Bhagavad-gītā 18.18
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना।करणं कर्म कर्तेति त्रिविधः कर्मसंग्रहः।।18.18।।
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ parijñātā tri-vidhā karma-chodanā karaṇaṁ karma karteti tri-vidhaḥ karma-saṅgrahaḥ
Knowledge, the known and the knower form the threefold cause of action. The instrument, the object and the agent are the threefold basis of action.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| jñānam | knowledge |
| jñeyam | the object of knowledge |
| parijñātā | the knower |
| tri-vidhā | three factors |
| karma-chodanā | factors that induce action |
| karaṇam | the instrumens of action |
| karma | the act |
| kartā | the doer |
| iti | thus |
| tri-vidhaḥ | threefold |
| karma-saṅgrahaḥ | constituents of action |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through jñānam (knowledge), karaṇam (the instrumens of action), and karma-saṅgrahaḥ (constituents of action). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to freedom through discernment and surrender. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 18.18.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Follow the great recapitulation through renunciation, action, knowledge, duty, devotion, refuge and Sañjaya’s conclusion.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Knowledge, the known and the knower form the threefold cause of action
- 2
The instrument, the object and the agent are the threefold basis of action
- 3
jñānam: knowledge
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
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Link
Use the line starts: jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ / karaṇaṁ karma.
Cover
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Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 18.18, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 18.18 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 18.18 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 18.18 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 18.18, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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