रजोगुणहता दृष्टिस्तमः संपरिवर्द्धते । न चाऽधिगम्यते सत्त्वं तत्त्वमत्यन्तदूरतः ॥ १६ ॥
rajōguṇahatā dṛṣṭistamaḥ saṁparivarddhatē | na cā’dhigamyatē sattvaṁ tattvamatyantadūrataḥ || 16 ||
Translation
Sight is struck down by rajas, tamas grows on every side, sattva is not reached, and the truth is very far away.
Word by word
- rajō
- (rajaḥ) by rajas
- guṇa
- quality
- hatā
- struck down
- dṛṣṭis
- (dṛṣṭiḥ) sight
- tamaḥ
- tamas
- saṁparivarddhatē
- grows on every side
- na
- not
- ca
- and
- adhigamyatē
- is reached
- sattvaṁ
- sattva
- tattvam
- the truth
- atyanta
- very
- dūrataḥ
- far away
Meaning
The three guṇas: rajas, restless passion, destroys discrimination; tamas, inertia, grows; sattva, clarity, is not found; and tattva, the truth, is "very far". The commentary explains: so the knowledge of reality is remote. The verse gives the reader a map of the mind's condition, and a direction: towards sattva, from which the truth is near.