18.30 Understanding that knows Krishna speaks
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये
बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी
pravṛittiṁ cha nivṛittiṁ cha kāryākārye bhayābhaye
bandhaṁ mokṣhaṁ cha yā vetti buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī
The understanding that knows action and inaction, what should be done and what should not, fear and fearlessness, bondage and release, is of clarity.
Explanation
Understanding that knows what is what.
Action and inaction, what should be done and what should not, fear and fearlessness, bondage and release.
Four pairs — and fear and fearlessness is in the middle of them. The highest understanding is defined partly by knowing when to be afraid, which chapter 1 is a study in getting wrong.
Word by word
- pravṛittim
- activities
- cha
- and
- nivṛittim
- renuncation from action
- cha
- and
- kārya
- proper action
- akārye
- improper action
- bhaya
- fear
- abhaye
- without fear
- bandham
- what is binding
- mokṣham
- what is liberating
- cha
- and
- yā
- which
- vetti
- understands
- buddhiḥ
- intellect
- sā
- that
- pārtha
- son of Pritha
- sāttvikī
- in the nature of goodness
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