Skip to content

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Verse 15 (18.15)

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Verse 15 (18.15)

शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः । न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः | | १८-१५ | |

śharīravāṅmanobhiryatkarma prārabhate naraḥ nyāyyaṁ vā viparītaṁ vā pañchaite tasya hetavaḥ

Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
  • शइर-व-मओइ (śharīra-vāṅ-manobhih) — शरीर(by body, speech, and mind)
  • यत् (yat) — जिसे(whatever)
  • कर्म (karma) — कर्म(action)
  • ररभए (prārabhate) — ररभए(undertakes)
  • नरह् (naraḥ) — थत् पेर्सोन्(a person)
Line 2:
  • यय (nyāyyam) — यय(right/just)
  • वा (vā) — अथवा(or)
  • इपइत (viparītam) — इपइत(opposite/wrong)
  • वा (vā) — अथवा(or)
  • पञ्च (pañcha) — पांच(five)
  • इति (iti) — इस प्रकार(thus)
  • e joined in pañchaite
  • तस्य (tasya) — उसके लिए(of that)
  • एतव (hetavaḥ) — एतव(causes)

English: Whatever action a man performs, whether by muscular effort or by speech or by thought, and whether it be right or wrong, these five are the essential causes.

💡 Commentary Note

Every physical, verbal, or mental action—whether righteous or unrighteous—is driven by these five causes.

Learnings from Shloka 15:
  • Universal Mechanism:: All human expressions, good or bad, rely on this fivefold framework.
  • Conscious Responsibility:: Aligning these factors with Dharma ensures noble actions.

Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz

Practice this shloka vocabulary

Match Sanskrit words from shloka 18.15 with their Hindi and English meanings.

Practice vocabulary