Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 15

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः ।
न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः ॥

Transliteration

śarīravāṅmanobhiryatkarma prārabhate naraḥ .
nyāyyaṃ vā viparītaṃ vā pañcaite tasya hetavaḥ ॥

Meaning

Whatever action a person undertakes with body, speech or mind, whether right or contrary to right, these five are its causes.

Word meanings

शरीरवाङ्मनोभिः – by body, speech and mind
यत् – whatever
कर्म – action
प्रारभते – undertakes
नरः – a person
न्याय्यम् – right, just
वा – or
विपरीतम् – the opposite, unjust
वा – or
पञ्च – five
एते – these
तस्य – its
हेतवः – causes

Anvaya (word order)

नरः शरीरवाङ्मनोभिः न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा यत् कर्म प्रारभते, तस्य एते पञ्च हेतवः ।

Explanation

This verse makes the preceding analysis universal. Every action a person performs takes place through three channels — body, speech and mind. Walking, speaking and thinking all fall within these. Krishna says that any such action, whether nyayya, in accord with dharma and scripture, or viparita, contrary to it, arises from the combination of these same five causes.

It is significant that good and bad actions have the same causes. This does not mean that morality is unimportant; it means that the mechanism of action is the same in both. The difference lies in the intention, direction and quality that move the doer. So attention must be given to the inner disposition, for that is what makes an act righteous or unrighteous.

From here Krishna moves towards the conclusion of the next verse: if every action arises from these five causes, how can the pure Self, which is none of them, be the doer? Shankara uses precisely this reasoning to establish the non-doership of the Self. Ramanuja emphasises that the individual soul is indeed an agent, but its agency depends upon the Supreme; hence one should drop the pride of doership and recognise the Lord as the principal cause.

Context

The previous verse enumerated the five causes of action. This verse states that all actions — physical, verbal, mental, good or bad — arise from these five. In the next verse (18.16) Krishna says that one who nonetheless regards the Self alone as the doer is deluded.

Life lesson

All our actions — of body, speech and mind — arise from many causes, but their direction is set by our inner disposition. Treat your thoughts and words as actions too, and guard their purity. The morality of an act is hidden in the intention behind it.

Key terms

Body-speech-mind: The three channels of action
Nyayya: Right, in accord with dharma
Viparita: Contrary to dharma
Hetu: Cause