Verse 18.31
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च | अयथावत्प्रजानाति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ राजसी ||३१||
Transliteration (IAST)
yayā dharmam adharmaṁ ca kāryaṁ cākāryam eva ca | ayathāvat prajānāti buddhiḥ sā pārtha rājasī ||31||
Word-by-Word Meanings
yayā-by which
dharmam-righteousness
adharmam-unrighteousness
kāryam-what should be done
akāryam-what should not be done
ayathāvat-incorrectly/imperfectly
prajānāti-understands
rājasī-rajasic
Translation
That intellect which imperfectly understands dharma and adharma, what ought to be done and what ought not - that intellect, O Partha, is rajasic.
Commentary
Rajasic intellect has partial understanding but confuses right and wrong. Shankaracharya explains that 'ayathāvat' (not as it truly is) indicates distorted perception - such a person may know dharma intellectually but applies it incorrectly due to desire-colored judgment. Madhva notes this intellect rationalizes selfish actions as righteous and dismisses genuine duty as unnecessary.
Themes
jnanadharma
Related Verses
jnana1 verse
dharma1 verse