FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.31

यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च । अयथावत्प्रजानाति बुद्धि: सा पार्थ राजसी ॥ ३१ ॥
yayā dharmam adharmaṁ ca
[yayaa dharmam adharmam cha]
kāryaṁ cākāryam eva ca
[kaaryam chaakaaryam eva cha]
ayathāvat prajānāti
[ayathaavat prajaanaati]
buddhiḥ sā pārtha rājasī
[buddhih saa paartha raajasee]
Word-for-word
yayā — by which dharmam — the principles of religion adharmam — irreligion ca — and kāryam — what ought to be done ca — also akāryam — what ought not to be done eva — certainly ca — also ayathā - vat — imperfectly prajānāti — knows buddhiḥ — intelligence sā — that pārtha — O son of Pṛthā rājasī — in the mode of passion .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yayā dharmam adharmaṁ ca
yayā
by which
dharmam
the principles of religion
adharmam
irreligion
ca
and
kāryaṁ cākāryam eva ca
kāryam
what ought to be done
ca
also
akāryam
what ought not to be done
eva
certainly
ca
also
ayathāvat prajānāti
ayathā - vat
imperfectly
prajānāti
knows
buddhiḥ sā pārtha rājasī
buddhiḥ
intelligence
sā
that
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
rājasī
in the mode of passion .
Important Words
  • adharmam — irreligion
    With dharmam: the fundamental pair. Rājasa buddhi *cannot reliably tell them apart*. It is not actively inverting them — that comes in verse 32 — but it is muddled at the threshold.
  • akāryam — what is not to be done
    With kāryam: the everyday application. Rājasa intelligence wavers on practical dharma — sometimes right, sometimes wrong, never reliably either.
  • ayathā-vat — not as it actually is
    Adverb — 'not according to the real.' The hallmark of rājasa cognition: things are seen, but not seen accurately. Distortion is the signature.
  • prajānāti — knows
    Pra-jñā — knows fully. Used here with the qualifier ayathā-vat, the verse essentially says: 'this buddhi *thinks* it knows fully, but its knowing is off-true.'
  • rājasī — in the mode of passion
    Feminine form. The classification. Most modern educated intelligence sits in this category — busy, confident, well-credentialed, and just-a-little-wrong on the central questions.
O son of Pṛthā, that understanding which cannot distinguish between religion and irreligion, between action that should be done and action that should not be done, is in the mode of passion.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Rājasī intelligence misreads the moral landscape — confuses dharma with adharma and duty with non-duty. Not total inversion, but persistent distortion: passionate self-interest skews the judgment.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Where sāttvikī buddhi distinguishes correctly, rājasī distinguishes wrongly. 'Ayathāvat' (not as it really is) is the key term — the rājasī mind is not blind but biased, perceiving duty through the lens of desire. This is the typical condition of competent but compromised judgment.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे पार्थ! यया धर्मम् अधर्मं च कार्यम् अकार्यम् च एव अयथावत् प्रजानाति, सा बुद्धिः राजसी ।
he pārtha! yayā dharmam adharmaṃ ca kāryam akāryam ca eva ayathāvat prajānāti, sā buddhiḥ rājasī |
O Pārtha, that intelligence by which one wrongly cognizes dharma and adharma, what should and should not be done — that is rājasī.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
यया धर्मम् अधर्मं च कार्यं च अकार्यम् एव च । अयथावत् प्रजानाति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ राजसी ॥
yayā dharmam adharmaṃ ca kāryaṃ ca akāryam eva ca | ayathāvat prajānāti buddhiḥ sā pārtha rājasī ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
यया yayā यद् (pron. (pronoun)) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)f. by which
धर्मम् dharmam धर्म (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) right order
अधर्मम् adharmam अ + धर्म (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) wrong
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
कार्यम् kāryam √कृ gerundive acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. what should be done
अकार्यम् akāryam अ + कार्य acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. what should not be done
एव eva ind. (indeclinable) indeed
अयथावत् ayathāvat ind. (indeclinable) improperly
प्रजानाति prajānāti प्र + √ज्ञा pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) cognizes
बुद्धिः buddhiḥ बुद्धि (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) intelligence
सा sā तद् (pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)f. that
पार्थ pārtha पार्थ (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O Pārtha
राजसी rājasī राजसी (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)f. rājasī
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
31. That intelligence is of rajo-guṇa, which does not understand correctly what is dharma and adharma, and what is to be done as duty and what is not to be done as duty.
Commentary

The person of rajasic intelligence does not correctly understand (ayathāvat) the distinctions.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
31. That intelligence is of raja guṇa, which does not understand completely what is dharma and adharma, and what is to be done as duty and what is not to be done as duty.
Commentary

This verse explains intelligence in the mode of passion. Ayathāvat means “not completely.”

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Understanding in passion

That which cannot distinguish between religion and irreligion
Between action that should be done and action that should not be done
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.31 O Partha, sa, that; buddhih, intellect; is rajasi, born of rajas; yaya, with which; prajanati, one understands; ayathavat, wrongly, not truly, not by discerning it from all points of view; dharmam, virtue, as prescribed by the scritpures; and adharmam, vice, what is prohibited by them; [By dharma and adharma are implied the seen and the unseen results of actions as revealed by the scriptures; karya and akarya respectively refer to the actual doing of what ought to be done and the not doing of what ought not to be done.] ca eva, as also; karyam, what ought to be done; and akaryam, what ought not to be done-those very 'duty' and 'what is not duty' as stated earlier.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.31 That Buddhi by which one does not know exactly the twofold Dharma previously mentioned and its opposite, and what ought to be done and what ought not to be done by those intent on them in accordance with place, time and conditions - that Buddhi is Rajasika.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.31 See Comment under 18.32
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.31 That, by which one wrongly understands Dharma and Adharma and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done that intellect, O Arjuna, is Rajasic (passionate).
Commentary

18.31 यया by which? धर्मम् Dharma? अधर्मम् Adharma? च and? कार्यम् what ought to be done? च and? अकार्यम् what ought not to be done? एव even? च and? अयथावत् wrongly? प्रजानाति understands? बुद्धिः intellect? सा that? पार्थ O Partha? राजसी Rajasic (passionate).Commentary There is no proper eivalent in the English language for the word Dharma. Duty? righteousness? virtue? law are very poor translations of the word. That which elevates you and takes you to the goal? i.e.? Brahman or the Self? is Dharma. That which hurls you down into the dark abyss of ignorance is Adharma. What is ordained in the scriptures is Dharma what is prohibited by them is Adharma. A Rajasic intellect is not able to distinguish between right and wrong or to understand the difference between righteous and unrighteous actions.Ayathavat Wrongly Contrary to what is determined by all authorities or men of wisdom or to the highest knowledge.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.31 O Partha, that intellect is born of rajas with which one wrongly understands virtue and vice as also what ought to be done and ought not to be done.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.31 The intellect which does not understand what is right and what is wrong, and what should be done and what not, is under the sway of Passion.
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)
Related verses
BG 2.7 BG 4.16 BG 16.7 SB 11.25.26 SB 7.5.31 SB 6.1.38 CC Madhya 22.88 CC Madhya 24.248 CC Madhya 25.31 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.4Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.8
Concepts
Dharma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Understanding that confuses dharma and adharma, what should be done and what shouldn't — rajasic.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize confusion of dharma/adharma as rajasic.
  • Bring the confusion to scripture and guide.
  • Don't trust your fog.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I currently fogged?
  • What would clarification require?
Analogy

A traveler with a broken compass walks confidently in a direction he insists is north, ignoring the wobble of the needle and the slant of the sun. Rājasa buddhi is exactly this: confident, busy, in motion — and reliably off-course on the questions that matter most.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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