Bhagavad-gītā 18.25
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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anubandham
—
consequence, future bondage
Literally 'that which binds after.' The tāmasa actor does not consider the karmic *aftermath* of the deed. Bondage is exactly what is ignored.
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kṣayam
—
destruction, loss
Resources, capacity, life-energy spent for nothing. The tāmasa actor does not count the cost — to himself or to the field of action.
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hiṁsām
—
violence, harm
Damage to others. Tāmasa karma is willing to break things and beings to accomplish itself. Hiṁsā is one of its diagnostic marks.
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mohāt
—
out of illusion
Ablative of cause. The whole motive structure rests on moha — confusion about what is real and what is right. Same root as the moha Arjuna himself was rescued from.
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tāmasam
—
in the mode of ignorance
The classification. The verse completes the threefold karma analysis — sattva regulates, rajas strains, tamas devastates.
One has to give account of one’s actions to the state or to the agents of the Supreme Lord called the Yamadūtas. Irresponsible work is destructive because it destroys the regulative principles of scriptural injunction. It is often based on violence and is distressing to other living entities. Such irresponsible work is carried out in the light of one’s personal experience. This is called illusion. And all such illusory work is a product of the mode of ignorance.
That work which leads to later bondage by the servants of Yama, by a king or by thieves (anubandham), which destroys dharma, knowledge and other good qualities (kṣayam), which destroys oneself (hiṁsām), which is performed without prior consideration (anapekṣya), which is performed only by materialistic persons (pauruṣam), commenced out of ignorance (mohāt), is called tamasic work.
That action which later (anu) causes bondage by the king or Yamarāja, which destroys such things as dharma, that afflicts other living entities, which is done forcibly (pauruṣam), that is, without consideration of anyone, and out of illusion, is called action in the mode of ignorance.
18.25 अनुबन्धम् conseence? क्षयम् loss? हिंसाम् injury? अनपेक्ष्य without regard? च and? पौरुषम् (ones own) ability? मोहात् from delusion? आरभ्यते is undertaken? कर्म action? यत् which? तत् that? तामसम् Tamasic (dark)? उच्यते is said.Commentary Tamasic acts cause harm to others. A Tamasic man reflects not at all whether he has the capacity to perform these useless actions? but continues to act blindly. With utter thoughtlessness he sets aside any reflection as to the difficulty of performing the action and what the result of it would be. He carries it on in his own egoistical manner. He does not discriminate between the good and the bad? or what is ones own and what belongs to another.Kshayam Loss of power and of wealth? resulting from the performance of an action.Himsa Injury to living beings.Paurusham Ones own ability or capacity to complete the work.Now listen to the characteristics that pertain to the pure agent. The Lord proceeds to deal with the distinction among the agents.
- Always consider consequences.
- Refuse harm-causing action.
- Stay scripture-aligned.
- Where have I acted without considering consequence?
- What scripture would have guided?
A drunkard swings an axe in the dark without checking for tree, child, or temple. He cares neither for what the blow will cost nor whom it will wound. Tāmasa karma is precisely this: action begun without thought of consequence, scripture, or harm.
My note
Source: vedabase.io