18.6
एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च ।
कर्तव्यानीति मे पार्थ
निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम् ॥
etāny api tu karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā phalāni ca
kartavyānīti me pārtha niścitaṃ matam uttamam
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking, to Arjuna (अर्जुन). pārtha (पार्थ) is the name he uses here, the son of Pṛthā (पृथा).
The verse
Even these actions are to be done, son of Pṛthā (पृथा), once attachment and the fruits are abandoned: that is my decided, highest view.
नेपालीमा
हे पृथाका छोरा, आसक्ति र फल त्यागेपछि यी कर्म पनि गर्नुपर्छ। त्यो मेरो निश्चय गरिएको सर्वोच्च मत हो।
Where it sits
18.5 said the three are not to be dropped, and this verse says how they are kept: the act stays, and attachment and the fruit go. That pair is the tyāga (त्याग) he will call sāttvika (सात्त्विक) at 18.9.
Split: एतानि + अपि + तु + कर्माणि + सङ्गम् + त्यक्त्वा + फलानि + च + कर्तव्यानि + इति + मे + पार्थ + निश्चितम् + मतम् + उत्तमम्
etāni + api + tu + karmāṇi + saṅgam + tyaktvā + phalāni + ca + kartavyāni + iti + me + pārtha + niścitam + matam + uttamam
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| एतानि | etāni | nominative plural neuter | these. The three of 18.5. |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | even. Also. |
| तु | tu | indeclinable | and. A light turn. |
| कर्माणि | karmāṇi | nominative plural of karman (कर्मन्) | actions. |
| सङ्गम् | saṅgam | accusative singular | attachment. The clinging to the act. |
| त्यक्त्वा | tyaktvā | gerund of tyaj (त्यज्) | having abandoned. |
| फलानि | phalāni | accusative plural | the fruits. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| कर्तव्यानि | kartavyāni | nominative plural neuter, gerundive | to be done. Agrees with karmāṇi (कर्माणि). |
| इति | iti | indeclinable | thus. "That they are to be done." |
| मे | me | genitive enclitic | my. |
| पार्थ | pārtha | vocative | son of Pṛthā (पृथा). |
| निश्चितम् | niścitam | nominative singular neuter | decided. Settled. |
| मतम् | matam | nominative singular neuter | opinion. View. |
| उत्तमम् | uttamam | nominative singular neuter | highest. Agrees with matam (मतम्). |
The phrases
etāni api tu karmāṇi (एतानि अपि तु कर्माणि) keeps the three actions in play. Even these. etāni api (एतानि अपि) is recited etāny api (एतान्यपि). इ + अ i + a becomes ya (य).
saṅgaṃ tyaktvā phalāni ca (सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च) is the condition on the doing. Attachment, and the fruits, both abandoned. The gerund is unfinished until kartavyāni (कर्तव्यानि) arrives.
kartavyāni iti me matam (कर्तव्यानि इति मे मतम्) is the view. "They are to be done": that is my decided, highest opinion. kartavyāni iti (कर्तव्यानि इति) is kartavyānīti (कर्तव्यानीति). मतम् उत्तमम् matam uttamam is matam uttamam (मतमुत्तमम्).
Sanskrit in this line
tyaktvā (त्यक्त्वा) is a gerund, "having abandoned." It has no person of its own. The person is the one who must do kartavyāni (कर्तव्यानि). The ending --tvā (त्वा) is the gerund of a verb with no prefix. tyaj (त्यज्) "abandon" gives tyaktvā (त्यक्त्वा). saṅgam (सङ्गम्) and phalāni (फलानि) are both objects of that one gerund. ca (च) after phalāni (फलानि) adds the fruits to the attachment. He does not abandon the actions. The actions are the nominative of kartavyāni (कर्तव्यानि).
Say it back
Cover the English. Say what is abandoned and what is still to be done. If karmāṇi (कर्माणि) is what tyaktvā (त्यक्त्वा) abandons, stay here.