Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18, Verse 31

यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च।अयथावत्प्रजानाति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ राजसी।।18.31।।

yayā dharmam adharmaṁ cha kāryaṁ chākāryam eva cha ayathāvat prajānāti buddhiḥ sā pārtha rājasī

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Word Meanings

yayā—by which

dharmam—righteousness

adharmam—unrighteousness

cha—and

kāryam—right conduct

cha—and

akāryam—wrong conduct

eva—certainly

cha—and

ayathā-vat—confused

prajānāti—distinguish

buddhiḥ—intellect

sā—that

pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha

rājasī—in the mode of passion

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Translation

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).

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Commentary

18.31 यया by which? धर्मम् Dharma? अधर्मम् Adharma? च and? कार्यम् what ought to be done? च and? अकार्यम् what ought not to be done? एव even? च and? अयथावत् wrongly? प्रजानाति understands? बुद्धिः intellect? सा that? पार्थ O Partha? राजसी Rajasic (passionate).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.

31 of 78 verses