18.9
कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म
नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन ।
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव
स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतः ॥
kāryam ity eva yat karma niyataṃ kriyate 'rjuna
saṅgaṃ tyaktvā phalaṃ caiva sa tyāgaḥ sāttviko mataḥ
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking, to Arjuna (अर्जुन). This is the third kind, the one his matam (मतम्) in 18.6 already pointed at.
The verse
Arjuna (अर्जुन), the appointed action which is done just because it is to be done, attachment and the fruit both abandoned: that relinquishment is held to be of sattva (सत्त्व).
नेपालीमा
हे अर्जुन, जुन नियत कर्म गर्नुपर्छ भनेर मात्र गरिन्छ, आसक्ति र फल दुवै त्यागेर, त्यो त्याग सत्त्वको मानिन्छ।
Where it sits
Dark was dropping the appointed act from delusion, passionate was dropping it from fear of pain, and this one keeps the act and drops attachment and the fruit. 18.10 describes the man who lives that way.
Split: कार्यम् + इति + एव + यत् + कर्म + नियतम् + क्रियते + अर्जुन + सङ्गम् + त्यक्त्वा + फलम् + च + एव + सः + त्यागः + सात्त्विकः + मतः
kāryam + iti + eva + yat + karma + niyatam + kriyate + arjuna + saṅgam + tyaktvā + phalam + ca + eva + saḥ + tyāgaḥ + sāttvikaḥ + mataḥ
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| कार्यम् | kāryam | nominative singular neuter | "it is to be done." |
| इति | iti | indeclinable | thus. |
| एव | eva | indeclinable | just. Merely because it is to be done. |
| यत् | yat | nominative singular neuter | which. |
| कर्म | karma | nominative singular | action. |
| नियतम् | niyatam | nominative singular neuter | appointed. Agrees with karma (कर्म). |
| क्रियते | kriyate | present, 3rd singular, passive of kṛ (कृ) | is done. |
| अर्जुन | arjuna | vocative | Arjuna (अर्जुन). |
| सङ्गम् | saṅgam | accusative singular | attachment. |
| त्यक्त्वा | tyaktvā | gerund | having abandoned. |
| फलम् | phalam | accusative singular | the fruit. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| एव | eva | indeclinable | indeed. |
| सः | saḥ | nominative singular | that. |
| त्यागः | tyāgaḥ | nominative singular | relinquishment. |
| सात्त्विकः | sāttvikaḥ | nominative singular | of sattva (सत्त्व). Clear. |
| मतः | mataḥ | nominative singular, past participle | is held. Is my view. |
The phrases
कार्यम् इति एव यत् कर्म नियतम् kāryam iti eva yat karma niyatam is the appointed action done for one reason: it is to be done. kriyate (क्रियते) is the passive. The action is done. The doer is not the point of this line. kriyate arjuna (क्रियते अर्जुन) is recited kriyate 'rjuna (क्रियतेऽर्जुन).
saṅgaṃ tyaktvā phalam ca eva (सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलम् च एव) is the same pair as 18.6. Attachment and the fruit, both let go. phalam ca eva (फलम् च एव) is phalaṃ caiva (फलं चैव).
saḥ tyāgaḥ sāttvikaḥ mataḥ (सः त्यागः सात्त्विकः मतः) names it. That relinquishment is held to be of sattva (सत्त्व). saḥ tyāgaḥ (सः त्यागः) is recited sa tyāgaḥ (स त्यागः). sāttvikaḥ mataḥ (सात्त्विकः मतः) is sāttviko mataḥ (सात्त्विको मतः).
Sanskrit in this line
ए + अ e + a drops the a (अ) and leaves the avagraha. kriyate arjuna (क्रियते अर्जुन) is kriyate 'rjuna (क्रियतेऽर्जुन). The e (ए) is the passive ending of kriyate (क्रियते). It stays. The a (अ) of the vocative is the vowel that drops. The ऽ is not a sound. When you split, put the a (अ) back: arjuna (अर्जुन). When you recite, leave it out.
Say it back
Cover the English. Say what is done and what is abandoned. If niyatam (नियतम्) is the thing abandoned, stay here.