Take this 16-question quiz to find out what type of a person you are, as categorised by Lord Krishna in his Song Divine, the Bhagavadgita.

The Litmus Test
By Sai R. Vaidyanathan

LORD Krishna, in the Bhagavadgita, classifies all individuals in three categories. He explains, "Material modes consist of three modes — goodness, passion and ignorance. When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he becomes conditioned by these modes."

So vast is the scope of His classification that "there is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, which is freed from these three modes born of material nature." "Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature. Therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment."

Here is a quiz that will help you find where you stand in His classification.

Q1 How would you describe your work-style?

(a) I fix my goals and work hard towards achieving them.

(b) I do things which make me happy and increase my knowledge.

(c) I do as little as I am required to do.

Q2 How is your relationship with your co-workers?

(a) I often feel that my co-workers could do better.

(b) I co-operate with them to the best of my ability.

(c) I feel that all of them are ingrates and conspiring against me.

Q3 Your goal in life is

(a) to be richer and more successful.

(b) to be happier and wiser.

(c) to lead a life of ease.

A1-3 (a) The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.

When there is an increase in the mode of passion, the symptoms of great attachment, fruitive activity, intense endeavor and uncontrollable desire and hankering develop.

(b) The mode of goodness, being purer than the others is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge.

The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.

(c) Know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, is a delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.

When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested.

Q4 You admire

(a) strong people like Caesar and Alexander the Great.

(b) super-human characters like Superman and Mandrake.

(c) good people like Mother Teresa and Vivekananda.

Q5 To succeed, you need

(a) my hard work.

(b) a godfather.

(c) God's blessing and your efforts.

A4-5 (a) Men in the mode of passion worship the demons,

(b) those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits,

(c) those in the mode of goodness worship the demigods.

Q6 You generally eat

(a) a balanced diet.

(b) salty and spicy food.

(c) junk food, fast food or leftovers.

Q7 You are

(a) a teetotaller.

(b) an occasional smoker and/or drinker.

(c) a regular smoker and/or drinker.

A6-7 (a) Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, fatty, wholesome and pleasing to the heart.

(b) Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.

(c) Food prepared more than three hours before being eaten, food that is tasteless, decomposed and putrid, and food consisting of remnants and untouchable things is dear to those in the mode of darkness.

Q8 You have an important appointment in the evening and your boss orders you to stay back for a few hours. You would ask

(a) What is to be done in that period?

(b) In lieu of it, can I come a little late the next day?

(c) Can't it be done in the morning?

A8 (a) Of sacrifices, the sacrifice performed according to the directions of scripture, as a matter of duty, by those who desire no reward, is of the nature of goodness.

(b) But the sacrifice performed for some material benefit, or for the sake of pride, you should know to be in the mode of passion.

(c) Any sacrifice performed without regard for the directions of scripture, without distribution of prasadam, without chanting of Vedic hymns and remunerations to the priests, and without faith is considered to be in the mode of ignorance.

Q9 You could undergo hardships if

(a) I become better by it.

(b) I gain respect by it.

(c) I could hurt my rivals by it.

A9 (a) Austerity, performed with transcendental faith, by men not expecting material benefits but engaged only for the sake of the Supreme, is called austerity in goodness.

(b) Penance perfomed out of pride and for the sake of gaining respect, honour and worship is said to be in the mode of passion. It is neither stable nor permanent.

(c) Penance performed out of foolishness, with self-torture or to destroy or injure others, is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

Q10 If you want to be charitable, you would

(a) give alms to beggars or some institution.

(b) donate generously and by virtue of it, become an important member of that institution.

(c) donate only after satisfying myself about the credentials of the recipient.

A10 (a) Charity performed at an impure place, at an improper time, to unworthy persons, or without proper attention and respect is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

(b) But charity performed with the expectation of some return, or with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood, is said to be charity in the mode of passion.

(c) Charity given out of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place, and to a worthy person is considered to be in the mode of goodness.

Q11 If you were to quit your present position, it would be because

(a) my employer is paying me pittance for the amount of work I do.

(b) I do not feel comfortable in my position.

(c) All the work I had to do is done and I must move on.

A11 (a) Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome or out of fear of bodily discomfort is said to have renounced in the mode of passion. Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation.

(b) Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If one gives up his prescribed duties because of illusion, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

(c) When one performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done, and renounces all material association and all attachment to the fruit, his renunciation is said to be in the mode of goodness.

The intelligent renouncer situated in the mode of goodness, neither hateful of inauspicious work nor attached to auspicious work, has no doubts about work.

Q12 All you know and do

(a) I was educated or trained for it and I am content with the fruits I get from it.

(b) makes me realise about the immense diversity and complexity of the Universe.

(c) makes further clear the fact that there are some basic principles behind them all.

A12 (a) That knowledge by which one is attached to one kind of work as the all in all, without knowledge of the truth, and which is very meager, is said to be in the mode of darkness.

(b) That knowledge by which one sees that in every different body there is a different type of living entity you should understand to be in the mode of passion.

(c) That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all living entities, though they are divided into innumerable forms, you should understand to be in the mode of goodness.

Q13 You act

(a) on impulse

(b) to achieve my objectives, I would do anything.

(c) by putting in my best.

A13 (a) That action performed in illusion, in disregard of spiritual injunctions, and without concern for future bondage or for violence or distress caused to others is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

The worker who is always engaged in work against the injunctions of the scripture, who is materialistic, obstinate, cheating and expert in insulting others, and who is lazy, always morose and procrastinating is said to be a worker in the mode of ignorance.

(b) But action performed with great effort by one seeking to gratify his desires, and enacted from a sense of false ego, is called action in the mode of passion.

The worker who is attached to work and the fruits of work, desiring to enjoy those fruits, and who is greedy, always envious, impure and moved by joy and sorrow is said to be in the mode of passion.

(c) That action which is regulated and which is performed without attachment, without love or hatred, and without desire for fruitive results is said to be in the mode of goodness.

One who performs his duty without association with the modes of material nature, without false ego, with great determination and enthusiasm, and without wavering in success or failure is said to be a worker in the mode of goodness.

Q14 Looking back, while making choices

(a) I flip a coin to decide.

(b) I generally make the right decisions.

(c) I generally make the wrong decisions.

A14 (a) That understanding which cannot distuinguish between religion and irreligion, between action that should be done and action that should not be done, is in the mode of passion.

(b) That understanding by which one knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, is in the mode of goodness.

(c) That understanding which considers irreligion to be religion and religion to be irreligion, under the spell of illusion and darkness, and strives always in the wrong direction is in the mode of ignorance.

Q15 You set a goal and if the situation changes

(a) Leave the pursuit if I have nothing to achieve.

(b) I achieve it whatever be the change in conditions.

(c) I keep planning about how to tackle the changing situation and end up doing nothing.

A15 (a) But that determination by which one holds fast to fruitive results in religion, economic development and sense gratification is of the nature of passion.

(b) That determination which is unbreakable, which is sustained with steadfastness by yoga practice, and which thus controls the activities of the mind, life and senses is determination in the mode of goodness.

(c) And that determination which cannot go beyond dreaming, fearfulness, lamentation, moroseness and illusion-such unintelligent determination is in the mode of darkness.

Q16 What makes you feel happy? (You can choose more than one)

(a) Exercising

(b) Reading

(c) Eating sweets

(d) Drinking good quality wine

(e) Sleeping

(f) Cleaning your room

(g) Gossiping

(h) Eating spicy snacks

(i) Daydreaming

A16 (a, b, f) That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realisation is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.

(c, d, h) That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion.

(e, g, i) And that happiness which is blind to self-realisation, which is delusion from beginning to end and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance.

Krishna delivers your verdict:

After analysing your answer-sheet, you might have realised that most of your answers lie in one category but some of your responses lie in the other two categories as well. The Lord explains this as, "Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times, ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way, there is always competition for supremacy."

But what is the effect of these modes on the lives and after-lives of people?

From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develop foolishness, madness and illusion.

The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery and action performed in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness.

When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains the pure higher planets of the great sages.

When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.

Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.