अर्जुन उवाचकैर्लिंगैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो।किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते।।14.21।।
श्री भगवानुवाचप्रकाशं च प्रवृत्तिं च मोहमेव च पाण्डव।न द्वेष्टि सम्प्रवृत्तानि न निवृत्तानि काङ्क्षति।।14.22।।
उदासीनवदासीनो गुणैर्यो न विचाल्यते।गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते।।14.23।।
Arjuna said, “O Lord, by what signs is one known who has gone beyond these three qualities? What is their behavior, and how do they transcend these three qualities?”
The Blessed Lord said, “O son of Pandu, he neither dislikes illumination (knowledge), activity, nor delusion when they appear, nor does he long for them when they disappear.”
He who, sitting like one indifferent, is not distracted by the three qualities; he who, thinking that the qualities alone act, remains firm and does not move surely;
Osho’s Commentary
Arjuna asks a very practical question: What are the signs of a man who has gone beyond the gunas? How does he live? And how can one cross over them? Krishna gives the answer. The man who has transcended is one who has become a pure witness. He does not hate the light of sattva, the activity of rajas, or the delusion of tamas when they arise. Nor does he crave for them when they are absent. He is simply a watcher. He is seated as one who is indifferent, udasinavad. He is not moved by the play of the gunas. He knows that it is just the gunas acting upon the gunas, and he remains steady, unmoved. This is the state of a man who has found his center. He is no longer identified with the waves on the surface of the ocean. He has become the silent depths. The waves of the gunas come and go, but he remains untouched in his profound stillness.