Bhagavad Gita 14.21 — Arjuna Asks: How Is the Transcendent Person Known?
अर्जुन उवाच ।
कैर्लिङ्गैस्त्रीन्गुणानेतानतीतो भवति प्रभो ।
किमाचारः कथं चैतांस्त्रीन्गुणानतिवर्तते ॥ १४.२१ ॥
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Arjuna said: O Lord, by what signs is one known who has transcended the three guṇas? What is his conduct, and how does he go beyond these three modes?
Transliteration (IAST)
Word Separation
The Sanskrit verse is separated into individual words (Padched) for easier study.
Word Meanings
| Line 1 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| kaiḥ | by what |
| liṅgaiḥ | signs, marks, characteristics |
| trīn | three |
| guṇān | modes of nature |
| etān | these |
| atītaḥ | one who has transcended |
| bhavati | is, becomes |
| prabho | O Lord, O Master |
| Line 2 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| kim | what |
| āchāraḥ | conduct, behavior |
| katham | how |
| cha | and |
| etān | these |
| trīn | three |
| guṇān | modes of nature |
| ativartate | goes beyond, transcends |
| Line 1 | Line 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning | Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| kaiḥ | by what | kim | what |
| liṅgaiḥ | signs, marks, characteristics | āchāraḥ | conduct, behavior |
| trīn | three | katham | how |
| guṇān | modes of nature | cha | and |
| etān | these | etān | these |
| atītaḥ | one who has transcended | trīn | three |
| bhavati | is, becomes | guṇān | modes of nature |
| prabho | O Lord, O Master | ativartate | goes beyond, transcends |
Detailed Meaning
Introduction
Here, Arjuna asks a deeply practical question that arises naturally from the lofty teaching he has just heard. What are the signs of one who has transcended the three guṇas? How does such a person behave, and by what means does one reach that state? His questions turn abstract philosophy into a path that can be recognised and followed.
Essence
Arjuna's Three Questions
Arjuna addresses Lord Krishna as Prabho, "O Lord," showing his humility and trust. He then asks three distinct questions, each of which reveals a different dimension of spiritual life.
Kair liṅgaiḥ (by what signs?): The word liṅga means mark or indication. Arjuna wants to know how to recognise a guṇātīta, one who has transcended the guṇas. Since the inner state is invisible, he wants outward signs by which such a person can be known. This is a natural and honest question. We all wish to recognise genuine wisdom, and also to measure our own progress.
Kim ācāraḥ (what is his conduct?): The word ācāra means behaviour or way of living. Arjuna asks how a liberated person acts in daily life. Does he withdraw from the world, or live like others? This question touches the heart of the Gita, because Arjuna has been wrestling with the relationship between action and freedom.
Kathaṁ caitān trīn guṇān ativartate (how does he cross beyond these three guṇas?): The final question concerns the method. If the goal is attractive, what practical means can lead to it? Arjuna asks not merely for a description of the destination but for the road.
These questions show a wise student. He is not satisfied with beautiful ideas; he wants a way to test, recognise, and attain them. They also lay out the structure of Lord Krishna's reply. Verses 22 to 25 will describe the signs and the conduct of the guṇātīta, and verses 26 and 27 will show the means.
It is also notable that Arjuna's questions mirror a universal human need: to know how a realised person lives, so that wisdom does not remain a distant ideal but becomes a living example.
Message for Everyday Life (Ask Practical Questions of Your Ideals)
Do not leave your ideals vague: It is easy to admire peace, wisdom, or detachment in theory. Arjuna's approach reminds us to ask what these look like in daily life and how to reach them.
Practical approach: Choose one quality you wish to develop, such as patience or equanimity. Write down how a person with that quality would act in a difficult moment, and then try, step by step, to practise that behaviour. Clear questions lead to clear practice.
Arjuna's Three Questions
Arjuna addresses Lord Krishna as Prabho, "O Lord," showing his humility and trust. He then asks three distinct questions, each of which reveals a different dimension of spiritual life.
Kair liṅgaiḥ (by what signs?): The word liṅga means mark or indication. Arjuna wants to know how to recognise a guṇātīta, one who has transcended the guṇas. Since the inner state is invisible, he wants outward signs by which such a person can be known. This is a natural and honest question. We all wish to recognise genuine wisdom, and also to measure our own progress.
Kim ācāraḥ (what is his conduct?): The word ācāra means behaviour or way of living. Arjuna asks how a liberated person acts in daily life. Does he withdraw from the world, or live like others? This question touches the heart of the Gita, because Arjuna has been wrestling with the relationship between action and freedom.
Kathaṁ caitān trīn guṇān ativartate (how does he cross beyond these three guṇas?): The final question concerns the method. If the goal is attractive, what practical means can lead to it? Arjuna asks not merely for a description of the destination but for the road.
These questions show a wise student. He is not satisfied with beautiful ideas; he wants a way to test, recognise, and attain them. They also lay out the structure of Lord Krishna's reply. Verses 22 to 25 will describe the signs and the conduct of the guṇātīta, and verses 26 and 27 will show the means.
It is also notable that Arjuna's questions mirror a universal human need: to know how a realised person lives, so that wisdom does not remain a distant ideal but becomes a living example.
Message for Everyday Life (Ask Practical Questions of Your Ideals)
Do not leave your ideals vague: It is easy to admire peace, wisdom, or detachment in theory. Arjuna's approach reminds us to ask what these look like in daily life and how to reach them.
Practical approach: Choose one quality you wish to develop, such as patience or equanimity. Write down how a person with that quality would act in a difficult moment, and then try, step by step, to practise that behaviour. Clear questions lead to clear practice.
Next Topic
Arjuna has asked how to recognise one beyond the guṇas, how that person lives, and how the state is reached. Lord Krishna now begins to answer with great clarity. In the next verse, he describes the first sign: the person's inner balance toward light, activity, and delusion, whether they arrive or depart.
Hidden Messages In This Shloka
Reflect on this verse from different perspectives and see which deeper message opens up for you.
Wisdom Nuggets
Great answers begin with honest questions.
What a person is shows in how they act.
Ask what a goal looks like before you chase it.
Understanding a destination makes the road easier.
A sincere learner is already halfway there.
Role models make the abstract real.
Wisdom grows between two minds in honest conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Arjuna ask this question after Krishna's teaching on the 'guṇas' (modes of material nature)?
What are the three questions Arjuna asks?
What does 'liṅgaiḥ' (signs) mean in this verse?
Why does Arjuna address Krishna as 'prabho' (O Lord)?
What is the practical value of this question?
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