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स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा।कर्तुं नेच्छसि यन्मोहात्करिष्यस्यवशोऽपि तत्।।18.60।।

swbhāva-jena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā kartuṁ nechchhasi yan mohāt kariṣhyasy avaśho ’pi tat

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 18, Verse 60
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
O Arjuna, bound by your own Karma (action) born of your own nature, that which from delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do helplessly.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: bound by your own action, born of your own nature, that which you do not wish to do, you shall do even helplessly, extending this same point about inevitability specifically to actions arising from your own natural temperament, not just external obligation.

In life: your own natural temperament and habitual patterns tend to express themselves regardless of your conscious preference, resisting your own nature outright is often less effective than learning to work skillfully with it.

Teaching: for an aspect of your own natural temperament you've been resisting or fighting against, consider whether working skillfully with it might actually be more effective than continuing to resist a pattern that keeps expressing itself regardless.

swabhāva-jenaborn of one’s own material nature
kaunteyaArjun, the son of Kunti
nibaddhaḥbound
svenaby your own
karmaṇāactions
kartumto do
nanot
ichchhasiyou wish
yatwhich
mohātout of delusion
kariṣhyasiyou will do
avaśhaḥhelplessly
apieven though
tatthat

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
18.60 स्वभावजेन born of (thy) own nature? कौन्तेय O son of Kunti? निबद्धः bound? स्वेन (thy) own? कर्मणा by action? कर्तुम् to do? न not? इच्छसि (thou) wishest? यत् which? मोहात् from delusion? करिष्यसि (thou) shalt do? अवशः helpless? अपि also? तत् that.Commentary Thou art endowed? O Arjuna? with martial alities? prowess? valour? skill? etc. Thou art? therefore? bound by these innate alities. Thou wilt be forced to fight by thy own nature. Nature will constrain thee to fight? much against thy will.