Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

19-27: Transcending the modes

Now after this Sri Krishna will talk about transcendence, till now He has talked about destination within the modes now He will talk about how can one transcendence the modes 

Bg 14.19

nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ
yadā draṣṭānupaśyati
guṇebhyaś ca paraṁ vetti
mad-bhāvaṁ so ’dhigacchati

Synonyms: 

na — no; anyam — other; guṇebhyaḥ — than the qualities; kartāram — performer; yadā — when; draṣṭā — a seer; anupaśyati — sees properly; guṇebhyaḥ — to the modes of nature; ca — and; param — transcendental; vetti— knows; mat–bhāvam — to My spiritual nature; saḥ — he; adhigacchati — is promoted.

Translation: 

When one properly sees that in all activities no other performer is at work than these modes of nature and he knows the Supreme Lord, who is transcendental to all these modes, he attains My spiritual nature.

 

So when one understands that there is no karta apart from the Gunas, nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ, 

yadā draṣṭānupaśyati, drasta is the seer anupasyati is to see systematically to see things truly, see with scriptural guidance.

So one is to understand that actually whatever actions are happening that is happening because of the modes, 

Then one understands further guṇebhyaś ca paraṁ vetti, that beyond the gunas there is a transcendental being this refers to the Supreme Lord 

And 

mad-bhāvaṁ so ’dhigacchati, and one will attain my spiritual nature 

So here after describing three modes, Krishna is introducing Mad Bhavam Me or My nature, He has used Mad Bhavam earlier in the beginning, in 14.1 & 2 when He has used transcendental nature He has used Mad Bhavah, so who will attain the transcendental nature? If we consider modes to be like ropes that are binding a person then how does one become free from the ropes? So ropes are like strings of a puppet, modes are not prisoner’s shackle it is like puppeteer’s string, prisoner’s shackle make a person immobilize they will make a person incapable of doing anything at all. But modes are not like prisoner’s shackle but it is like a puppeteer string. So one dances around as the strings are pulled. So we don’t feel that we are imprisoned because we are moving around and we are moving around quite actively especially in modes of passion. If we look a person in jail we may feel pity for the person but when we see a person addict we may not feel pity like that because we may not see the ropes with which he is tied. So the modes binds us and blinds us.

So we have to protect ourselves and how we can do that by recognizing that THESE ARE NOT MY DESIRES, these are the dictations of the modes.

When a male and female sees each other and there is captivation one should understand that I am a soul, this male female attraction is biological and physiological this is simply coming from the modes. I will not get carried away by this, I will not get captivated by this, when one understand this one gets impetus to free oneself. So first think is to understand that I am imprisoned, I am shackled, so when I am tied up I will ask somebody who is free  that please free me, so like that guṇebhyaś ca paraṁ vetti, so when we understand that there is somebody beyond the modes and that person can free me from the modes, then we take shelter of that person and attain spiritual nature, that is the process of liberation.

End of transcription.