Chapter 14, Verse 8 (Bhagavad Gita 14.8)
Chapter 14: Guṇa Traya Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Understanding the Three Modes of Material Nature
Sanskrit Shloka
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम्।प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत
Transliteration
tamas tv ajñāna-jaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām pramādālasya-nidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārata
Word Meanings
tamaḥ—mode of ignorance; tu—but; ajñāna-jam—born of ignorance; viddhi—know; mohanam—illusion; sarva-dehinām—for all the embodied souls; pramāda—negligence; ālasya—laziness; nidrābhiḥ—and sleep; tat—that; nibadhnāti—binds; bhārata—Arjun, the son of Bharat
Translation
But know, O Arjuna, that Tamas is born of ignorance and deludes all embodied beings. It binds the soul fast through heedlessness, indolence, and sleep.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Lord Krishna exposes the nature of the lowest mode of material nature, Tamas, which obscures the soul’s inherent divinity. Bhagwan Shri Krishna explains that this darkness is not merely a physical state but a spiritual delusion that traps the living entity in a cycle of stagnation and unconsciousness. Through the tools of heedlessness, laziness, and excessive sleep, this quality strips the seeker of their discrimination and spiritual alertness. By alerting Arjuna to these deceptive forces, Yogeshwar Krishna invites every soul to transcend this inertia and seek the light of higher knowledge. Liberation is only possible when one recognizes these binding chains and consciously turns toward the Supreme Lord.