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But know thou Tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds fast, O Arjuna, by heedlessness, indolence and sleep.

Know that inertia is born of ignorance and deludes all embodied beings. It binds, descendant of Bharata, through heedlessness, laziness and sleep.

The third quality is inertia (tamas). It is born of ignorance and confuses all embodied beings. It binds through pramāda, carelessness or negligence; ālasya, sloth; and nidrā, sleep or dullness. Where clarity illumines and passion drives, inertia obscures and weighs down. It is the force of heaviness and resistance in body and mind. The three qualities together give a simple map of human states: lucid calm, restless activity and dull inertia. Most people move among them through the day. The chapter asks Arjuna to recognise them in himself.