🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 18.13

Chapter 18 · मोक्षसंन्यासयोग · Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga · "The Yoga of Liberation & Renunciation" · Verse 13 of 78

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पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे।सांख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम्।।18.13।।
— Bhagavad-Gītā 18.13 · the yathārtha śloka (Devanāgarī Sanskrit · canonical)

🪷 English Translations

Five authentic English voices · each from a distinct sampradāya · together revealing the verse's full śabda-tattva.

Shri Purohit Swami · Poetic English · 1935 · public domain · Cosmo Press tradition
18.13 I will tell thee now, O Mighty Man, the five causes which, according to the final decision of philosophy, must concur before an action can be accomplished.
Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society
18.13 Learn from Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna, these five causes as declared in the Sankhya system for the accomplishment of all actions.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Word-key glosses · Advaita Ashrama · Śaṅkara-school
18.13 O mighty-armed one, nibodha, learn; me, from Me; imani, these; panca, five; karanani, factors, accessories, which are going to be stated-for drawing the attention of his (Arjuna's) mind and for showing the difference among these categories [Categories: locus (body) etc], the Lord praises those accessories in the succeeding verses as fit for being known-; siddhaye, for the accomplishment; sarva-karmanam, of all actions; proktani, which have been spoken of; sankhye, in Vedanta-sankhya is that scripture where the subject-matters [In the sentence, 'Thou art That', the word Thou means the individual Self, and That means Brahman. The comprehension of their unity, and also 'hearing, reflection and meditation' are referred to as the subject-matters.] to be known are fully (samyak) stated (khyayante)-; krtante, in which actions terminate. Krtante alifies that very word (Vedanta). Krtam mean action. That in which occurs the culmination (anta) of that krtam is krtantam, i.e. the termination of actions. In the texts, '৷৷.as much utility as a man has in a well' (2.46), and 'O son of Prtha, all actions in their totality culminate in Knowledge' (4.33), the Lord shows the cessation of all actions when the knowledge of the Self dawns. Hence (it is said): '৷৷.which have been spoken of in that Vedanta where actions culminate and which is meant for the knowledge of the Self.' Which are they? This is being answered:
Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school
18.13 'Sankhya' means Buddhi (reasoning). 'Sankhya-krtanta' means that which is determined after due deliberations by the Buddhi in accordance with the Vedas on the nature of the things as they are. Learn them from Me. There are five causes for the accomplishment of all actions. But the understanding according to the Vedas (Vaidiki-buddhi) is that the Supreme Self alone is the agent working through body, senses, Pranas and the individual self, as asserted in the following Srutis: 'He who, dwelling in the self, who rules the self from within your self, the Inner Ruler, immortal' (Br. U. Madh., 3.7.22), and 'He who has penetrated the interior, is the Ruler of all creatures and the Self of all' (Tai. A., 3.11.3). Sri Krsna nows sets forth the five causes:
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly
18.13. O mighty-armed one ! Learn from Me these following five causes that have been declared in the conclusion of deliberations [on proper knowledge], for the accomplishment of all actions.

🪷 Hindi Translation · हिन्दी अनुवाद

For the Hindi-aware seer · Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's translation · a high-readability modern Hindi rendering · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur tradition. (→ Full Mahāpurusha-detail page for the 102-year-living Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī Mahātmā.)

🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī tradition · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur · highest modern Hindi reading
।।18.13।।हे महाबाहो ! कर्मोंका अन्त करनेवाले सांख्यसिद्धान्तमें सम्पूर्ण कर्मोंकी सिद्धिके लिये ये पाँच कारण बताये गये हैं, इनको तू मेरेसे समझ।

🪷 English Commentaries · The Ācārya Voices

The classical commentary tradition rendered in English · each ācārya speaks from their own sampradāya · the seer chooses the depth of darśana.

Swami Sivananda · Verse-by-verse word-keys with Sanskrit anchors
18.13 पञ्च five? एतानि these? महाबाहो O mightyarmed? कारणानि causes? निबोध learn? मे from Me? सांख्ये in the Sankhya? कृतान्ते which is the end of all actions? प्रोक्तानि as declared? सिद्धये for the accomplishment? सर्वकर्मणाम् of all actions.Commentary The Self has no connection whatevr with activity. Nature does everything. The Self is the silent witness. He remains indifferent. The whole superstructure of human activity is the result of the five welldefined causes which are enumerated in the following verse.Etani These Which are going to be mentioned.Sankhya Vedanta Knowledge of the Self as taught in the Vedanta (the Upanishads) puts an end to all actions. This is the reason why the term Kritante (the end of actions) is used here. When the knowledge of the Self arises? all actions terminate. This is taught in chapter II? verse 46 To the Brahman who has known the Self al the Vedas are of so much use as is a reservoir of water in a place where there is a flood everywhere. Again? in verse 33 of chapter IV? it is said All actions in their entirety? O Arjuna? culminate in knowledge. Vedanta? therefore? which imparts knowledge of the Self? is the end of action. A liberated sage who has attained the knowledge of the Self in accordance with the instructions laid down in the Vedanta becomes a Kritakritya (one who has done everything and has nothing more to do).
Swami Gambīrānanda · Advaita-school commentary (Śaṅkara tradition)
18.13 O mighty-armed one, nibodha, learn; me, from Me; imani, these; panca, five; karanani, factors, accessories, which are going to be stated-for drawing the attention of his (Arjuna's) mind and for showing the difference among these categories [Categories: locus (body) etc], the Lord praises those accessories in the succeeding verses as fit for being known-; siddhaye, for the accomplishment; sarva-karmanam, of all actions; proktani, which have been spoken of; sankhye, in Vedanta-sankhya is that scripture where the subject-matters [In the sentence, 'Thou art That', the word Thou means the individual Self, and That means Brahman. The comprehension of their unity, and also 'hearing, reflection and meditation' are referred to as the subject-matters.] to be known are fully (samyak) stated (khyayante)-; krtante, in which actions terminate. Krtante alifies that very word (Vedanta). Krtam mean action. That in which occurs the culmination (anta) of that krtam is krtantam, i.e. the termination of actions. In the texts, '৷৷.as much utility as a man has in a well' (2.46), and 'O son of Prtha, all actions in their totality culminate in Knowledge' (4.33), the Lord shows the cessation of all actions when the knowledge of the Self dawns. Hence (it is said): '৷৷.which have been spoken of in that Vedanta where actions culminate and which is meant for the knowledge of the Self.' Which are they? This is being answered:
Swami Ādidevānanda · Rāmānuja Śrī-Vaiṣṇava commentary
18.13 'Sankhya' means Buddhi (reasoning). 'Sankhya-krtanta' means that which is determined after due deliberations by the Buddhi in accordance with the Vedas on the nature of the things as they are. Learn them from Me. There are five causes for the accomplishment of all actions. But the understanding according to the Vedas (Vaidiki-buddhi) is that the Supreme Self alone is the agent working through body, senses, Pranas and the individual self, as asserted in the following Srutis: 'He who, dwelling in the self, who rules the self from within your self, the Inner Ruler, immortal' (Br. U. Madh., 3.7.22), and 'He who has penetrated the interior, is the Ruler of all creatures and the Self of all' (Tai. A., 3.11.3). Sri Krsna nows sets forth the five causes:
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship
18.13 See Comment under 18.17
Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching
।।18.13।। त्रिविध त्याग के सन्दर्भ में भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण ने निरहंकार और निसंग भाव से कर्म करने वाले पुरुष को सात्विक त्यागी कहा था। अत स्वाभाविक ही है कि अर्जुन के मन में कर्म के स्वरूप को जानने की जिज्ञासा उत्पन्न होती है। इसलिए भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण प्रस्तुत खण्ड में? कर्म के स्थूल रूप तथा प्रेरणा? उद्देश्य आदि सूक्ष्म स्वरूप का भी वर्णन करते हैं।किसी भी लौकिक अथवा आध्यात्मिक कर्म को सम्पादित करने के लिए पाँच कारणों की अपेक्षा होती है। ये मानों कर्म के अंग हैं? जिनके बिना कर्म की सिद्धि नहीं हो सकती। यदि मनुष्य अपने कर्मों को अनुशासित और सुनियोजित कर आन्तरिक सांस्कृतिक विकास को सम्पादित करना चाहता हो? तो उसे अत्याधिक साहस? प्रयोजन का सातत्य? आत्मविश्वास तथा बौद्धिक क्षमता की आवश्यकता होती है। इसलिए भगवान् यहाँ अर्जुन को महाबाहो के नाम से सम्बोधित कर उसकी शूरवीरता का आह्वान करते हैं।कर्मसम्पादन के लिए आवश्यक पाँच कारणों का वर्णन सांख्य दर्शन में किया गया है। यहाँ सांख्य शब्द से तात्पर्य वेदान्त से है कपिल मुनि जी के सांख्य दर्शन से नहीं? क्योंकि उसमें इनका वर्णन नहीं किया गया है। इस श्लोक में प्रयुक्त कृतान्त शब्द सांख्य का विशेषण है। कृतान्त का अर्थ है कर्मों का अन्त। वेदान्त में उपदिष्ट आत्म ज्ञान के होने पर अहंकार का अन्त हो जाता है और उसी के साथ उसके कर्मों की समाप्ति हो जाती है।इसलिए? वेदान्त का विशेषण कृतान्त कहा गया हैं। अगले श्लोक में उन पाँच कारणों को बताते हैं

🪷 Hindi Vyākhyā · हिन्दी व्याख्या

Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · one of the great modern Hindi vyākhyās of the Gītā · direct, pure, deeply Vedāntic · the modern Sanātana-jāgaraṇa. (→ Full Mahāpurusha-detail page · 1904-2005 · Corner 1 Mādhurya operational anchor · whose 6-lakṣaṇa-śaraṇāgati IS Constitutional Principle 24.)

🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · Hindi vyākhyā · the modern bilingual anchor
।।18.13।। व्याख्या -- पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि -- हे महाबाहो जिसमें सम्पूर्ण कर्मोंका अन्त हो जाता है? ऐसे सांख्यसिद्धान्तमें सम्पूर्ण विहित और निषिद्ध कर्मोंके होनेमें पाँच हेतु बताये गये हैं। स्वयं (स्वरूप) उन कर्मोंमें हेतु नहीं है।निबोध मे -- इस अध्यायमें भगवान्ने जहाँ सांख्यसिद्धान्तका वर्णन आरम्भ किया है? वहाँ निबोध क्रियाका प्रयोग किया है (18। 13? 50)? जब कि दूसरी जगह श्रृणु क्रियाका प्रयोग किया है (18। 4? 19? 29? 36? 45? 64)। तात्पर्य यह है कि सांख्यसिद्धान्तमें तो निबोध पदसे अच्छी तरह समझनेकी बात कही है और दूसरी जगह श्रृणु पदसे सुननेकी बात कही है। अतः सांख्यसिद्धान्तको गहरी रीतिसे समझना चाहिये। अगर उसे अपनेआप (स्वयं) से गहरी रीतिसे समझा जाय? तो तत्काल तत्त्वका अनुभव हो जाता है।सांख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम् -- कर्म चाहे शास्त्रविहित हों? चाहे शास्त्रनिषिद्ध हों? चाहे शारीरिक हों? चाहे मानसिक हों? चाहे वाचिक हों? चाहे स्थूल हों और चाहे सूक्ष्म हों -- इन सम्पूर्ण कर्मोंकी सिद्धिके लिये पाँच हेतु कहे गये हैं। जब पुरुषका इन कर्मोंमें कर्तृत्व रहता है? तब कर्मसिद्धि और कर्मसंग्रह दोनों होते हैं? और जब पुरुषका इन कर्मोंके होनेमें कर्तृत्व नहीं रहता? तब कर्मसिद्धि तो होती है? पर कर्मसंग्रह नहीं होता? प्रत्युत क्रियामात्र होती है। जैसे? संसारमात्रमें परिवर्तन होता है अर्थात् नदियाँ बहती हैं? वायु चलती है? वृक्ष बढ़ते हैं? आदिआदि क्रियाएँ होती रहती है? परन्तु इन क्रियाओँसे कर्मसंग्रह नहीं होता अर्थात् ये क्रियाएँ पापपुण्यजनक अथवा बन्धनकारक नहीं होतीं। तात्पर्य यह हुआ कि कर्तृत्वाभिमानसे ही कर्मसिद्धि और कर्मसंग्रह होता है। कर्तृत्वाभिमान मिटनेपर क्रियामात्रमें अधिष्ठान? करण? चेष्टा और दैव -- ये चार हेतु ही होते हैं (गीता 18। 14)।यहाँ सांख्यसिद्धान्तका वर्णन हो रहा है। सांख्यसिद्धान्तमें विवेकविचारकी प्रधानता होती है? फिर भगवान्ने सर्वकर्मणां सिद्धये वाली कर्मोंकी बात यहाँ क्यों छेड़ी कारण कि अर्जुनके सामने युद्धका प्रसङ्ग है। क्षत्रिय होनेके नाते युद्ध उनका कर्तव्यकर्म है। इसलिये कर्मयोगसे अथवा सांख्ययोगसे ऐसे कर्म करने चाहिये? जिससे कर्म करते हुए भी कर्मोंसे सर्वथा निर्लिप्त रहे -- यह बात भगवान्को कहनी है। अर्जुनने सांख्यका तत्त्व पूछा है? इसलिये भगवान् सांख्यसिद्धान्तसे कर्म करनेकी बात कहना आरम्भ करते हैं।अर्जुन स्वरूपसे कर्मोंका त्याग करना चाहते थे अतः उनको यह समझाना था कि कर्मोंका ग्रहण और त्याग -- दोनों ही कल्याणमें हेतु नहीं हैं। कल्याणमें हेतु तो परिवर्तनशील नाशवान् प्रकृतिसे अपरिवर्तनशील अविनाशी अपने स्वरूपका सम्बन्धविच्छेद ही है। उस सम्बन्धविच्छेदकी दो प्रक्रियाएँ हैं -- कर्मयोग और सांख्ययोग। कर्मयोगमें तो फलका अर्थात् ममताका त्याग मुख्य है और सांख्ययोगमें अहंताका त्याग मुख्य है। परन्तु ममताके त्यागसे अहंताका और अहंताके त्यागसे ममताका त्याग स्वतः हो जाता है। कारण कि अहंतामें भी ममता होती है जैसे -- मेरी बात रहे? मेरी बात कट न जाय -- यह मैंपनके साथ भी मेरापन है। इसलिये ममता(मेरापन)को छोड़नेसे अहंता(मैंपन) छूट जाती है (टिप्पणी प0 895)। ऐसे ही पहले अहंता होती है? तब ममता होती है अर्थात् पहले मैं होता है? तब मेरापन होता है। परन्तु जहाँ अहंता(मैंपन)का ही त्याग कर दिया जायगा? वहाँ ममता (मेरापन) कैसे रहेगी वह भी छूट ही जायगी। सम्बन्ध -- सम्पूर्ण कर्मोंकी सिद्धिमें पाँच हेतु कौनसे हैं अब यह बताते हैं।

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BG 18.13local Bhagavad-Gītā verse route and source-anchor sectionChapter 18 hubMokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga · The Yoga of Liberation & RenunciationMBh 6.40.13exact Bhīṣma-Parva source route for this Gītā verse/bhagavad-gitamaster index for all 18 chapters and 701 verse routesBhīṣma-ParvaMahābhārata narrative home where the Bhagavad-Gītā is received/mahabharatafull Itihāsa source spine for Vyāsa Maharṣi's MahābhārataBG 1 · Arjuna-Viṣāda YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Arjuna-Viṣāda YogaBG 2 · Sāṅkhya YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Sāṅkhya YogaBG 3 · Karma YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Karma YogaBG 4 · Jñāna-Karma-SannyāsaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Jñāna-Karma-SannyāsaBG 5 · Karma-Sannyāsa YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Karma-Sannyāsa YogaBG 6 · Dhyāna YogaTVAM-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Dhyāna YogaBG 7 · Krishna-Tattva (Jñāna-Vijñāna)TAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Krishna-Tattva (Jñāna-Vijñāna)BG 8 · Akṣara-Brahma YogaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Akṣara-Brahma YogaBG 9 · Rāja-Vidyā Rāja-GuhyaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Rāja-Vidyā Rāja-GuhyaBG 10 · Vibhūti YogaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Vibhūti YogaBG 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana YogaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Viśvarūpa-Darśana YogaBG 12 · Bhakti YogaTAT-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Bhakti YogaBG 13 · Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña YogaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña YogaBG 14 · Guṇa-Traya-VibhāgaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Guṇa-Traya-VibhāgaBG 15 · Puruṣottama YogaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Puruṣottama YogaBG 16 · Daivāsura-Sampad-VibhāgaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Daivāsura-Sampad-VibhāgaBG 17 · Śraddhā-Traya-VibhāgaANTYA-Ṣaṭka chapter hub for Śraddhā-Traya-VibhāgaBG 2.47niṣkāma-karma-yoga action disciplineBG 4.34praṇipāta · paripraśna · sevā before tattva-darśī teachersBG 7.7mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat · no source higher than KrishnaBG 9.17Krishna as father, mother, supporter, and grandfatherBG 10.30Krishna as Time among reckonersBG 13.23Paramātmā as witness, permitter, supporter, enjoyer, and LordBG 15.15Krishna seated in every heart as memory, knowledge, and forgetfulnessBG 18.61Īśvara situated in the heart of all beingsBG 18.66Carama-Śloka surrender discipline and final refuge/vishwaroopa-darshanaall 18 Gītā chapters rendered as one chart-aware darśana/vishvarupa-chartBG 11 chart-as-Viśvarūpa-darśana aperture/bija-sutrasfounder-curated bīja-pada exposition layer inside selected Gītā verse pages/binduDiamond of Darśanas frame for Gītā source recognition/philosophyKrishna = Paramaatma = Parabrahman constitutional foundation/llms.txtbrief AI-agent source map/llms-full.txtcomprehensive AI-agent access map
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APA: Vyāsa Maharṣi. (n.d.). Bhagavad-Gītā 18.13. Vidhyāmitra. Retrieved 2026-07-28, from https://vidhyamitra.com/bhagavad-gita/18/13
Chicago: Vyāsa Maharṣi. "Bhagavad-Gītā 18.13." Vidhyāmitra. Accessed 2026-07-28. https://vidhyamitra.com/bhagavad-gita/18/13.
MLA: Vyāsa Maharṣi. "Bhagavad-Gītā 18.13." Vidhyāmitra, 2026, https://vidhyamitra.com/bhagavad-gita/18/13.
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🪷 ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय 🪷

सर्वम् कृष्णार्पणम् — this verse is one maṇi (jewel) on Krishna's thread (BG 7.7)