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Verse 13.22

Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् | कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ||२२||

Transliteration (IAST)

puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān | kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu ||22||

Word-by-Word Meanings

puruṣaḥ-the soul
prakṛti-sthaḥ-seated in Prakriti
bhuṅkte-experiences/enjoys
prakṛti-jān-born of Prakriti
guṇān-the qualities
guṇa-saṅgaḥ-attachment to the gunas
sad-asat-yoni-janmasu-in births in good and evil wombs

Translation

The Purusha, seated in Prakriti, experiences the qualities born of Prakriti. Attachment to the gunas is the cause of its birth in good and evil wombs.

Commentary

This verse explains the mechanism of bondage and rebirth. The soul (Purusha), though intrinsically free, becomes entangled through identification with Prakriti's gunas. This attachment (guṇa-saṅga) determines the quality of future births. Shankaracharya identifies this attachment as the root of saṁsāra, while Ramanuja sees it as the soul's karma-driven association with matter.

Themes

karmaatmanmoksha

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