Bhagavad Gita BG 18.13
Chapter 18, Verse 13 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे । साङ्ख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम् ॥
panc'aitani maha-baho karanani nibodha me sankhye krtan-te proktani siddhaye sarva-karmanam
Meaning
Know from Me these five causes, O mighty-armed, as declared in the Sankhya system for the accomplishment of all actions.
Understanding
Krishna introduces the five-cause analysis of action from Sankhya philosophy. The purpose: siddhaye sarva-karmanam (for the accomplishment/understanding of all actions). Why five causes matter: this dismantles the ego's claim to be the sole cause of any action, and simultaneously frees the jnani from karma by showing that the Self is not actually the doer.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पञ्च | panca | five |
| कारणानि | karanani | causes, reasons |
| साङ्ख्ये | sankhye | in Sankhya (the system of enumeration/analysis) |
| कृतान्ते | krtante | in the final teaching, at the conclusion |
| सिद्धये | siddhaye | for the accomplishment, for the completion |
| पञ्च | pañca etāni | these five |
| महाबाहो | mahā-bāho | O mighty-armed |
| कारणानि | kāraṇāni | causes |
| निबोध | nibodha | understand |
| मे | me | from Me |
| सांख्ये | sāṅkhye | in Sankhya philosophy |
| कृतान्ते | kṛtānte | at the conclusion |
| प्रोक्तानि | proktāni | are declared |
| सर्व-कर्मणाम् | sarva-karmaṇām | of all actions |