Bhagavad-gītā 18.19
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ता च त्रिधैव गुणभेदतः।प्रोच्यते गुणसंख्याने यथावच्छृणु तान्यपि।।18.19।।
jñānaṁ karma cha kartā cha tridhaiva guṇa-bhedataḥ prochyate guṇa-saṅkhyāne yathāvach chhṛiṇu tāny api
Knowledge, action and agent are declared in the Sânkhya philosophy to be of three kinds only, from the distinction of Gunas: hear them also duly.
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 |
| karma | action |
| cha | and |
| kartā | doer |
| cha | also |
| tridhā | of three kinds |
| eva | certainly |
| guṇa-bhedataḥ | distinguished according to the three modes of material nature |
| prochyate | are declared |
| guṇa-saṅkhyāne | Sānkhya philosophy, which describes the modes of material nature |
| yathā-vat | as they are |
| śhṛiṇu | listen |
| tāni | them |
| api | also |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from jñānam (knowledge), guṇa-bhedataḥ (distinguished according to the three modes...), and api (also). 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 18.19.
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, action and agent are declared in the Sânkhya philosophy to be of three kinds only, from the distinction of Gunas
- 2
hear them also duly
- 3
jñānam: knowledge
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 18.19, 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 18.19 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 18.19 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 18.19 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
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