Bhagavad Gita BG 18.28
Chapter 18, Verse 28 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः । विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते ॥
ayuktah prakrtah stabdhah shatho naishkrtiko 'lasah vishadi dirgha-sutri ca karta tamasa ucyate
Meaning
The doer who is undisciplined (ayukta), vulgar (prakrta), stubborn (stabdha), deceitful (shatho), wicked/malicious (naishkrtika), indolent (alasa), despondent (vishadi), and procrastinating (dirgha-sutri) — is called tamasic.
Understanding
The tamasic karta is defined by a dense cluster of negative qualities. Ayukta (not disciplined, not integrated — opposite of yukta, the yoga-aligned person). Prakrta (vulgar, crude, one who acts from raw prakriti without refinement). Stabdha (rigid, stubborn, inflexible — the tamasic person cannot adapt or change). Shatho (deceitful, crafty with harmful intent). Naishkrtika (malicious, one who causes harm to others — this goes beyond mere neglect to active ill-will). Alasa (indolent, lazy — the tamasic inertia manifests as resistance to any action at all). Vishadi (despondent, given to dejection and despair). Dirgha-sutri (literally 'long-threaded' — procrastinating, one who endlessly delays: 'I will do it later'). Together these describe the completely unintegrated actor: undisciplined, rigid, deceptive, harmful, inactive, and depressed.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अयुक्तः | ayuktah | undisciplined, unintegrated, not yoked (a = not, yukta = disciplined/yoked) |
| प्राकृतः | prakrtah | vulgar, crude, one driven by raw prakriti without refinement |
| स्तब्धः | stabdhah | stubborn, rigid, inflexible (from stabh = to be fixed/stiff) |
| शठः | shathah | deceitful, crooked, cunning with ill intent |
| विषादी | vishadi | despondent, given to dejection (vishada = despair, despondency) |
| दीर्घसूत्री | dirgha-sutri | procrastinating (dirgha = long, sutra = thread — 'long-threaded,' always delaying) |
| अयुक्तः | ayuktaḥ | undisciplined |
| प्राकृतः | prākṛtaḥ | vulgar, uncultured |
| स्तब्धः | stabdhaḥ | obstinate |
| शठः | śaṭhaḥ | cheating |
| नैष्कृतिकः | naiṣkṛtikaḥ | expert at insulting others |
| आलसः | ālasaḥ | lazy |
| विषादी | viṣādī | morose, despondent |
| दीर्घ-सूत्री | dīrgha-sūtrī ca | and procrastinating |
| कर्ता | kartā | doer |
| तामसः | tāmasaḥ | in ignorance |
| उच्यते | ucyate | is called |
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