4 verses from the Bhagavad Gita on bondage. Explore teachings across 3 chapters.
Sattvam rajas tama iti gunah prakriti-sambhavah, nibadhnanti maha-baho dehe dehinam avyayam
The three gunas—sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance)—born of material nature, bind the eternal soul to the body.
Adhaśh chordhvaṁ prasṛitās tasya śhākhā guṇa-pravṛiddhā viṣhaya-pravālāḥ, adhaśh cha mūlāny anusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣhya-loke
The branches of the tree extend both upward and downward, nourished by the three gunas, with sense objects as the sprouts. Its roots extend downward, binding one to actions in the human world.
Daivī sampad vimokṣhāya nibandhāyāsurī matā, mā śhuchaḥ sampadaṁ daivīm abhijāto 'si pāṇḍava
Divine qualities lead to liberation, while demoniac qualities lead to bondage. Do not grieve, O Pandava, for you are born with divine treasures.
Asha-pasha-shatair baddhah kama-krodha-parayanah, ihante kama-bhogartham anyayenArtha-sancayan
Bound by hundreds of desires and expectations, obsessed with lust and anger, they seek to accumulate wealth by unjust means for the gratification of their desires. This verse describes the entanglement of the demoniac in an ever-expanding web of desires, anger, and the relentless pursuit of wealth through unethical means.