Bg. 18.15

BG 18.15

Devanagari

शरीरवाङ्‍मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नर: । न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतव: ॥ १५ ॥

Verse text

śarīra-vāṅ-manobhir yat karma prārabhate naraḥ nyāyyaṁ vā viparītaṁ vā paṣcaite tasya hetavaḥ

Synonyms

śarīra by the body ; vāk speech ; manobhiḥ and mind ; yat which ; karma work ; prārabhate begins ; naraḥ a person ; nyāyyam right ; or ; viparītam the opposite ; or ; paṣca five ; ete all these ; tasya its ; hetavaḥ causes.

Translation

Whatever right or wrong action a man performs by body, mind or speech is caused by these five factors.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

15. These five are the causes of all actions both dharmic and adharmic that man performs with his body, words or mind.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

15. These five are the causes of all actions both dharmic and adharmic that man performs with his body, words or mind.

Purport

The words “right” and “wrong” are very significant in this verse. Right work is work done in terms of the prescribed directions in the scriptures, and wrong work is work done against the principles of the scriptural injunctions. But whatever is done requires these five factors for its complete performance.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Actions are of three types: physical, vocal and mental. These are all of two types: following dharma (nyāyam) or not following dharma (viparītam). The five are causes of all these actions.

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

Nyāyyam means “according to the scriptures” and viparītam means “not according to the scriptures.”

Surrender Unto Me

The Supersoul, as we know, even sanctions 'asastric' work, work against the sastras.