Verse 18.13
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे | साङ्ख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम् ||१३||
Transliteration (IAST)
pañcaitāni mahā-bāho kāraṇāni nibodha me | sāṅkhye kṛtānte proktāni siddhaye sarva-karmaṇām ||13||
Word-by-Word Meanings
pañca-five
etāni-these
mahā-bāho-O mighty-armed one
kāraṇāni-causes/factors
nibodha-learn/understand
sāṅkhye-in the Sankhya philosophy
kṛtānte-for the accomplishment
siddhaye-for the completion
Translation
Learn from Me, O mighty-armed one, the five factors declared in Sankhya philosophy for the accomplishment of all actions.
Commentary
Krishna introduces the Sankhya analysis of action, identifying five factors necessary for any action to occur. Shankaracharya explains that understanding these five causes liberates one from the false notion of being the sole doer. Ramanuja notes that 'Sankhya' here refers to Vedantic analysis, not the separate Sankhya school, as the purpose is to establish the self's non-agency.
Themes
jnanakarma