Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Whoever is in love with the three ordinary qualities of the world keeps being born and dying. The old scriptures mostly describe what can be seen, and the three changing states of the mind. But the fourth state -- being one with the One -- is shown only by a true teacher.
A direct teaching on the three qualities and the fourth state. Love of the three gunas (activity, inertia, clarity) keeps the soul in the cycle; even the Vedas mostly map the visible and the three states. The fourth state -- named in the verse as union with the One -- is not reached by study but revealed by the Guru. You cannot self-improve your way into it.
Can you tell when your mind is busy, heavy and dull, or calm and clear? What might lie beyond all three?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI