Bhagavad Gita BG 14.8
Chapter 14, Verse 8 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् । प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिः तन्निबध्नाति भारत ॥
tamas tv ajnana-jam viddhi mohanam sarva-dehinam pramada-lasya-nidrabhis tan nibadhnati bharata
Meaning
Know tamas as born of ignorance — it is the delusion of all embodied beings. It binds through negligence (pramada), laziness (lasya), and sleep (nidra), O Bharata.
Understanding
Tamas described: ajnana-jam (born of ajnana/ignorance — tamas is the direct product of the root ignorance). Mohanam sarva-dehinam (the delusion of ALL embodied beings — not just some). Pramada-lasya-nidrabhis nibadhnati (it binds through three: pramada = negligence/carelessness, lasya = laziness/inertia, nidra = sleep/unconsciousness). These three are tamas's binding mechanisms. Pramada: the careless non-attention that lets things slide. Lasya: the deep reluctance to act, move, or think. Nidra: not just physical sleep but the metaphorical sleep — unconsciousness of one's deeper nature. Tamas is 'mohanam' — it creates confusion, delusion, inability to discriminate.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अज्ञानजम् | ajnana-jam | born of ignorance (aja = born, jnana = knowledge; a-jnana = non-knowledge) |
| मोहनम् | mohanam | causing delusion, creating confusion |
| प्रमाद | pramada | negligence, carelessness, heedlessness |
| आलस्य | lasya | laziness, inertia, reluctance to act |
| निद्रा | nidra | sleep — physical and metaphorical unconsciousness |
| तमः | tamaḥ tu | but the mode of ignorance |
| अज्ञान-जम् | ajñāna-jam | born of ignorance |
| विद्धि | viddhi | know |
| सर्व-देहिनाम् | sarva-dehinām | of all embodied beings |
| प्रमाद | pramāda | negligence, heedlessness |
| आलस्य | lāsya | laziness |
| निद्राभिः | nidrābhiḥ | by sleep |
| तत् | tat | that |
| निबध्नाति | nibadhnāti | binds |
| भारत | bhārata | O descendant of Bharata |