242. All are influenced by gunas

Krishna explained about the three gunas or characteristics of nature viz. Satva, Rajo and Tamo on various occasions in the Bhagavad Gita. He declares that no living being on earth or the higher celestial abodes of this material realm is free from the influence of these three gunas (18.40). This implies that at any given point of time we are under the influence of one guna or another.   Krishna cautioned (3.27-3.29) that karmas (actions) in all situations are performed by the gunas; one who is deluded by ahankaar thinks 'I am kartha (doer)'. One who knows that gunas interact with gunas is not attached. Gunas have the ability to hypnotize us and under their influence we are attached to the functions of gunas. In chapters seventeen and eighteen, some functions of gunas like worship, food, yagna, tapah (of body, speech and mind), daan (charity), knowledge, karma, kartha, intellect, dhruti (fortitude) and happiness, were explained.   Krishna gave a way forward and encouraged us to transcend these gunas to be guna-ateeth who are alike in happiness and distress; who are established in the self; remain the same amidst pleasant and unpleasant events; accept both criticism and praise with equanimity; remain the same in respect and insult; treat both friend and foe alike; and abandon all delusions of karta (14.24-14.25).   While the nature of karta depends on the guna under whose influence the karta is at a given point of time, Krishna explained that the guna-ateeth abandons the delusion of karta altogether. Similarly, in the context of sukh (happiness), the types of happiness vary depending on the guna. But for a guna-ateeth, there is no preference for a particular sukh nor resistance to any dukh. In a nutshell, it is realising that life is an interplay of gunas.