Of the three gunas, sattva is free from impurities. So, it helps to acquire knowledge. The other two qualities, rajas and tamas, lead to delusional knowledge and wrong understanding. But sattva leads to proper understanding. And yet, sattva too is a hindrance to liberation, because it makes us seek happiness and knowledge, said Valayapet Ramachariar in a discourse. How can love for knowledge keep us from liberation? The example of sage Bharadwaja shows what love for knowledge can lead to.
Bharadwaja wanted to imbibe the essence and import of the Vedas totally. But he found that despite diligent study, he was not making much progress. So he prayed for another hundred years of life in order to study the Vedas. But at the end of the extended period of life, he had still not competed his study and asked for a further extension. So, in his case, it was a thirst for knowledge that kept him in this world, instead of seeking moksha. Anagha is the term the Lord uses to address Arjuna. Agha means impurity or sin. Arjuna was anagha — the one without impurity, because he sought nothing and was unattached to anything. So, attachment to knowledge is also a stumbling block to liberation.
Rajas is characterised by raga, trishna and sanga. Raga is the mutual attraction between man and woman. Trishna is the thirst for sense objects. Sanga is the desire to be in the company of one’s wife, children and relatives. To get what he wants, the person with rajas indulges in acts that result in repeated births and deaths. So, he too remains caught in samsara like the one with sattva guna. Lust, greed, ambition for one’s children can all lead to wrongful acts, and such acts are committed by the one with rajas. A man with rajas acts as he pleases, with no thought of the consequences.
