Shloka

अर्जुन उवाच |
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो |
किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ||१४-२१||

Transliteration

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

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

14.21. Arjuna said O Master ! with what characteristic marks does he, who has transcended these three Strands, exist ? Of what behaviour is he ? And, how does he pass beyond these three Strands ?

Shri Purohit Swami

14.21 Arjuna asked: My Lord! By what signs can he who has transcended the Qualities be recognized? How does he act? How does he live beyond them?

Sri Abhinav Gupta

14.21 Kaih etc. But, if he has a body then how could he have transcended the Strands ? He lives certainly in one way or other with some mental modification, which is necessarily one a among the three Strands, With this intention Arjuna raises the estion. Now [by way of giving] answer -

Sri Ramanuja

14.21 Arjuna said By what signs, namely, distinguishing features, is a man who has crossed beyond these three Gunas, Sattva and the rest, characterised? What is his behaviour? With what kind of behaviour is he associated and how does it serve as a sign for knowing his state? Such is the meaning. How does he, i.e., by what means does he cross beyond the three Gunas, the Sattva and the rest?

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:’

Swami Adidevananda

14.21 Arjuna said What are the marks of a man who has crossed beyond the three Gunas? What is his behaviour? And how does he cross beyond the three Gunas?

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?

Swami Sivananda

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?

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

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 Tell me that.These are the characteristics of the sage who has gone beyond the Gunas others should cultivate them.Just as a king is able to remove the grievances and sorrows of his servants? so also the Lord is able to remove the sorrows of His devotees. That is the reason why Arjuna addresses Sri Krishna as Lord and uses the term Prabhu. By using this word? Arjuna hinted to the Lord that He alone was capable of relieving his sorrows and pains. (Cf.II.54)