Chapter 18 · Verse 60

Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender

स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा।कर्तुं नेच्छसि यन्मोहात्करिष्यस्यवशोऽपि तत्

swbhāva-jena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā kartuṁ nechchhasi yan mohāt kariṣhyasy avaśho ’pi tat

Word Meanings

swabhāva-jena — born of one’s own material nature; kaunteya — Arjun, the son of Kunti; nibaddhaḥ — bound; svena — by your own; karmaṇā — actions; kartum — to do; na — not; ichchhasi — you wish; yat — which; mohāt — out of delusion; kariṣhyasi — you will do; avaśhaḥ — helplessly; api — even though; tat — that

Language:

Translation

Bound by your own duty born of your nature, O Arjuna, that which out of delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do helplessly.

Commentary

स्वभावजेन born of (thy) own nature? कौन्तेय O son of Kunti? निबद्धः bound? स्वेन (thy) own? कर्मणा by action? कर्तुम् to do? न not? इच्छसि (thou) wishest? यत् which? मोहात् from delusion? करिष्यसि (thou) shalt do? अवशः helpless? अपि also? तत् that.Commentary Thou art endowed? O Arjuna? with martial alities? prowess? valour? skill? etc. Thou art? therefore? bound by these innate alities. Thou wilt be forced to fight by thy own nature. Nature will constrain thee to fight? much against thy will.