Word meanings
- yayā
- by which
- dharmam
- righteousness
- adharmam
- unrighteousness
- ca
- and
- kāryam
- right conduct
- ca
- and
- akāryam
- wrong conduct
- eva
- certainly
- ca
- and
- ayathā-vat
- confused
- prajānāti
- distinguish
- buddhiḥ
- intellect
- sā
- that
- pārtha
- Arjun, the son of Pritha
- rājasī
- in the mode of passion
Translations
That by which one wrongly understands dharma and adharma, and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done—that intellect, O Arjuna, is rajasic (passionate).
The intellect that does not understand what is right and wrong, and what should be done and not done, is under the sway of Passion.
O Partha, that intellect is born of rajas with which one wrongly understands virtue and vice, as well as what ought to be done and ought not to be done.
हे पार्थ ! मनुष्य जिसके द्वारा धर्म और अधर्मको, कर्तव्य और अकर्तव्यको भी ठीक तरहसे नहीं जानता, वह बुद्धि राजसी है।Commentary
There is no proper eivalent in the English language for the word Dharma. Duty, righteousness, virtue, law are very poor translations of the word. That which elevates you and takes you to the goal, i.e.? Brahman or the Self, is Dharma. That which hurls you down into the dark abyss of ignorance is Adharma. What is ordained in the scriptures is Dharma what is prohibited by them is Adharma. A Rajasic intellect is not able to distinguish between right and wrong or to understand the difference between righteous and unrighteous actions.
Ayathavat Wrongly Contrary to what is determined by all authorities or men of wisdom or to the highest knowledge.