FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.30

ప్రవృత్తిం చ నివృత్తిం చ కార్యాకార్యే భయాభయే । బన్ధం మోక్షం చ యా వేత్తి బుద్ధి: సా పార్థ సాత్త్వికీ ॥ ౩౦ ॥
pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca
[pravrittim cha nivrittim cha]
kāryākārye bhayābhaye
[kaaryaakaarye bhayaabhaye]
bandhaṁ mokṣaṁ ca yā vetti
[bandham moksham cha yaa vetti]
buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī
[buddhih saa paartha saattvikee]
Word-for-word
pravṛttim — doing ca — also nivṛttim — not doing ca — and kārya — what ought to be done akārye — and what ought not to be done bhaya — fear abhaye — and fearlessness bandham — bondage mokṣam — liberation ca — and yā — that which vetti — knows buddhiḥ — understanding sā — that pārtha — O son of Pṛthā sāttvikī — in the mode of goodness .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca
pravṛttim
doing
ca
also
nivṛttim
not doing
ca
and
kāryākārye bhayābhaye
kārya
what ought to be done
akārye
and what ought not to be done
bhaya
fear
abhaye
and fearlessness
bandhaṁ mokṣaṁ ca yā vetti
bandham
bondage
mokṣam
liberation
ca
and
yā
that which
vetti
knows
buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī
buddhiḥ
understanding
sā
that
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
sāttvikī
in the mode of goodness .
Important Words
  • pravṛttim — engagement (what to do)
    The action to be undertaken. Sāttvika buddhi knows when to step in. Pravṛtti and nivṛtti together cover the entire space of decision.
  • nivṛttim — disengagement (what not to do)
    The action to be refrained from. Knowing when *not* to act is half of dharma. The verse pairs this with pravṛtti because they are inseparable.
  • abhaye — in fearlessness
    With bhaya — discerning legitimate from illegitimate fear is itself a major task of buddhi. Most spiritual paralysis comes from misplaced fear or its absence; sāttvika buddhi knows which is which.
  • mokṣam — liberation
    With bandham, the largest pair. Sāttvika buddhi finally distinguishes what enslaves from what frees — the ultimate task of intelligence. Without this discrimination, all the others are decorative.
  • sāttvikī — in the mode of goodness
    Feminine form to agree with buddhi. The classification — and the disciple's aspirational target. This is the buddhi the entire spiritual path is trying to cultivate.
O son of Pṛthā, that understanding by which one knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, is in the mode of goodness.
Purport

Performing actions in terms of the directions of the scriptures is called pravṛtti, or executing actions that deserve to be performed. And actions which are not so directed are not to be performed. One who does not know the scriptural directions becomes entangled in the actions and reactions of work. Understanding which discriminates by intelligence is situated in the mode of goodness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
30. The intelligence of sattva-guṇa understands the difference between dharma and adharma, what should be done and what should not be done, what is to be feared and not feared, and the difference between bondage and liberation.
Commentary

The person of sattvic intelligence understands the difference between fear caused by saṁsāra and fearlessness caused by freedom from saṁsāra.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
30. The intelligence of sattva guṇa understands the difference between dharma and adhdarma, what should be done and what should not be done, what is to be feared and not feared, and the difference between bondage and liberation.
Commentary

In three verses the Lord describes intelligence according to the three guṇas. That intelligence which knows what to do (dharma) and what not to do (adharma); which knows that niṣkarma karma should be performed and sakāma karma should not be performed (kāryākārye); which knows fear of doing what is not mentioned in the scripture and knows no fear of doing what is prescribed by the scriptures (bhayābhaye); which knows the nature of saṁsāra (bandham) and what destroys it (mokṣa)—that intelligence is in the mode of goodness. The sentence structure should actually be “That knowledge by which one knows dharma and adharma ….” The instrument is used as the agent, as when we say the axe cuts the tree, when we mean that the man cut the tree using the axe.

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

Understanding in goodness

One knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done
What is to be feared and what is not to be feared
What is binding and what is liberating
Performing actions in terms of scriptural directions is called “pravrtti”
Not doing such actions leads to entanglement
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.30 O Partha, sa, that; buddhih, intellect; is sattviki, born of sattva; ya, which; vetti, understands; pravrttim, action, the path of rites and duties, which is the cause of bondage; and nivrttim, withdrawal, the path of renunciation, which is the cause of Liberation-since action and withdrawal are mentioned in the same sentence along with bondage and freedom, therefore they mean 'the path of rites and duties and of renunciation'-; karya-akarye, duty and what is not duty, i.e. what is enjoined or prohibited, [Ast. adds laukike vaidike va (ordinary or Vedic injunctions and prohibitions) after vihita-pratisiddhe; and it adds sastrabuddheh before kartavya-akartavye-what ougth to be done or ought not to be done by one who relies on the scriptures.-Tr.] what ought to be done or ought not to be done, action and inaction. With regard to what? With regard to action leading to seen or unseen, results, undertaken according to place, time, etc. Bhaya-adhaye, the sources of fear and fearlessness, i.e. the cuases of fear and fearlessness, with regard to seen or unseen objects; bandham, bondage, along with its cause; and moksam, freedom, along with its cause. In this context, knowing is a function of the intellect; but the intellect is the possesser of the function. Fortitude also is only a particular function of the intellect.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.30 'Activity' is that Dharma which is the means for wordly prosperity. 'Renunciation' is that Dharma which is the means for release. The Buddhi which knows both these as they are, is Sattviki-buddhi. Further, such a Buddhi is capable of distinguishing between what ought to be done and what ought not to be done by persons of different stations in life, having as their duty activity or renunciation at particular places or times. Such a Buddhi helps them to know 'This ought to be done and this ought not to be done.' Such a Buddhi discerns transgression of the Sastras as the cause of fear and observance of the Sastras as the cause of fearlessness. It enables one to distinguish between bondage and release, the true nature of Samsara and deliverance from it. The Buddhi that functions in these ways is Sattvika.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.30 See Comment under 18.32
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.30 The intellect which knows the path of work and renunciation, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation that intellect is Sattvic (pure), O Arjuna.
Commentary

18.30 प्रवृत्तिम् action? the path of work? च and? निवृत्तिम् the path of renunciation? च and? कार्याकार्ये what ought to be done and what ought not to be done? भयाभये fear and fearlessness? बन्धम् bondage? मोक्षम् liberation? च and? या which? वेत्ति knows? बुद्धिः intellect? सा that? पार्थ O Arjuna? सात्त्विकी Sattvic.Commentary The threefold nature of knowledge has been described already (verse 22 above). Now the threefold nature of the intellect is described. Knowledge is different from the intellect.Pravritti Action The cause of bondage the path of action. Nivritti Inaction The cause of liberation the path of renunciation the path of Sannyasa.Karyakarye The pure intellect knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done at,particular places and times it knows the actions that produce visible or invisible results? that are enjoined or prohibited by the scriptures. It guides a man who relies on the scriptural ordinances for his daily conduct of life.Bhayabhaye Fear and fearlessness The cause of fear and fearlessness either visible or invisible.Bandham moksham Bondage and liberation together with their causes.Knowledge is a Vritti (function or state) of the intellect whereas intellect is what functions or undergoes the change of state. Even firmness is only a particular Vritti (modification or state) of the intellect. (Cf.XVIII.20)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.30 O Partha, that intellect is born of sattva which understands action and withdrawal, duty and what is not duty, the sources of fear and fearlessness, and bondage and freedom.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.30 That intellect which understands the creation and dissolution of life, what actions should be done and what not, which discriminates between fear and fearlessness, bondage and deliverance, that is Pure.
Related values & verses
Primary values
Discriminative Wisdom
Related values
Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Kartavya (Duty / Responsibility)Satya (Truthfulness)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Shanti (Peace / Tranquility)
Related verses
BG 2.41 BG 16.7 BG 4.16 SB 11.25.25 SB 11.19.36 SB 3.25.18 CC Madhya 22.87 CC Madhya 24.213 CC Madhya 22.8 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.2Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Understanding that knows what should be done and what should not, what to fear and not, what binds and liberates — sattvic.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate the four-fold sattvic understanding: do/don't, fear/don't fear, binds/liberates.
  • Apply it to current decisions.
  • Use the verse as decision-making frame.
Reflection Questions
  • Which decision currently needs this four-fold check?
  • What does the check reveal?
Analogy

A mountain guide who knows which paths reach the summit, which lead to cliffs, which require fear and which do not, which lead home and which lead to imprisonment. Sāttvika buddhi is this guide — and walking with her, one need not invent one's own map at each crossroads.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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