Shloka
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते |
तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ||१४-१५||Transliteration
rajasi pralayaṃ gatvā karmasaṅgiṣu jāyate .
tathā pralīnastamasi mūḍhayoniṣu jāyate ||14-15||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
14.15. By meeting death when the Rajas [is on the increase], he is born among those who are attached to action; likewise meeting death when the Tamas [is on the increase], he is born in the wombs of the duluded.
Shri Purohit Swami
14.15 When Passion prevails, the soul is reborn among those who love activity; when Ignorance rules, it enters the wombs of the ignorant.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
14.14-15 Yada etc. Rajasi etc. When the Sattva is predominantly on the increase on account of increase on account on account of incessantly practising actions of the Sattva throughout the entire life-at that [time] having met dissolution [of body], one attains the auspicious worlds. Likewise whosoever has practised throughout his life the activities of the Rajas, he, by his [last] journey attains manhood for mixed enjoyment. Likewise : i.e. in the same order, if one practises action of the Tamas alone by one’s entire life, then [on his death] he is rorn in the bodies of the hell, of the animals, of the trees and so on.
Those, who explain [the passage under study to the effect] : ‘These results [are for him in whom] the Sattva etc., have predominantly increased only at the time of death’ - these commentators have not correctly entered into (grasped) the behaviour of the embodied. For, nothing but delusion arises, by all means at the last moment, without exception in the case of one and all. However, with regard to our explanation [given above] these passages and other verses (Ch. VIII, 5ff) speak in one voice.
Sri Ramanuja
14.15 (a) Meeting with death when Rajas is preponderant, one is rorn in the families of those who act for the sake of fruits for themselves. Being rorn in such families, he becomes alified to perform auspicious acts which constitute the way for attaining heaven and the like.
(b) Similarly, one who dies when Tamas is preponderant is born in the wombs of beings lacking in intelligence, namely, in the wombs of dogs, pigs etc. The meaning is that he is rorn as one incapable of realising any human end.
Sri Shankaracharya
14.15 Pralayam gatva, when one does; rajasi, while the ality of rajas predominates; jayate, he is born; karma-sangisu, among people attached to activity, among human beings having attachment to work. Tatha, similarly, in that very way; pralinah, when one dies; tamasi, while tamas predominates; jayate, he takes birth; mudha-yonisu, among the stupid species, such as animals etc. A summary of the idea of the preceding (three) verses is being stated:
Swami Adidevananda
14.15 (a) Meeting with dissolution when Rajas is prevalent, one is born among those attached to work৷৷.
(b) Similarly, one who has met with dissolution when Tamas prevails, is born in the womb of beings lacking in intelligence.
Swami Gambirananda
14.15 When one dies while rajas predominates, he is born among people attached to activity. Similarly, when one dies while tamas predominates, he takes birth among the stupid species.
Swami Sivananda
14.15 Meeting death in Rajas, he is born among those who are attached to action; and dying in Tamas, he is born in the womb of the senseless.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
14.15 रजसि in Rajas? प्रलयम् death? गत्वा meeting? कर्मसङ्गिषु among those attached to action? जायते (he) is born? तथा so? प्रलीनः dying? तमसि in inertia? मूढयोनिषु in the wombs of the senseless? जायते (he) is born.Commentary Meeting with death in Rajas If he dies when Rajas is predominant in him? he is born among men who are attached to action. If he dies when Tamas is fully predominant in him? he takes birth in ignorant species such as cattle? birds? beasts or insects.He may take his birth amongst the dull and the stupid or the lowest grades of human beings. He need not take the body of an animal. This is the view of some persons.