Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Verse 14 (18.14)
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Verse 14 (18.14)
अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम् । विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम् | | १८-१४ | |
adhiṣhṭhānaṁ tathā kartā karaṇaṁ cha pṛithagvidham vividhāśhcha pṛithakcheṣhṭā daivaṁ chaivātra pañchamam
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- अधिष्ठानम्
(adhiṣhṭhānam)— आधार(the body (seat of action)) - तथा
(tathā)— तथा(also) - कर्ता
(kartā)— कर्ता(the doer (ego)) - करणम्
(karaṇam)— साधन(the instruments (organs/senses)) - च
(cha)— और(and) - इथ-इध
(pṛithag-vidham)— इथ-इध(of various kinds)
Line 2:
- विविधाः
(vividhāḥ)— विविध(manifold) - च
(cha)— और(and) - प्रिथक्
(pṛithak)— दिस्तिन्च्त्(separate) - एत
(cheṣhṭā)— एत(efforts/functions) - दैवम्
(daivam)— दैव(destiny/superintending divinity) - च
(cha)— और(and) -
ivjoined in chaivātra - अत्र
(atra)— यहाँ(here) - पचम
(pañchamam)— पचम(the fifth)
English: They are a body, a personality, physical organs, their manifold activity and destiny.
Learnings from Shloka 14:
- Multiple Factors:: Every action requires a body, an agent, tools, effort, and natural/cosmic forces.
- Cosmic Grace:: The fifth factor, Daiva (divine force), reminds us that we do not control outcomes.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 18.14 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
The five causes of action are the seat of action (body), the agent (ego), the instruments (senses), the efforts, and the presiding deities (destiny).