Vimukt VivekBhagavad Gītā readerAwaiting User ResponseReader question
🙏 Krishna Krishna Krishna 🙏
Thank you for the insights provided on 4.13 thread. Want to understand —> “ divided according to the guṇas born of their previously acquired natures”….how to understand the phrase “born of previously acquired natures” —> does it mean from past life? Other related query that I have is — does “guna” change over period of time in our life through our actions and behaviour or practices — or they always remain in same fixed proportion of Sattva/Rajas/Tamas? Please help clarify. Thank you.
🙏 Radhe Radhe 🙏
- Admin Answered
"born of previously acquired natures" means produced by saṁskāras of a previous birth.
Guṇas generally do not change, and it is difficult to change our personality. It is possible but takes a lot of disciplined effort. Bhakti is the only process that helps one transcend the guṇas, as Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains in 14.26.
- Vimukt Vivek
Thank you for pointing to 14.26 — very helpful to cross-reference. Regarding “ produced by saṁskāras of a previous birth” — doesn’t that then point us to the question that varna is by birth then?
- Admin Answered
The verse here is referring to the guṇas that determine one's duties in the varṇāśrama system. A person is born with a predominant guṇa. That guṇa is determined by saṁskāras accumulated in previous lives.