tamo dvābhyāṃ rajaḥ sattvātsattvaṃ śuddhena naśyati ;tasmātsattvamavaṣṭabhya svādhyāsāpanayaṃ kuru . 279 .
Anvaya
तमःtamaḥ
Tamas
नश्यतिnaśyati
dies
द्वाभ्यांdvābhyāṃ
by two (sattva and rajas)
रजःrajaḥ
rajas (dies)
सत्त्वात्sattvāt
by sattva
सत्त्वंsattvaṃ
the sattva
शुद्धेनśuddhena
by the Brahman without attributes
तस्मात्tasmāt
Therefore
सत्त्वम् अवष्टभ्यsattvam avaṣṭabhya
by taking support of sattva
कुरुkuru
do
स्व–अध्यासा–अपनयंsva–adhyāsā–apanayaṃ
negation of the superimposition in your mind
Translation
Tamas dies by cultivating activities pertaining to sattva and rajas. Rajas dies by sattva. Even this sattva disappears when there is a realisation of the attributeless Brahman. Hence negate the false superimposition in the mind.
Annotation
Sleep, laziness etc., which are the characteristics of tamas disappear with the cultivation of certain useful activity such as pursuit of arts and sciences. Sattva helps in pursuit of Self–knowledge. By this the activity of rajas also ceases (Jagadguru).