Chapter 18 · Verse 28

Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender

अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः।विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते

ayuktaḥ prākṛitaḥ stabdhaḥ śhaṭho naiṣhkṛitiko ‘lasaḥ viṣhādī dīrgha-sūtrī cha kartā tāmasa uchyate

Word Meanings

ayuktaḥ prākṛitaḥ stabdhaḥ śhaṭhaḥ naiṣhkṛitikaḥ alasaḥ viṣhādī dīrgha-sūtrī cha kartā tāmasaḥ uchyate

Translation

The doer who is undisciplined, vulgar, obstinate, cunning, dishonest, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating is said to be of the nature of ignorance.

Commentary

अयुक्तः unsteady? प्राकृतः vulgar? स्तब्धः unbending? शठः cheating? नैष्कृतिकः malicious? अलसः lazy? विषादी desponding? दीर्घसूत्री procrastinating? च and? कर्ता agent? तामसः Tamasic (dark)? उच्यते is said.Commentary Owing to his vulgar nature he is not able to discriminate between proper and improper actions. His heart is filled with vanity. He will never prostrate himself before the deity or a sage. He is very stiff and unbending in his demeanour. He is the very embodiment of deceit? the abode of the passion for gambling and all such vices. He is ever ready to do evil actions. When an opportunity for his doing good occurs? he is utterly slothful and inactive? but he is very alert in doing evil.Prakritah Vulgar Quite uncultured in intellect one who is childish.Stabdhah Unbending (like a stick)? not bowing down to anybody.Shathah Cheating concealing his real nature.Naishkritikah Creating arrels and disputes among the people.Alasah Lazy Not doing even that which ought to be done.Dirghasutri Postponing duties too long always slothful not performing even in a month what ought to be done today or tomorrow.