Sattva, rajas, and tamas — three gunas born of prakriti — bind the imperishable soul to the body. Shankara explains that even sattva binds, though subtly, and liberation requires transcending all three. Ramanuja teaches that the gunas bind through attachment, action, and ignorance respectively. The Bhakti tradition sees this binding as the reason devotion to God is necessary for liberation. Madhva explains that the gunas genuinely bind the soul through real attachment, and only God's grace can break these bonds. Abhinavagupta teaches that the gunas create the appearance of limitation — recognizing them as Shakti's play frees consciousness from their spell. Vallabha explains that since the gunas are God's own energy, understanding them through devotion transforms bondage into an opportunity for surrender. Tilak sees this as the foundation for self-mastery — understanding how each guna operates enables conscious action. Vivekananda reads it as essential human psychology: identifying which guna dominates your current state is the beginning of self-knowledge.