सत्त्वं सुखे सञ्जयति रजः कर्मणि भारत ।ज्ञानमावृत्य तु तमः प्रमादे सञ्जयत्युत ॥
sattvaṃ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata |jñānam āvṛtya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty uta ||
- सत्त्वम् · sattvam
- lucidity (sattva)
- सुखे · sukhe
- to happiness, ease
- सञ्जयति · sañjayati
- attaches, yokes
- रजः · rajaḥ
- passion (rajas)
- कर्मणि · karmaṇi
- to action
- भारत · bhārata
- O Bharata
- ज्ञानम् · jñānam
- knowledge, discernment
- आवृत्य · āvṛtya
- having veiled
- तमः · tamaḥ
- inertia (tamas)
- प्रमादे · pramāde
- to negligence, bewilderment
“Lucidity yokes one to happiness, passion yokes one to activity, O Bharata — while inertia veils discernment and yokes one to negligence.”
— Original plain-language translation
A compact summary of the three bonds, each with its signature direction: upward ease, outward busyness, downward drift. The verb sañjayati suggests yoking, like harnessing an ox — the gunas put us to work. Watch which harness you are wearing today.
— Reader's notes (original)