🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 18.16

Chapter 18 · मोक्षसंन्यासयोग · Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga · "The Yoga of Liberation & Renunciation" · Verse 16 of 78

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🪷 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

18.16 But the fool who supposes, because of his immature judgment, that it is his own Self alone that acts, he perverts the truth and does not see rightly.

Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society

18.16 Now, such being the case, verily he who owing to untrained understanding looks upon his Self, which is isolated, as the agent, he of perverted intelligence, sees not.

Swami Gambīrānanda · Word-key glosses · Advaita Ashrama · Śaṅkara-school

18.16 Tatra is used for connecting with the topic under discussion. Tatra evam sati, this being the case, when actions are thus accomplished by the five causes mentioned above;-this portion has to be connected with 'perverted intellect' by way of causality [Actions are done by the body etc., but since a person thinks that the Self is the agent, therefore he is said to have a perverted intellect.]-yah, tu, anyone, an unenlightened person, who; pasyati, perceives; kevalam, the absolute, pure; atmanam, Self; as the kartaram, agent-thinking, 'I myself am the agent of the actions being done by them', as a conseence of imagining the Self as identified with them; why?-akrta-buddhitvat, owing to the imperfection of his intellect, owing to his intellect not having been refined by the instructions of Vedanta and the teachers, and by reasoning-. Even the person who, believing in the Self as distinct from the body etc., looks upon the distinct [Ast. omits anyam (distinct).-Tr.], absolute Self as the agent, he, too, is surely of imperfect intellect. Hence, owing to his having an imperfect intellect, sah, that man; na, does not; pasyati, perceive (properly) either the truth about the Self or about actions. This is the meaning. Therefore he is a durmatih, man of perverted intellect, in the sense that his intellect is contemptible, perverse, corrupted, and the cause of repeatedly undergoing births and deaths. He does not perceive even while seeing-like the man suffering from Timira seeing many moons, or like one thinking the moon to be moving when (actually) the clouds are moving, or like the one seated on some conveyance (e.g. palanin), thinking oneself to be moving when others (the bearers) are moving. Who, again, is the man of right intellect who perceives correctly? This is being answered:

Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school

18.16 In fact, the agency of the individual self is subject to the consent of Supreme Self; such being the case, if the 'individual self regards Itself as the agent,' It is of wicked or perverse mind. For, It does not perceive the agent as It really is, since It possesses an 'uncultivated understanding,' namely, an understanding which does not reveal the real state of affairs.

Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly

18.16. But this being the case, whosoever views himself as the sole agent (cause of actions) due to his imperfect intellect - he, the defective-minded one, does not view [things rightly].

🪷 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

।।18.16।।परन्तु ऐसे पाँच हेतुओंके होनेपर भी जो उस (कर्मोंके) विषयमें केवल (शुद्ध) आत्माको कर्ता मानता है, वह दुर्मति ठीक नहीं समझता; क्योंकि उसकी बुद्धि शुद्ध नहीं है।

🪷 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

18.16 तत्र there (the case)? एवम् thus? सति being? कर्तारम् as the agent? आत्मानम् the Self? केवलम् alone? तु verily? यः who? पश्यति sees? अकृतबुद्धित्वात् owing to untrained understanding? न not? सः he? पश्यति sees? दुर्मतिः of perverted intelligence.Commentary The Self is always actionless. He is unattached like ether. He is always the silent witness. He is the spectator of activity. The egoistic man of little understanding only thinks that he is the real agent? and so he is bound by actions. He takes birth again and again to reap the fruits of his actions. For him who considers the body as consciousness? God or the Self? it naturally follows that the Self is the agent or the doer. He who identifies himself with the body? who has taken the body as the pure Self? has cast a net over himself? and he leads a deluded life of utter ignorance. He is bound by the fetters or bonds of Karma. He is ever shut up in the prisonhouse of this body.He who has not united himself with the Buddhi? who has got an impure or untrained understanding? who regards the Self as the actor or the agent is certainly a man of perverted intelligence. He is deluded. He is really a blind man. He sees not though he has eyes. He does not behold the essence of things. He has no idea of the supreme Principle (the Self) Which is Itself actionless? Which ever stands as a silent witness of the activities of all minds and all organs of all beings? Which moves the minds? organs and the lifeforce and the bodies to action? just as the magnet makes the iron pieces move. He does not behold the truth about the Self and action.Durmati Evilminded person A man of perverted intellect or undeveloped reason. He thinks that he alone is the doer or agent. He does not understand anything. He has no knowledge of the,actionless? pure? selfluminous Self.The ignorant man of untrained understanding identifies himself with the five causes and regards the pure actionless Self as the agent or doer of the actions which are really done by these five causes. What is the reason for this Why does he regard them so Because he is not endowed with a pure and subtle intellect his understanding (Buddhi) has not been trained in the practice of Vedanta he is not eipped with the four means of salvation his intellect has not been trained by the teachings of the preceptor or the spiritual teacher in the methods of logical reasoning.He who considers that the pure actionless Self is the agent or the doer is certainly a man of untrained understanding. He has no knowledge of the actionless Self and action. Therefore? he is a man of perverted intelligence. His intellect works or moves in the wrong direction. His intellect moves in the sensual grooves or avenues. It runs like the vicious horse and leads to birth and death. The technie of Buddhi Yoga taught in the Gita enables one effectively to prevent this.He does not perceive or cognise the Truth though he has eyes. Though he sees? he sees the external? gross? illusory? everchanging? perishable objects only. He does not behold the one immortal? unchanging? allblissful essence? which is the basis or substratum of everything. He is like the man with jaundiced eyes? who sees all objects tinged with yellow colur? or like the man suffering from diplopia who beholds many moons? or like the man who thinks that the moon moves when the clouds move? or like the man who? seated in a train? imagines that the trees are moving when it is the train that is really moving. (Cf.V.15XIII.30)

Swami Gambīrānanda · Advaita-school commentary (Śaṅkara tradition)

Swami Ādidevānanda · Rāmānuja Śrī-Vaiṣṇava commentary

Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship

18.16 See Comment under 18.17

Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching

।।18.16।। पूर्व श्लोक में हमने देखा कि आत्मा की उपस्थिति में शरीरादि जड़ उपाधियाँ कार्य करती हैं? परन्तु आत्मा अकर्ता ही रहता है। आत्मा और अनात्मा के इस विवेक के अभाव में अज्ञानी जन स्वयं को कर्ता और भोक्ता रूप जीव ही समझते हैं। जीव दशा में रागद्वेष? प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्ति? लाभहानि और सुखदुख अवश्यंभावी हैं। जिस क्षण कोई पुरुष आत्मा और अनात्मा के भेद को तथा अविद्या से उत्पन्न मिथ्या अहंकार को समझ लेता है? उसी क्षण इस मिथ्या जीव का अस्तित्व दिवा स्वप्न के भूत के समान समाप्त हो जाता है।तत्रैवं सति सभी प्रकार के उचित और अनुचित कर्म शरीर? कर्ता? दशेन्द्रियाँ तथा दैव की सहायता से ही होते हैं? परन्तु इन्हें चेतनता प्रदान करने वाला आत्मा नित्य शुद्ध और अकर्ता ही रहता है। अज्ञानी जन इस आत्मा को ही कर्ता समझ लेते हैं।इस प्रकार के विपरीत ज्ञान के कारणों का निर्देश? यहाँ अकृतबुद्धि और दुर्मति इन दो शब्दों से किया गया है। अकृतबुद्धि का अर्थ है वह पुरुष जिसने अपनी बुद्धि को शास्त्र? आचार्योपदेश तथा न्याय (तर्क) के द्वारा सुसंस्कृत नहीं किया है तथा दुर्मति का अर्थ है दुष्टरागद्वेषादि युक्त बुद्धि का पुरुष। इस कथन का अभिप्राय यह हुआ कि जो पुरुष अपने चित्त को शुद्ध कर आत्मविचार करता है? वह अपने में ही यह साक्षात् अनुभव करता है? कि शरीरादि जड़ उपाधियाँ ही कार्य करके थकान का अनुभव करती हैं? अकर्ता आत्मा नहीं।विपरीत ज्ञान का वर्णन करने के पश्चात् अब यथार्थ ज्ञान का वर्णन करते 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

।।18.16।। व्याख्या -- तत्रैवं सति ৷৷. पश्यति दुर्मतिः -- जितने भी कर्म होते हैं? वे सब अधिष्ठान? कर्ता? करण? चेष्टा और दैव -- इन पाँच हेतुओंसे ही होते हैं? अपने स्वरूपसे नहीं। परन्तु ऐसा होनेपर भी जो पुरुष अपने स्वरूपको कर्ता मान लेता है? उसकी बुद्धि शुद्ध नहीं है -- अकृतबुद्धित्वात् अर्थात् उसने विवेकविचारको महत्त्व नहीं दिया है। जड और चेतनका? प्रकृति और पुरुषका जो वास्तविक विवेक है? अलगाव है? उसकी तरफ उसने ध्यान नहीं दिया है। इसलिये उसकी बुद्धिमें दोष आ गया है। उस दोषके कारण वह अपनेको कर्ता मान लेता है।यहाँ आये अकृतबुद्धित्वात् और दुर्मतिःपदोंका समान अर्थ दीखते हुए भी इनमें थोड़ा फरक है। अकृतबुद्धित्वात् पद हेतुके रूपमें आया है और दुर्मतिः पद कर्ताके विशेषणके रूपमें आया है अर्थात् कर्ताके दुर्मति होनेमें अकृतबुद्धि ही हेतु है। तात्पर्य है कि बुद्धिको शुद्ध न करनेसे अर्थात् बुद्धिमें विवेक जाग्रत् न करनेसे ही वह दुर्मति है। अगर वह विवेकको जाग्रत् करता? तो वह दुर्मति नहीं रहता।केवल (शुद्ध) आत्मा कुछ नहीं करता -- न करोति न लिप्यते (गीता 13। 31) परन्तु तादात्म्यके कारण मैं नहीं करता हूँ -- ऐसा बोध नहीं होता। बोध न होनेमें अकृतबुद्धि ही कारण है अर्थात् जिसने बुद्धिको शुद्ध नहीं किया है? वह दुर्मति ही अपनेको कर्ता मान लेता है जब कि शुद्ध आत्मामें कर्तृत्व नहीं है।केवलम् पद कर्मयोग और सांख्ययोग -- दोनोंमें ही आया है। प्रकृति और पुरुषके विवेकको लेकर कर्मयोग और सांख्ययोग चलते हैं। कर्मयोगमें सब क्रियाएँ शरीर? मन? बुद्धि और इन्द्रियोंके द्वारा ही होती हैं? पर उनके साथ सम्बन्ध नहीं जुड़ता अर्थात् उनमें ममता नहीं होती। ममता न होनेसे शरीर? मन आदिकी संसारके साथ जो एकता है? वह एकता अनुभवमें आ जाती है। एकताका अनुभव होते ही स्वरूपमें स्वतःसिद्ध स्थितिका अनुभव हो जाता है। इसलिये कर्मयोगमें केवलैः पद शरीर? मन? बुद्धि और इन्द्रियोंके साथ दिया गया है -- कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि (गीता 5। 11)।सांख्ययोगमें विवेकविचारकी प्रधानता है। जितने भी कर्म होते हैं? वे सब पाँच हेतुओंसे ही होते हैं? अपने स्वरूपसे नहीं। परन्तु अहंकारसे मोहित अन्तःकरणवाला अपनेको कर्ता मान लेता है। विवेकसे मोह मिट जाता है। मोह मिटनेसे वह अपनेको कर्ता कैसे मान सकता है अर्थात् उसे अपने शुद्ध स्वरूपका अनुभव हो जाता है। इसलिये सांख्ययोगमें केवलम् पद स्वरूपके साथ दिया गया है -- केवलम् आत्मानम्।अब इसमें एक बात विशेष ध्यान देनेकी है कि कर्मयोगमें केवल शब्द शरीर? मन आदिके साथ रहनेसे शरीर? मन? बुद्धि आदिके साथ अहम् भी संसारकी सेवामें लग जायगा तथा स्वरूप ज्योंकात्यों रह जायगा और सांख्ययोगमें स्वरूपके साथ केवल रहनेसे मैं निर्लेप हूँ? मैं शुद्धबुद्धमुक्त हूँ इस प्रकार सूक्ष्मरीतिसे अहम् की गंध रह जायगी। मैं निर्लेप रहूँ मेरेमें कर्तृत्व नहीं है -- ऐसी स्थिति बहुत कालतक रहनेसे यह अहम् भी अपनेआप गल जायगा अर्थात् अपने कारण प्रकृतिमें लीन हो जायगा। सम्बन्ध -- पूर्वश्लोकमें यह बताया कि शुद्ध स्वरूपको कर्ता देखनेवाला दुर्मति ठीक नहीं देखता। तो ठीक देखनेवाला कौन है -- इसका वर्णन आगेके श्लोकमें करते हैं।

🪷 Place in the Bhagavad-Gītā

This is verse 16 of 78 in Chapter 18 · Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga (The Yoga of Liberation & Renunciation)
Chapter theme: BG 18.66 sarva-dharmān parityajya · the Carama-Śloka · supreme refuge
Ṣaṭka grouping: ANTYA-Ṣaṭka (BG 13-18 · the resolution)
Chapter hub: /moksha-sannyasa
⭐ Mahābhārata anchor: this verse is also MBh 6.40.16 (Bhīṣma-Parva · the BG in its full narrative home)

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🪷 ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय 🪷

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