress that to destroy sorrows, to attain long, happy life and to spread international brotherhood, all human-beings must listen and obey vedic preach. When the question about creation arises then.
Vedas ask- “Who am I” and in this connection preach about the creation of human body also. From Vedas, Rishi-Munis spread vedic knowledge preaching that human body is made of Prakriti which has Raj, Tam and Satva, three Gunnas wherein soul as well as God reside (Rigved mantra 1/164/20refer). So, we are souls and reside in human body made of Prakriti’s three gunnas quoted above.
Nowadays, when the sun of Vedas has almost set down, as a result most of the saints and people do not know about Prakriti which has three gunnas i.e. Raj, Tam and Satva which are the reason (Upadaan Karann) of the creation which includes human body.
But in the absence of vedic knowledge, the so-called gurus hardly preach above Vedic subject and seldom give any vedmantra in support of their preachings or writings which is necessary vide YogShastra Sutra 1/7 as aagam pramann i.e. proof of ved mantras in support of preach/writing.
Idea of expressing the above views is this that in the case of explaining the Raj, Tam and Satva gunnas, such gurus etc. would either hardly speak about prakriti , its three gunnas i.e., Raj, Tam and Satva or neglect the same, being ignorant of vedic knowledge.
Now,let us pay our attention towards Atharvaved mantra 9/9/9 which preaches about Traitwad. Mantra states that the aspirant while living with the family of disciples of the learned acharya gets knowledge of the Ved vanni which gives him the unlimited knowledge of the worldly and spiritual matters. He pays his attention to know about the Traitwad
i.e. about Prakriti, Souls and God by which the aspirant keeps himself free from diseases, remains without hatred andbecomes the purest. So, we must try to follow the said preach in our lives (Atharvavedmantra 1/1/4 also refers).
But here, we are studying about the three gunnas (qualities) of non-alive matter – Prakriti from the eternal knowledge of Vedas which emanate directly from God in the beginning of very creation.
Rigvedmandal 10, Sukta 129 and mantra 10/190/1 speak that after the lapse of time of the final destruction, only unknown and indescribable prakriti along with vedas are available before the God tocreate the universe. Prakriti is defined that it has three gunnas i.e., Raj, Tam and Satva. When the said three gunnas remain idle and do not work then this stage of three gunnas is called prakriti.
So, non-alive prakriti is the Upadaan Karann (reason) of creating the universe and alive Almighty God is the Nimit Upadaan karann (cause)of the creation. Because Prakriti alone, which is anon-alive matter, is not empowered to create the universe itself. It requires alive matter i.e. God. As in the case of making pots, the non-alive matter clay requires help from the alive matter- Potter.
Rigvedmantra 10/27/7 preaches that the God only waters the unknown, indescribable and non-alive prakriti. Here watering means the minutest part of the power of God acts in prakriti and creation starts. (Yajurved mantra 31/3 refers).
Rigved statesthat the God is lord of prakriti and from prakriti He creates and destroys the universe. When the God targets Prakriti then creation from Raj, Tam and Satva gunnas begins and if does not target then the final destruction remains. Therefore creation and the final destruction, both are under the control of Almighty God.
Mandal 10, sukta 130 preaches that the human-body is made of unlimited atoms of Raj, Tam and Satva gunnas of prakriti.
Atharvaved states (Tistraha Prajaha) living beings have the qualities of Raj, Tam and Satva, so they definitely come under the cycle of births and deaths but the human-beings who follow vedic path destroys the influence of said three gunnas and attain salvation.
Rigved mandal 10, Sukta 72 also briefs that Almighty God activates the three gunnas of Prakriti and thus creates the visible world from the invisible prakriti.
The next mantra preaches that from Upadaan prakriti which cannot be described, the described form is generated and then the whole world is created, directions, earth and all the living beings are created. Thus in the beginning of the creation, indestructible fire, the Sun (Surya) and from sun, the light of dawn (Usha) is generated.
So, we should remember that unseen Prakritiis the seed of universe, which is watered by God.
The definition of Prakriti is that it has three gunnas i.e. Satogunn, Rajogunn and Tamogunn. (Atharvaved mantra10/8/43 refers).
Sattogunn is form of light, Rajogunn is active and Tamogunn is indication of remaining lazy. Therefore the Sattogunnis learned. Rajo gunni chitta desires glory. Tamogunni chitta is lazy, ignorant, non-ascetic and irreligious. When by doing hard work/tapasya, the Rajo gunni chitta destroys the cover of attachment then the aspirant by becoming Sattogunni attains dharma (moral duties-religion), knowledge, ascetismand glory and the chitta when destroys the Rajogunn then the aspirant gets knowledge of intellect and soul and attains Dharam megh Samadhi; wherein the soul realizes God.
Kapil Muni in his Sankhya Shastra Sutra 1/26 also clarifies the definition of Prakriti that- “Satvarajastamasaam Saamyavastha Prakritihi” i.e. when the said three gunnas [qualities] of the Prakriti remain idle and thus donot act then this stage of the three gunnas is called “Prakriti” as said above. When the minutest power of the Almighty God acts in the Prakriti then as said above, the three gunnas become able to come into active form and the creation starts. As aresult, Mahat, the first matter of the creation is made from Prakriti. “Mahat”is called intellect.
From Mahat (intellect) ahankar is made; from ahankar five Tanmatra, five senses and five organs of action are made; from Tanmatrayein (Sooksham bhoot), the five corporal matters (sthool bhoot) i.e. fire (agni), water (jal), air (vayu), earth (prithvi) and space(akash) are made.
These are twenty four non-alive matters. Mann, buddhi, chitta, ahankar also originate from the three gunnas of Prakriti i.e. Raj, Tam and Satva. Therefore, the said three gunnas exist in mann, buddhi, chitta, ahankar. See, how important are these three gunnas of Prakriti to be understood.
Atharvaved mantra 10/8/43 states about the human body that-
(Pundareekam) The source of doing pious deeds, (Navdwarum) has nine opening ways (Tribhihi gunnebhihi aavritum) covered/made with Rajas, tamas and Satva; these three gunnas of prakriti, is human body.
So after having the priceless human body, everybody must follow Vedas for knowing and doing pious deeds only.
The purest soul is quite separate from any kind of influence of Raj, Tam and Satva gunn of prakriti. Idea is this that the relation of soul with prakriti brings the soul in bindings and the said contact of soul with prakriti is due to lack of judgement (Avivek) i.e., the soul comes into contact with Prakriti due to his lack of judgement.
So, Prakriti [Raj, Tam, Satvagunn] under the shelter of God is to discharge its duty in two ways- First- helps the Yogi to attain salvation.
Second- helps those persons who want to enjoy the pleasure of senses in materialistic articles and pomp and show etc.
Yogi achieves the motto of life i.e. salvation whereas the persons who enjoy the pleasure of senses and indulge in illusion, destroy their lives, after death do not get human body and immerse in the sea of sorrows.
So main motto of the human life is to restrain the senses from indulging in three gunnas of prakriti by following vedic preach.

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