Devanagari
ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ता च त्रिधैव गुणभेदत: ।
प्रोच्यते गुणसंख्याने यथावच्छृणु तान्यपि ॥ १९ ॥
Verse text
jṣānaṁ karma ca kartā ca
tridhaiva guṇa-bhedataḥ
procyate guṇa-saṅkhyāne
yathāvac chṛṇu tāny api
Synonyms
jṣānam
—
knowledge
;
karma
—
work
;
ca
—
also
;
kartā
—
worker
;
ca
—
also
;
tridhā
—
of three kinds
;
eva
—
certainly
;
guṇa-bhedataḥ
—
in terms of different modes of material nature
;
procyate
—
are said
;
guṇa-saṅkhyāne
—
in terms of different modes
;
yathā-vat
—
as they are
;
śṛṇu
—
hear
;
tāni
—
all of them
;
api
—
also.
Translation
According to the three different modes of material nature, there are three kinds of knowledge, action and performer of action. Now hear of them from Me.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
19. Hear about the three types of knowledge, action and the knower, which are described in the scriptures dealing with the guṇas.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
19. Hear about the three types of knowledge, action, and the doer, which are described in the scriptures dealing with the guṇas.
Purport
In the Fourteenth Chapter the three divisions of the modes of material nature were elaborately described. In that chapter it was said that the mode of goodness is illuminating, the mode of passion materialistic, and the mode of ignorance conducive to laziness and indolence. All the modes of material nature are binding; they are not sources of liberation. Even in the mode of goodness one is conditioned. In the Seventeenth Chapter, the different types of worship by different types of men in different modes of material nature were described. In this verse, the Lord says that He wishes to speak about the different types of knowledge, workers and work itself according to the three material modes.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
In analyzing and explaining the guṇas in the fourtheenth chapter with words such as tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvād (BG 14.6) the Lord showed the different types of bondage resulting from the guṇas. In the seventeenth chapter with words like yajante sāttvikā devān (BG17.4), the Lord explained the differing natures or impressions according to the guṇas. Now, according to the guṇas, the Lord will explain the three types of knowing, action and agent.