Bhagavad Gita BG 14.16
Chapter 14, Verse 16 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् । रजसस्तु फलं दुःखं अज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ॥
karmanah sukrtasyahuh sattvikam nirmalam phalam rajasas tu phalam duhkham ajnanam tamasah phalam
Meaning
The fruit of good (sattvic) action is said to be pure and stainless; the fruit of rajasic action is pain; the fruit of tamasic action is ignorance.
Understanding
The fruits of action by guna: karmanah sukrtasya sattvikam nirmalam phalam (the fruit of sattvic/good action is pure and stainless — it purifies, clarifies, increases sattva). Rajasas tu phalam duhkham (the fruit of rajasic action is duhkha = pain/suffering — not necessarily immediately, but the restless striving of rajas ultimately creates dissatisfaction; each result creates new wanting). Ajnanam tamasah phalam (the fruit of tamasic action is ajnana = ignorance — tamasic actions deepen the veil of ignorance, creating more confusion and unconsciousness). The three fruits map the three gunas: purity, pain, ignorance.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| सुकृतस्य | sukrtasya | of good action, of virtuous doing (su = good, krita = done) |
| निर्मलम् | nirmalam | pure, stainless, free from impurity |
| फलम् | phalam | fruit, result, consequence |
| दुःखम् | duhkham | pain, suffering, dissatisfaction |
| अज्ञानम् | ajnanam | ignorance, absence of knowledge, delusion |
| कर्मणः | karmaṇaḥ | of action |
| सुकृतस्य | sukṛtasya | of good action |
| आहुः | āhuḥ | they say |
| सात्त्विकम् | sāttvikam | in goodness |
| रजसः | rajasaḥ | of passion |
| तु | tu | but |
| दुःखम् | duḥkham | suffering |
| अज्ञानम् | ajñānam | ignorance |
| तमसः | tamasaḥ | of ignorance |
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