gunatas tri-vidham srnu

procyamanam asesena

prthaktvena dhananjaya

buddheḥ—of intelligence; bhedam—differences; dhṛteḥ—of steadiness; ca—also; eva—certainly; guṇataḥ—by the modes of material nature; tri-vidham—the three kinds of; śṛṇu—just hear; procyamānam—as described by Me; aśeṣeṇa—in detail; pṛthaktvena—differently; dhanañjaya—O winner of wealth.

Now, O winner of wealth, please listen as I tell you in detail of the three kinds of understanding and determination according to the three modes of nature.

karyakarye bhayabhaye

bandham moksam ca ya vetti

buddhih sa partha sattviki

pravṛttim—deserving; ca—also; nivṛttim—not deserving; kārya—work; akārye—reaction; bhaya—fearful; abhaye—fearlessness; bandham—obligation; mokṣam ca—and liberation; yā—that which; vetti—knows; buddhiḥ—understanding; sā—that; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; sāttvikī—in the mode of goodness.

O son of Pṛthā, that understanding by which one knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, that understanding is established in the mode of goodness.

karyam cakaryam eva ca

ayathavat prajanati

buddhih sa partha rajasi

yayā—by which; dharmam—principles of religion; adharmam ca—and irreligion; kāryam—work; ca—also; akāryam—what ought not to be done; eva—certainly; ca—also; ayathāvat—not perfectly; prajānati—knows; buddhiḥ—intelligence; sā—that; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; rājasī—in the mode of passion.