2.45 The word Traigunya means the three Gunas --- Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Here the term Traigunya denotes persons in whom Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are in abundance. The Vedas in prescribing desire-oriented rituals (Kamya-karmas) have such persons in view. Because of their great love, the Vedas teach what is good to those in whom Tamas, Rajas and Sattva preponderate. If the Vedas had not explained to these persons the means for the attainment of heaven etc., according to the Gunas, then those persons who are not interested in liberation owing to absence of Sattva and preponderance of Rajas and Tamas in them, would get completely lost amidst what should not be resorted to, without knowing the means for attaining the results they desire. Hence the Vedas are concerned with the Gunas. Be you free from the three Gunas. Try to acquire Sattva in abundance; increase that alone. The purport is: do not nurse the preponderance of the three Gunas in their state of inter-mixture; do not cultivate such preponderance. Be free from the pairs of opposites; be free from all the characteristics of worldly life. Abide in pure Sattva; be established in Sattva, in its state of purity without the admixture of the other two Gunas. If it is questioned how that is possible, the reply is as follows. Never care to acquire things nor protect what has been acquired. While abandoning the acquisition of what is not required for self-realisation, abandon also the conservation of such things already acquired. You can thus be established in self-control and thereby become an aspirant after the essentail nature of the self. 'Yoga' is acquisition of what has not been acquired; 'Ksema' is preservation of things already acquired. Abandoning these is a must for an aspirant after the essential nature of the self. If you conduct yourself in this way, the preponderance of Rajas and Tamas will be annihilated, and pure Sattva will develop. Besides, all that is taught in the Vedas is not fit to be utilised by all.
..2.45..trayo guNAH traiguNyaM sattvarajastamAMsi; sattvarajastamaHpracurAH puruSAH traiguNyashabdena ucyante. tadviSayA vedAH; tamaHpracurANAM rajaHpracurANAM sattvapracurANAM ca vatsalataratayA eva hitam avabodhayanti vedAH. yadi eSAM svaguNAnuguNyena svargAdisAdhanam eva hitaM na avabodhayanti, tadA eva te rajastamaHpracuratayA sAttvikaphalamokSavimukhAH svApekSitaphalasAdhanam ajAnantaH kAmaprAvaNyavivashA anupAyeSu upAyabhrAntyA praviSTAH praNaSTA bhaveyuH. ataH traiguNyaviSayA vedAH; tvaM tu nistraiguNyo bhava, idAnIM sattvapracuraH tvaM tadeva vardhaya; nAnyonyasaMkIrNaguNatrayapracuro bhava. na tatprAcuryaM vardhaya ityarthaH nirdvandvaH nirgatasakalasAMsArikasvabhAvaH. nityasattvasthaH guNadvayarahitanityaprav¤ddhasattvastho bhava. katham? iti cet, niryogakSemaH AtmasvarUpatatprAptyupAyabahirbhUtAnAm arthAnAM yogaM prAptAnAM ca kSemaM paripAlanaM parityajya AtmavAn bhava, AtmasvarUpAnveSaNaparo bhava. aprAptasya prAptiH yogaH, prAptasya parirakSaNaM kSemaH. evaM vartamAnasya te rajastamaH pracuratA nashyati sattvaM ca vardhate. na ca vedoditaM sarvaM sarvasya upAdeyam -- ..2.46..yathA sarvA
