18.15 Body, speech or mind Krishna speaks
शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः
न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः
śharīra-vāṅ-manobhir yat karma prārabhate naraḥ
nyāyyaṁ vā viparītaṁ vā pañchaite tasya hetavaḥ
Whatever action a person undertakes with body, speech or mind, whether right or wrong, these five are its causes.
Explanation
Body, speech or mind — and either way, these five.
Whether right or wrong. The analysis does not distinguish good acts from bad in its account of how they happen.
Which is what makes it usable. The mechanism is the same in both directions, so the relief it offers is not available selectively.
Word by word
- śharīra-vāk-manobhiḥ
- with body, speech, or mind
- yat
- which
- karma
- action
- prārabhate
- performs
- naraḥ
- a person
- nyāyyam
- proper
- vā
- or
- viparītam
- improper
- vā
- or
- pañcha
- five
- ete
- these
- tasya
- their
- hetavaḥ
- factors
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