Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 31

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च ।
अयथावत्प्रजानाति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ राजसी ॥

Transliteration

yayā dharmamadharmaṃ ca kāryaṃ cākāryameva ca .
ayathāvatprajānāti buddhiḥ sā pārtha rājasī ॥

Meaning

That intellect by which one understands dharma and adharma, what ought to be done and what ought not, in a distorted way, O Partha, is rajasic.

Word meanings

यया – by which
धर्मम् – dharma, righteousness
अधर्मम् – adharma, unrighteousness
च – and
कार्यम् – what ought to be done
च – and
अकार्यम् – what ought not to be done
एव च – also
अयथावत् – incorrectly, not as it is
प्रजानाति – understands
बुद्धिः – intellect
सा – that
पार्थ – O Partha
राजसी – rajasic

Anvaya (word order)

पार्थ, यया धर्मम् अधर्मं च कार्यं च अकार्यम् एव च अयथावत् प्रजानाति, सा बुद्धिः राजसी ।

Explanation

The mark of the rajasic intellect is ayathavat — it does not understand right and wrong, duty and non-duty, as they truly are. Note that the rajasic intellect is not wholly blind; it knows that right and wrong exist, but sees the line between them blurred. As a reflection appears broken in rippling water, so truth appears distorted in an intellect stirred by desires.

The cause of this blurring is rajas. When the mind is full of craving, attachment and the wish for personal gain, the intellect cannot remain impartial. It sees what desire wants it to see. A person may know that taking a bribe is wrong, yet greed lets him invent justifications — 'everyone does it', 'it is my due', 'no one is harmed'. This is the ayathavat understanding of the rajasic intellect.

Of the four pairs given for the sattvic intellect, only two — dharma and adharma, karya and akarya — are mentioned here. Shankara explains that the rajasic intellect remains doubtful and uncertain in these matters. Sometimes it decides rightly, sometimes wrongly; it has no stability.

The remedy for the rajasic intellect is to quieten desire. When the storm of craving subsides, the waters of the intellect become still, and the reflection of truth appears clearly.

Context

The previous verse described the sattvic intellect. This verse describes the rajasic intellect, which understands right and wrong unclearly. The next verse (18.32) describes the tamasic intellect, which understands them in reverse.

Life lesson

When a decision is tied to your own desire or gain, be especially wary of your reasoning — desire is very skilled at constructing arguments. Ask yourself honestly whether you are seeing the truth or what you wish to see. Only a calm mind can decide clearly.

Key terms

Rajasi buddhi: Intellect that sees right and wrong in a blurred, distorted way
Ayathavat: Not as it truly is; incorrectly
Dharma-adharma: Right and wrong conduct