Complete learning edition. The Sanskrit source remains separate from attributed word meanings, translation, explanation and commentary witnesses. Diagrams and memory aids are study tools, not replacements for the source text.
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः।पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः।।18.16।।
tatraivaṁ sati kartāram ātmānaṁ kevalaṁ tu yaḥ paśhyaty akṛita-buddhitvān na sa paśhyati durmatiḥ
But the fool, who, due to his immature judgment, supposes that it is his own Self alone that acts, perverts the truth and does not see rightly.
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
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Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| tatra | there |
| evam sati | in spite of this |
| kartāram | the doer |
| ātmānam | the soul |
| kevalam | only |
| tu | but |
| yaḥ | who |
| paśhyati | see |
| akṛita-buddhitvāt | with impure intellect |
| na | not |
| saḥ | they |
| paśhyati | see |
| durmatiḥ | foolish |
The egoistic man of little understanding only thinks that he is the real agent, and so he is bound by actions. He takes birth again and again to reap the fruits of his actions.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Follow the great recapitulation through renunciation, action, knowledge, duty, devotion, refuge and Sañjaya’s conclusion.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami GambiranandaTherefore, anyone whose intellect is imperfect and perceives the Absolute Self as the agent, does not perceive properly and has a distorted intellect.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaTherefore, he who, due to his uncultivated understanding, perceives only the self as the agent, he of wicked mind does not truly perceive.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaThe egoistic man of little understanding only thinks that he is the real agent, and so he is bound by actions. He takes birth again and again to reap the fruits of his actions.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
But the fool, who, due to his immature judgment, supposes that it is his own Self alone that acts, perverts the truth and does not see rightly
- 2
tatra: there
- 3
yaḥ: who
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Follow the great recapitulation through renunciation, action, knowledge, duty, devotion, refuge and Sañjaya’s conclusion.
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