The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas

Krishna describes sattva guna: 'Tatra sattvaṁ'—among them, sattva. 'Nirmalatvāt prakāśakam anāmayam'—being pure, it is illuminating (prakāśakam) and healthy (anāmayam). Sattva brings clarity, peace, and understanding. But here's the key: 'Sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena ca'—it binds (badhnāti) through attachment to happiness (sukha-saṅgena) and through attachment to knowledge (jñāna-saṅgena). This is crucial: even the 'good' mode binds you. Sattva is the purest mode, but it still binds you through attachment. When you're attached to the happiness that sattva brings, or attached to the knowledge and clarity it provides, you're still bound. You're still in material existence, just in a more refined form. Understanding this helps you see that even sattva needs to be transcended for true freedom.