Verse 14.21
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अर्जुन उवाच | कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो | किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ||२१||
Transliteration (IAST)
arjuna uvāca | kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho | kim-ācāraḥ kathaṁ caitāṁs trīn guṇān ativartate ||21||
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
Arjuna said: By what signs is he known who has transcended these three gunas, O Lord? What is his conduct, and how does he transcend these three gunas?
Commentary
Shankaracharya notes that Arjuna asks three precise questions: (1) What are the external signs (liṅga) of one who has transcended the gunas? (2) What is his behavior (ācāra)? (3) What is the means (upāya) of transcendence? Krishna answers all three in the following verses. Ramanuja observes that Arjuna's question mirrors the structure of 2.54, showing the consistency of his inquiry throughout the Gita.