14.8
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि
मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् ।
प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्
तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥
tamas tv ajñānajaṃ viddhi mohanaṃ sarvadehinām
pramādālasyanidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārata
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking, to Arjuna (अर्जुन).
The verse
But know tamas (तमस्) as born of ignorance, the deluder of every embodied one; it binds by negligence, by laziness, and by sleep, Bhārata (भारत).
नेपालीमा
तर तमस्लाई अज्ञानबाट जन्मेको, हरेक देहीलाई मोहित पार्ने भनेर जान, त्यो प्रमादले, आलस्यले र निद्राले बाँध्छ, हे भारत।
Where it sits
The three binds are now all on the table: sattva (सत्त्व) by happiness and knowledge, rajas (रजस्) by thirst and by action, and tamas (तमस्) by negligence, laziness, and sleep.
Split: तमः + तु + अज्ञान-जम् + विद्धि + मोहनम् + सर्व-देहिनाम् + प्रमाद-आलस्य-निद्राभिः + तत् + निबध्नाति + भारत
tamaḥ + tu + ajñāna-jam + viddhi + mohanam + sarva-dehinām + pramāda-ālasya-nidrābhiḥ + tat + nibadhnāti + bhārata
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| तमः | tamaḥ | accusative neuter | tamas (तमस्). The thing he is told to know. |
| तु | tu | indeclinable | but. The turn from rajas (रजस्). |
| अज्ञान-जम् | ajñāna-jam | accusative neuter | born of ignorance. --ja (ज) is "born." Agrees with tamaḥ (तमः). |
| विद्धि | viddhi | imperative, 2nd singular | know. |
| मोहनम् | mohanam | accusative neuter | deluding. Agrees with tamaḥ (तमः). |
| सर्व-देहिनाम् | sarva-dehinām | genitive plural | of all embodied ones. |
| प्रमाद-आलस्य-निद्राभिः | pramāda-ālasya-nidrābhiḥ | instrumental plural | by negligence, laziness, and sleep. One ending for three nouns. |
| तत् | tat | nominative neuter | that. tamas (तमस्). |
| निबध्नाति | nibadhnāti | present, 3rd singular | it binds. |
| भारत | bhārata | vocative | Bhārata (भारत). |
The phrases
tamaḥ tu ajñāna-jaṃ viddhi mohanaṃ sarva-dehinām (तमः तु अज्ञान-जं विद्धि मोहनं सर्व-देहिनाम्) matches the command of 14.7. But know tamas (तमस्) as born of ignorance, and as what deludes every embodied one. mohanam (मोहनम्) agrees with tamaḥ (तमः). sarva-dehinām (सर्व-देहिनाम्) says whom the deluding reaches.
pramāda-ālasya-nidrābhiḥ tat nibadhnāti (प्रमाद-आलस्य-निद्राभिः तत् निबध्नाति) is the bind. Negligence, laziness, and sleep. tat (तत्) is tamas (तमस्), the same subject-shape as in 14.7.
Sanskrit in this line
pramāda-ālasya-nidrābhiḥ (प्रमाद-आलस्य-निद्राभिः) is one instrumental plural for three nouns. pramāda (प्रमाद), ālasya (आलस्य), and nidrā (निद्रा) are negligence, laziness, and sleep. The ending --bhiḥ (भिः) is said once, on the last. It answers "by what" tamas (तमस्) binds. A reciter who gives the ending to nidrā (निद्रा) only, and lets the first two float free, has lost two of the three instruments.
Say it back
Cover the English. Say the three things tamas (तमस्) binds by, in order. If nidrā (निद्रा) drops out, stay here.