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Bhagavad-gītā 18.60

स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्ध: स्वेन कर्मणा । कर्तुं नेच्छसि यन्मोहात्करिष्यस्यवशोऽपि तत् ॥ ६० ॥
svabhāva-jena kaunteya
[svabhaava-jena kaunteya]
nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā
[nibaddhah svena karmanaa]
kartuṁ necchasi yan mohāt
[kartum nechchasi yan mohaat]
kariṣyasy avaśo ’pi tat
[karishyasy avasho ’pi tat]
Word-for-word
svabhāva - jena — born of your own nature kaunteya — O son of Kuntī nibaddhaḥ — conditioned svena — by your own karmaṇā — activities kartum — to do na — not icchasi — you like yat — that which mohāt — by illusion kariṣyasi — you will do avaśaḥ — involuntarily api — even tat — that .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
svabhāva-jena kaunteya
svabhāva - jena
born of your own nature
kaunteya
O son of Kuntī
nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā
nibaddhaḥ
conditioned
svena
by your own
karmaṇā
activities
kartuṁ necchasi yan mohāt
kartum
to do
na
not
icchasi
you like
yat
that which
mohāt
by illusion
kariṣyasy avaśo ’pi tat
kariṣyasi
you will do
avaśaḥ
involuntarily
api
even
tat
that .
Important Words
  • svabhāva-jena — born of one's own nature
    Instrumental compound. Repeated again — same word as in the varṇa-karma verses (42-44). Svabhāva is the chapter's drumbeat: your work is already shaped by your nature.
  • nibaddhaḥ — bound, conditioned
    Past participle. Arjuna is already *bound* by his nature. He is not a free chooser standing outside it; he is inside the mesh of his svabhāva-karma.
  • icchasi — you like
    Verb — negated in the verse with kartum (to do). Kṛṣṇa names Arjuna's actual emotional state. There is no scolding, just plain observation: you don't want to. Fine.
  • mohāt — by illusion
    Ablative. The reason for the refusal. Moha is back — same word from the chapter's opening verses on tāmasa-tyāga. Arjuna's renunciation, if enacted, would be tāmasa.
  • avaśaḥ — involuntarily
    Adjective — without will, helpless. With api: even involuntarily. Sharp word. Arjuna's choice is illusion; his nature will compel even an unwilling fighter.
Under illusion you are now declining to act according to My direction. But, compelled by the work born of your own nature, you will act all the same, O son of Kuntī.
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)
What Arjuna's delusion makes him refuse, his very svabhāva will force him to perform — helpless, against his stated will. Better to embrace it freely than be dragged. The compulsion of nature is gentle's enemy and yoga's friend.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse drives home v. 59's prakṛti-doctrine: not just abstractly compelling but specifically — Arjuna will pick up the bow whether he likes it or not. The wise course is to do it consciously, in yoga, rather than unconsciously in helpless agitation. A practical exhortation prepared by the cosmological claim of v. 61.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे कौन्तेय! स्व-भाव-जेन स्वेन कर्मणा निबद्धः त्वं यत् मोहात् कर्तुं न इच्छसि, तत् अवशः अपि करिष्यसि ।
he kaunteya! sva-bhāva-jena svena karmaṇā nibaddhaḥ tvaṃ yat mohāt kartuṃ na icchasi, tat avaśaḥ api kariṣyasi |
O son of Kuntī, bound by your own nature-born action, what from delusion you do not wish to do, that very thing — even helpless — you will do.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
स्वभाव-जेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा । कर्तुं न इच्छसि यत् मोहात् करिष्यसि अवशः अपि तत् ॥
svabhāva-jena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā | kartuṃ na icchasi yat mohāt kariṣyasi avaśaḥ api tat ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
स्वभाव-जेन svabhāva-jena tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)n. by what is born of nature
कौन्तेय kaunteya कौन्तेय (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O son of Kuntī
निबद्धः nibaddhaḥ नि + √बन्ध् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. bound
स्वेन svena स्व (adj.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)n. by own
कर्मणा karmaṇā कर्मन् (n.) ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by action
कर्तुम् kartum √कृ inf. (infinitive) to do
न na ind. (indeclinable) negation not
इच्छसि icchasi √इष् pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) you wish
यत् yat यद् (pron. (pronoun)) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. which
मोहात् mohāt मोह (m.) abl.sg. (ablative singular) from delusion
करिष्यसि kariṣyasi √कृ fut. (future) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) you will do
अवशः avaśaḥ अ + वश (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. helpless
अपि api ind. (indeclinable) even
तत् tat तद् (pron. (pronoun)) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. that
Purport

If one refuses to act under the direction of the Supreme Lord, then he is compelled to act by the modes in which he is situated. Everyone is under the spell of a particular combination of the modes of nature and is acting in that way. But anyone who voluntarily engages himself under the direction of the Supreme Lord becomes glorious.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
60. Being bound by actions arising from your nature, helplessly, you will do what you do not want to do out of bewilderment.
Commentary

Here the Lord expands the meaning of what he has just said. You are fettered by your actions arising from previous life impressions that give you qualities of the kṣatriya (svabhāva-jena).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
60. Even if you do not want to fight out of ignorance, you will do it anyway, against your own will, as you are bound by actions arising from your nature.
Commentary

The Lord elaborates on this point. If you, out of ignorance (mohāt), do not desire to fight, even though it is My order, being bound by your actions as kṣatriya (svena) which arises from your impressions (svabhāvajena karmaṇā), which is manifest by My material energy, you will do it anyway, against your will (avaśaḥ).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Krsna is preaching to all living entities to surrender to Him for their own interest. Now, after describing how to come to the Brahman platform and then engage in devotional service, the next section describes the Supersoul platform. [G. SURRENDER TO THE SUPERSOUL (18. 61‑63) The Supreme Lord is in everyone's heart, therefore, surrender to Him and attain His eternal abode. This is the most confidential knowledge, and Arjuna should deliberate on it before acting.]

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

“If you do not follow My orders, you will follow orders of lower nature like puppet”

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.60 And because of nibaddhah, being securely bound; svena, by your own; karmana, duty; svabhavajena, born of nature [Svabhava means those tendencies which are created by good bad actions performed in previous births, and which become the cause of performance of duties, renunciation, experience of happiness, sorrow, etc. in the present birth.-S.]-herosim etc. as stated (in 43); O son of Kunti, you avasah, being helpless, under another's control; karisyasi api, will verily do; tat, that duty; yat, which duty; you na, do not; icchasi, wish; kartum, to do; mohat, owing to indiscrimination. For,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.60 For, heroism is the duty of a Ksatriya born of his nature. Impelled by your own duty of heroism born of your own nature, you will lose self-control when you get the taunts of your enemies. Unable to suffer it, you will be compelled to engage them in battle, which, now, out of delusion and ignorance, you do not desire to do. All beings have been ordained by Me to follow their Prakrti acired by their previous Karmas. Listen about it:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.41-60 Brahmana - etc. upto avasopitat. Surely the intrinsic nature of the Brahmanas etc., does not voilate what has been difined (above) by way of classifying their duties. Therefore, as far as you are concerned, you have the intrinsic ality of the Ksatriya (warrior), and your nature i.e., intrinsic ality, does, without fail, assume the part of the inciter of yourself, even though you don't like it. For, a person who acts simply being incited by that (natural condition), there is the strong bondage of the merit or demerit. Therefore, perform actions following the means of correct knowledge, taught by Me. In that case, the bondage would disappear. The intention of the principal sentence (statement of the entire passage under study) is to help to get this idea. The meaning of the subordinate sentences (statements) is evident. Briefly (verse 50) : in short. Knowledge : i.e. the one which has been explained earlier. Nistha conveys, avoiding verbal jugglary, the meaning 'what has been determined'. He who is endowed with intellect totally pure etc. : All this has been almost explained already. Hence, no more trouble is taken [to comment upon it].
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.60 O Arjuna, bound by thy own Karma (action) born of thy own nature, that which from delusion thou wishest not to do, even that thou shalt do helplessly.
Commentary

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.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.60 Being bound by your own duty born of nature, O son of Kunti, you, being helpless, will verily do that which you do not wish to do owing to indiscrimination.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.60 O Arjuna! Thy duty binds thee. From thine own nature has it arisen, and that which in thy delusion thou desire not to do, that very thing thou shalt do. Thou art helpless.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.33 BG 3.5 BG 7.14 SB 11.22.11 SB 7.6.9 SB 5.5.4 CC Madhya 24.197 CC Antya 5.14 CC Madhya 22.24 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.5Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.7
Concepts
Bhava
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Bound by your own nature, you will be helplessly compelled to do that which, out of illusion, you wish to avoid.
Practical Applications
  • Stop resisting your own nature; consecrate it.
  • Recognize the futility of avoidance.
  • Embrace the compulsion as Kṛṣṇa's call.
Reflection Questions
  • What avoidance am I cultivating that nature will compel anyway?
  • What does early embrace allow?
Analogy

A wound-up clock with the alarm already set: the bell will sound at six whether or not the owner approves. Arjuna's svabhāva is the wound spring; the war is the alarm. The mechanism does not consult the sleeper's preferences.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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