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BG 14.21 — 14.21 Arjuna said What are the marks of him who has transcended the three alities, O Lord? What is his conduct and how does he go beyond these three aliti
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अर्जुन उवाच |
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो |
किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ||१४-२१||

arjuna uvāca . kairliṅgaistrīnguṇānetānatīto bhavati prabho . kimācāraḥ kathaṃ caitāṃstrīnguṇānativartate ||14-21||


14.21 Arjuna said What are the marks of him who has transcended the three alities, O Lord? What is his conduct and how does he go beyond these three alities?

Word-by-word meanings

14.21 कैः by what? लिंगैः by marks? त्रीन् three? गुणान् Gunas? एतान् these? अतीतः crossed? भवति becomes? प्रभो O Lord? किमाचारः what (is his) conduct? कथम् how? च and? एतान् these? त्रीन् three? गुणान् Gunas? अतिवर्तते goes beyond.Commentary Arjuna said O Lord? by what characteristics may a man be recognised as having gone beyond the three alities What is the behaviour of that Trigunatita sage (one who has gone beyond the three alities) and how does he go beyond the world and is above the Gunas

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

14.21 Prabho, O Lord; kaih, by what; lingaih, signs; bhavati, is one (known); atitah, who has gone beyond; etan, these; trin, three; gunan, alities that have been explained? Kim, what; is his acarah, behaviour; ca, and; katham, how, in what way; ativartate, does he transcend; [Ast. adds here, 'atitya vartate, (in what way) does he exist after transcending (the three alities)?'-Tr.] etan, these; trin, three; gunan, alities? In this verse the signs of one who has gone beyond the alities, and the means of transcending them have been asked by Arjuna. By way of replying to the two estions, the Lord said: 'As for the estion, 'With what sings does one who has gone beyond the alities become endowed with?", listen to them:'

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

14.21 Arjuna said O Lord, by what signs is one (known) who has gone beyond these three alities? What is his behaviour, and how does he transcend these three alities?

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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