Karika 13

सत्त्वं लघु प्रकाशकमिष्टमुपष्टम्भकं चलं च रजः।
गुरु वरणकमेव तमः प्रदीपवच्चार्थतो वृत्तिः॥ १३॥

Translation by Henry Thomas Colebrooke (1837): Goodness is considered to be alleviating and enlightening; foulness, urgent and versatile; darkness, heavy and enveloping. Like a lamp, they cooperate for a purpose (by union of contraries).

Translation by John Davies (1881): 'Goodness' (sattwa) is considered as light (or subtle), and enlightening (or manifesting); 'passion' or 'foulness' as exciting and mobile; 'darkness' as heavy and enveloping (or obstructive, varaṇaka). Their action, for the gaining of an end, is like that of a lamp.

Translation by Ganganath Jha (1896): Goodness is considered to be buoyant and illuminating; Foulness is exciting and versatile (mobile); Darkness, sluggish and enveloping. Their action, like a lamp, is for a (single) purpose.

Translation by Nandalal Sinha (1915): Sattva is considered to be light and illuminating, and Rajas, to be exciting and restless, and Tamas, to be indeed heavy and enveloping. Like a lamp (consisting of oil, wick, and fire), they co-operate for a (common) purpose (by union of contraries).

Translation by Har Dutt Sharma (1933): Sattva is considered to be light and bright, Rajas exciting and mobile, and Tamas is only heavy and enveloping. Like a lamp, their function is to gain an end.

Translation by Radhanath Phukan (1960): Sattva Guṇa is said to be light and illumining; Rajas, stimulating and accelerating; Tamas, heavy and restraining; these three Guṇas act in co-operation towards a goal just like a lamp.

Translation by Swami Virupakshananda (1995): The Sattva attribute is buoyant and illuminating; the Rajas attribute is exciting and mobile; and the Tamas attribute is sluggish and obscuring; their functioning is for a single purpose, like that of a lamp.

Translation by G. Srinivasan (recent): Satwa is the force which operates outward at the maximum speed with the required intensity and energy to transmit the force beyond the level of the first octet of forces past the nuclear boundary that is in a fluidic or flexible state. Raja is the force in the transition region of seven oscillatory plus the first in the octet of forces; that shuttles inward or outward to transfer the forces from nuclear boundary to the expansive-radial boundary and vice-versa; Tama is the decelerating force acting inward forming the static nuclear enveloping boundary. Vrithi is the resultant force that is radiated in the form of a self-sustained vortex (particle) created by the permutations and combinations of the previous three levels of forces to transfer force or energy.