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अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः।विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते।।18.28।।

ayuktaḥ prākṛitaḥ stabdhaḥ śhaṭho naiṣhkṛitiko ‘lasaḥ viṣhādī dīrgha-sūtrī cha kartā tāmasa uchyate

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 18, Verse 28
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
Unsteady, vulgar, inflexible, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating - such an agent is called Tamasic.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: the agent who is undisciplined, vulgar, stubborn, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating, is said to be of the nature of ignorance, describing the dullest kind of person doing the acting, defined by chronic avoidance, deception, and inertia.

In life: chronic procrastination and avoidance, when severe and sustained, is more than just a productivity problem, it's named here as a genuine character quality worth taking seriously and working to shift, not a minor, incidental habit.

Teaching: if chronic procrastination or avoidance has become a persistent pattern rather than an occasional lapse, treat it with the seriousness this verse assigns it, as a genuine character quality worth deliberate, sustained work to shift, not a minor incidental habit to shrug off.

ayuktaḥundisciplined
prākṛitaḥvulgar
stabdhaḥobstinate
śhaṭhaḥcunning
naiṣhkṛitikaḥdishonest or vile
alasaḥslothful
viṣhādīunhappy and morose
dīrgha-sūtrīprocrastinating
chaand
kartāperformer
tāmasaḥin the mode of ignorance
uchyateis said to be

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
18.28 अयुक्तः unsteady? प्राकृतः vulgar? स्तब्धः unbending? शठः cheating? नैष्कृतिकः malicious? अलसः lazy? विषादी desponding? दीर्घसूत्री procrastinating? च and? कर्ता agent? तामसः Tamasic (dark)? उच्यते is said.Commentary Owing to his vulgar nature he is not able to discriminate between proper and improper actions. His heart is filled with vanity. He will never prostrate himself before the deity or a sage. He is very stiff and unbending in his demeanour. He is the very embodiment of deceit? the abode of the passion for gambling and all such vices. He is ever ready to do evil actions. When an opportunity for his doing good occurs? he is utterly slothful and inactive? but he is very alert in doing evil.Prakritah Vulgar Quite uncultured in intellect one who is childish.Stabdhah Unbending (like a stick)? not bowing down to anybody.Shathah Cheating concealing his real nature.Naishkritikah Creating arrels and disputes among the people.Alasah Lazy Not doing even that which ought to be done.Dirghasutri Postponing duties too long always slothful not performing even in a month what ought to be done today or tomorrow.