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प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये।बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी।।18.30।।

pravṛittiṁ cha nivṛittiṁ cha kāryākārye bhayābhaye bandhaṁ mokṣhaṁ cha yā vetti buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 18, Verse 30
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
The intellect which knows the path of work and renunciation, what should be done and what should not be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation - that intellect is Sattvic (pure), O Arjuna.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: the intellect that knows action and inaction, what should and should not be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, is of the nature of goodness, defining the clearest kind of discernment by its ability to correctly distinguish these fundamental pairs.

In life: clear discernment, in this framing, isn't about having more information than everyone else, it's specifically the ability to correctly tell apart these fundamental pairs, action from inaction, what should be done from what shouldn't, in your actual daily decisions.

Teaching: use these specific pairs, action versus inaction, what should versus shouldn't be done, as an actual checklist the next time you're facing a genuinely confusing decision, clear discernment shows up in correctly sorting exactly these kinds of distinctions.

pravṛittimactivities
chaand
nivṛittimrenuncation from action
chaand
kāryaproper action
akāryeimproper action
bhayafear
abhayewithout fear
bandhamwhat is binding
mokṣhamwhat is liberating
chaand
yāwhich
vettiunderstands
buddhiḥintellect
sāthat
pārthason of Pritha
sāttvikīin the nature of goodness

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
18.30 प्रवृत्तिम् action? the path of work? च and? निवृत्तिम् the path of renunciation? च and? कार्याकार्ये what ought to be done and what ought not to be done? भयाभये fear and fearlessness? बन्धम् bondage? मोक्षम् liberation? च and? या which? वेत्ति knows? बुद्धिः intellect? सा that? पार्थ O Arjuna? सात्त्विकी Sattvic.Commentary The threefold nature of knowledge has been described already (verse 22 above). Now the threefold nature of the intellect is described. Knowledge is different from the intellect.Pravritti Action The cause of bondage the path of action. Nivritti Inaction The cause of liberation the path of renunciation the path of Sannyasa.Karyakarye The pure intellect knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done at,particular places and times it knows the actions that produce visible or invisible results? that are enjoined or prohibited by the scriptures. It guides a man who relies on the scriptural ordinances for his daily conduct of life.Bhayabhaye Fear and fearlessness The cause of fear and fearlessness either visible or invisible.Bandham moksham Bondage and liberation together with their causes.Knowledge is a Vritti (function or state) of the intellect whereas intellect is what functions or undergoes the change of state. Even firmness is only a particular Vritti (modification or state) of the intellect. (Cf.XVIII.20)