Shloka

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये |
मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ||७-१२||

Transliteration

ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasāstāmasāśca ye .
matta eveti tānviddhi na tvahaṃ teṣu te mayi ||7-12||

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

7.12. Whatever beings are there [in the universe]-whether they are of the Sattva or of Rajas or of Tamas (Strands)- be sure that they are from Me; I am not in them, but they are in Me.

Shri Purohit Swami

7.12 Whatever be the nature of their life, whether it be pure or passionate or ignorant, they are all derived from Me. They are in Me, but I am not in them.

Sri Abhinav Gupta

7.12 See Comment under 7.13

Sri Ramanuja

7.12 Why should this be declared with particular illustrations? The reason is as follows: Whatever entities exist in the world partaking of the alities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas in the forms of bodies, senses, objects of enjoyment and their causes - know them all to have originated from Me alone, and they abide in Me alone, as they constitute My body. ‘But I am not in them.’ That is, I do not depend for My existence on them at any time. In the case of other beings, though the body depends for its existence on the self, the body serves some purpose of the self in the matter of Its sustenance. To Me, however, there is no purpose at all of that kind served by them constituting My body. The meaning is that they merely serve the purpose of My sport.

Sri Shankaracharya

7.12 Ye bhavah, those things; sattvikah eva, that indeed are made of (the ality of) sattva; and ye rajasah, those that are made (of the ality) of rajas; and tamasah, those that are made of (the ality of) tamas-whatever things are made (of sattva, rajas and tamas) according to the creatures’s own actions: viddhi, know; tan, them, all without exception; mattah eva iti, to have sprung from Me alone when they come into being. Although they originate from Me, still, tu, however; aham, I; am na tesu, not in them-I am not subject to them, not under their control, as are the transmigrating bengs. Te, they, again; mayi, are in Me, subject to Me, under My control. [For sattva, rajas, and tamas see note under 2.45 as also Chapters 14, 17 and 18.-Tr.] ‘The world does not know Me, the supreme Lord, even though I am of this kind, and am eternal, pure, intelligent and free by nature, [See note on p.4.-Tr.] the Self of all beings, free from all alities, the cause of burning away the seed of the evil of transmigration!’-in this way the Lord expresses regret. And what is the source of that ignorance in the world? That is being stated:

Swami Adidevananda

7.12 Know that all those states of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are from Me alone. But I am not in them; they are in Me.

Swami Gambirananda

7.12 Those things that indeed are made of (the ality of ) sattva, and those things that are made of (the ality of) rajas and tamas, know them to have sprung from Me alone. However, I am not in them; they are in Me!

Swami Sivananda

7.12 Whatever beings (and objects) that are pure, active and inert, know that they proceed from Me. They are in Me, yet I am not in them.

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

7.12 ये whatever? च and? एव even? सात्त्विकाः pure? भावाः natures? राजसाः active? तामसाः inert? च and? ये whatever? मत्तः from Me? एव even? इति thus? तान् them? विद्धि know? न not? तु indeed? अहम् I? तेषु in them? ते they? मयि in Me.Commentary This is a world of the three Gunas? viz.? Sattva (purity)? Rajas (passion) and Tamas (inertia). All sentient and insentient objects are the aggregate of these three alities of Nature. One ality predominates in them and the predominant ality imparts to the object its distinctive character or definite properties.In the gods? sages milk and green gram? Sattva is predominant. In Gandharvas (a class of celestials)? kings? warriors and chillies? Rajas is predominant. In demons? Sudras? garlic? onion and meat? Tamas is predominant.Though these beings and objects proceed from Me? I am not in them they are in Me. I am independent. I am the support for them they depend on Me just as the superimposed snake depends on the rope. The snake is in the rope? but the rope is never in the snake. The waves belong to the ocean but the ocean does not belong to the waves. (Cf.IX.4and6)