Chapter 18, Verse 31
Moksha Sanyaas Yoga — Sanskrit shloka, transliteration, word meanings, English translation, and commentary.
Original Sanskrit verse
Transliteration
Word meanings
yayā—by which; dharmam—righteousness; adharmam—unrighteousness; cha—and; kāryam—right conduct; cha—and; akāryam—wrong conduct; eva—certainly; cha—and; ayathā-vat—confused; prajānāti—distinguish; buddhiḥ—intellect; sā—that; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; rājasī—in the mode of passion
English translation
That by which one wrongly understands dharma and adharma, and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done—that intellect, O Arjuna, is rajasic (passionate).
— Swami Sivananda
Listen to Shloka 18.31
Commentary
There is no proper eivalent in the English language for the word Dharma. Duty; righteousness; virtue; law are very poor translations of the word. That which elevates you and takes you to the goal; i.e.; Brahman or the Self; is Dharma. That which hurls you down into the dark abyss of ignorance is Adharma. What is ordained in the scriptures is Dharma what is prohibited by them is Adharma. A Rajasic intellect is not able to distinguish between right and wrong or to understand the difference between righteous and unrighteous actions. Ayathavat Wrongly Contrary to what is determined by all authorities or men of wisdom or to the highest knowledge.
Commentary by Swami Sivananda
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