karmayogaḥ · 3.28
The Vision of the Knower of Truth
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः ।
गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्ते इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥
tattvavittu mahābāho guṇakarmavibhāgayoḥ ।
guṇā guṇeṣu vartante iti matvā na sajjate ॥
"O mighty-armed Arjuna, the knower of truth understands the distinction between the guṇas and their actions, and knowing that guṇas interact with guṇas, remains unattached."
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Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa now describes the jñānī, in contrast to the ajñānī of the previous shloka.
In 3.27, the ajñānī is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍha, deluded by the body-mind-personality, and therefore says, “I am the doer.” He is centered on the lower “I,” the ahaṅkāra. When the body acts, he says, “I act.” When the mind suffers, he says, “I suffer.” When the result comes, he says, “I am successful,” or “I am ruined.”
Now Kṛṣṇa says that the jñānī is different. He is tattvavit — one who knows the truth. He knows guṇa-karma-vibhāga, the distinction between the guṇas and their functions. Here the body-mind complex is understood as part of prakṛti. The world also is part of prakṛti. The senses, mind, emotions, tendencies, situations, people, objects, and results all belong to the field of guṇas.
Therefore the jñānī understands: guṇā guṇeṣu vartante — guṇas move among guṇas. The body-mind interacts with the world. The eyes see forms, the ears hear sounds, the mind responds to situations, the body acts, the world gives pleasant and unpleasant experiences. This interaction cannot be completely stopped. As long as the body-mind is alive, it will interact with the world.
The jñānī does not deny the ahaṅkāra. He does not say the body-mind is useless. He gives it its proper place, but not over-importance. The body-mind may act, speak, teach, serve, eat, walk, age, fall sick, and receive results according to prārabdha. But the jñānī remembers, “I am not merely this changing body-mind. My real nature is the higher Self, consciousness, unaffected by these interactions.”
This gives objectivity. Just as the screen is not burned by fire in a movie, and the waker is not wounded by events in a dream, the higher Self is not affected by the dramas of body, mind, world, karma, and karma-phala. Remembering this, the jñānī remains na sajjate — unattached.
This does not mean he becomes inactive or cold. He allows the body-mind to perform its role. He may still fulfill duties and interact with people. But he does not get swallowed by the interaction. He sees the ahaṅkāra objectively and remains established in the higher Self.