In the third section of Anugita, there is a discussion between a wise Guru and his disciple. The disciple asks the Guru about the highest truth, good qualities, happy paths, pleasure, and sin.
The Guru explains the three Gunas (qualities):
Sattva (Goodness): This represents purity, light, and virtue. It means being good and true. Satva brings happiness and wisdom.
Rajas (Passion): This represents activity, desire, and restlessness. It is linked to emotions, desires, and actions.
Tamas (Darkness): This represents ignorance, laziness, and confusion. It causes a lack of knowledge and clarity.
The three Gunas are interconnected and influence each other. Everything in the world is made up of these Gunas. They coexist and balance each other:
- When Tamas is strong, Rajas and Sattva are less dominant.
- When Rajas is strong, Tamas and Sattva are less dominant.
- When Satva is strong, Rajas and Tamas are less dominant.
The Guru explains that everything in the world, including the sun and stars, has these qualities:
- The sun's light represents Sattva (virtue).
- The sun's heat represents Rajas (desire).
- The sun's eclipses represent Tamas (darkness).
People who follow Sattva rise higher, those who follow Rajas stay in the middle, and those who follow Tamas go lower.
The Guru then talks about understanding the unperceived and the Gunas. A person who understands these and is free from the body and misery is released from the Gunas.
The discussion moves to the Samkhya philosophy, which explains the world from the Unmanifested (avyakta) to the Great Soul (mahat), then to self-awareness (ahamkara), and then to the material and subtle elements. Samkhya separates the mind from matter, showing that the mind ultimately doesn't need matter and can find independence.
The Guru uses the example of a dancer to illustrate this. The dancer mesmerizes the spectator until he realizes the dance is an illusion. The Guru emphasizes the impermanence of the world and the need to withdraw from it, like a tortoise pulling its limbs in, to achieve sacred knowledge (Brahman).
Finally, the Guru invites the disciple to meditate, expel all impressions, and focus inward to understand Brahman, the highest reality. A person who is detached, free from expectations, and sees all beings equally can reach this goal.
Arjuna then asks Krishna, who was the Guru and who was the disciple. Krishna answers, "I am the preceptor, the mind is the pupil."
Anugita, found in the Ashvamedha Parva of the Mahabharata, is a dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna spread over 34 chapters.