Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 32

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसावृता ।
सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी ॥

Transliteration

adharmaṃ dharmamiti yā manyate tamasāvṛtā .
sarvārthānviparītāṃśca buddhiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī ॥

Meaning

That intellect which, enveloped in darkness, regards adharma as dharma and sees all things in reverse, O Partha, is tamasic.

Word meanings

अधर्मम् – unrighteousness
धर्मम् – righteousness
इति – as
या – which
मन्यते – regards
तमसा – by darkness, by tamas
आवृता – enveloped
सर्वार्थान् – all things
विपरीतान् – reversed, perverted
च – and
बुद्धिः – intellect
सा – that
पार्थ – O Partha
तामसी – tamasic

Anvaya (word order)

पार्थ, तमसा आवृता या अधर्मं ‘धर्मः’ इति मन्यते, सर्वार्थान् च विपरीतान् (मन्यते), सा बुद्धिः तामसी ।

Explanation

The tamasic intellect is the most degraded form of intelligence. The sattvic intellect sees truth clearly, the rajasic sees it dimly, but the tamasic sees it upside down. Adharmam dharmam iti ya manyate — it takes unrighteousness for righteousness. This is not a mere mistake but a complete inversion of values. As in darkness a rope appears to be a snake, so in an intellect covered by tamas evil appears good and good appears evil.

Sarvarthan viparitan — not only right and wrong, but all things are seen in reverse. Truth is taken as falsehood, friend as enemy, the beneficial as harmful and the harmful as beneficial. Such a person takes the counsel of a true teacher as hostility and the words of a flatterer as kindness.

In the Mahabharata, Duryodhana is the clearest example of this intellect. Krishna, Bhishma, Vidura and Gandhari — all his well-wishers showed him the path of peace, but he felt their advice as insult, and Shakuni's crooked counsel as help. He regarded seizing the Pandavas' rights as his 'dharma'. This is the destructive face of the tamasic intellect.

Tamasavrita, 'enveloped in darkness', also offers hope. What is covered is not destroyed; when the covering is removed it shines again. Good company, study, service and divine grace can lift this veil. Shankara says ignorance is this covering, and the light of knowledge removes it.

Context

The previous two verses described the sattvic and rajasic intellect. This verse describes the tamasic intellect. From the next verse (18.33) the three kinds of fortitude are described.

Life lesson

If the advice of well-wishers begins to feel bitter and the words of flatterers sweet, be alert — this is the veil of tamas over the intellect. Keep testing your values against wise company and scripture. The habit of listening humbly helps lift this veil.

Key terms

Tamasi buddhi: Intellect that takes wrong as right and sees everything in reverse
Tamasavrita: Enveloped in tamas, in darkness
Viparita: Reversed, perverted