Bhagavad Gita · 18.14

Chapter 18, Verse 14

Moksha Sanyaas Yoga — Sanskrit shloka, transliteration, word meanings, English translation, and commentary.

Original Sanskrit verse

अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्।विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्।।18.14।।

Transliteration

adhiṣhṭhānaṁ tathā kartā karaṇaṁ cha pṛithag-vidham vividhāśh cha pṛithak cheṣhṭā daivaṁ chaivātra pañchamam

Word meanings

adhiṣhṭhānam—the body; tathā—also; kartā—the doer (soul); karaṇam—senses; cha—and; pṛithak-vidham—various kinds; vividhāḥ—many; cha—and; pṛithak—distinct; cheṣhṭāḥ—efforts; daivam—Divine Providence; cha eva atra—these certainly are (causes); pañchamam—the fifth

English translation

The body, the doer, the various senses, the different functions of various kinds, and the presiding deity—the fifth.

— Swami Sivananda

💬 Share on WhatsApp ✈️ Telegram
Sacred Audio Recitation

Listen to Shloka 18.14

Commentary

Now listen to the characteristics of these five; of which the body is the first. It is termed the support or the seat. The body is the seat of desire; hatred; happiness; misery; knowledge and the like. The individual soul experiences through the body the pleasure and pain that arise through contact with matter. Egoism is the agent or the doer or the enjoyer. Nature does actions but through delusion the individual soul takes to himself the credit of their execution and; therefore; he is called the agent. Karta The enjoyer putting on the nature or properties of the limiting adjuncts with which he comes into contact. Karanam prithagvidham Various organs such as the organ of hearing; by which the individual soul hears the sound; etc. organs of knowledge and action and the mind. Daivam The presiding deity such as the Sun and the other gods by whose help the eye and the other organs perform their respective functions destiny. Cheshta Play of energy in the organs or the senses during the action. Absence of any of these factors will make action impossible.

Commentary by Swami Sivananda

Mobile App Edition

Read Bhagavad Gita Offline

Save bookmarks, listen to Sanskrit shloka recitations, and track your daily spiritual reading progress in our lightweight Android mobile app.

Get on Google Play