Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 30

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये ।
बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी ॥

Transliteration

pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca kāryākārye bhayābhaye .
bandhaṃ mokṣaṃ ca yā vetti buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī ॥

Meaning

That intellect which knows the path of action and the path of withdrawal, what ought to be done and what ought not, what is to be feared and what is not, what binds and what liberates — that intellect, O Partha, is sattvic.

Word meanings

प्रवृत्तिम् – the path of action, engagement
च – and
निवृत्तिम् – the path of withdrawal, renunciation
च – and
कार्याकार्ये – what ought and ought not to be done
भयाभये – what is to be feared and what is not
बन्धम् – bondage
मोक्षम् – liberation
च – and
या – which
वेत्ति – knows
बुद्धिः – intellect
सा – that
पार्थ – O Partha
सात्त्विकी – sattvic

Anvaya (word order)

पार्थ, या बुद्धिः प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च, कार्याकार्ये, भयाभये, बन्धं मोक्षं च वेत्ति, सा सात्त्विकी ।

Explanation

Sattvic intellect is defined through four pairs, each representing a crucial area of life's decisions. The first pair is pravritti and nivritti — when to engage in action and when to withdraw from it. Shankara also reads these as the path of action and the path of renunciation. The sattvic intellect knows which path is fitting for which person at which stage of life.

The second pair is karya and akarya — what ought to be done and what ought not. This is discernment of right and wrong according to place, time and circumstance. The third is bhaya and abhaya — what is to be feared and what is not. This is very subtle. The sattvic intellect fears unrighteousness, sin and disgrace, but does not fear the hardship or even death that may come in fulfilling duty. Arjuna was doing exactly the reverse: he feared the duty of battle but not the unrighteousness of abandoning it.

The fourth and deepest pair is bandha and moksha — what binds and what liberates. The sattvic intellect knows that attachment, ego and ignorance bind, while knowledge, detachment and devotion set free. Knowing this sets the direction of spiritual life.

The word vetti, 'knows', implies not only theoretical knowledge but practical clarity. The sattvic intellect is clear as a mirror, reflecting a situation exactly as it is.

Context

The previous verse announced the threefold classification of intellect and fortitude. This verse describes the sattvic intellect. The next verse (18.31) describes the rajasic intellect, and 18.32 the tamasic.

Life lesson

Keep clarity on four questions: when to go forward and when to hold back, what to do and what not to do, what to fear and what not to fear, and what binds and what frees. Fear what is wrong, not what is hard. A clear intellect is the foundation of a well-lived life.

Key terms

Sattviki buddhi: Intellect that clearly knows right and wrong, bondage and freedom
Pravritti-nivritti: Engagement in action and withdrawal from it
Karya-akarya: What ought and ought not to be done
Bhaya-abhaya: The true grounds of fear and fearlessness
Bandha-moksha: Bondage and liberation