अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च ।
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे कुरुनन्दन तमोगुणके बढ़नेपर अप्रकाश, अप्रवृत्ति, प्रमाद और मोह ये वृत्तियाँ भी पैदा होती हैं ॥
English
O descendant of Kuru, when tamas grows strong, darkness, inertia, negligence, and delusion arise.
What this verse means
When tamas becomes stronger, a person loses clarity, becomes inactive, starts neglecting things, and falls into confusion.
Context & commentary
Krishna is still teaching Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where a whole life is being decided in a single moment. After describing the signs of rising sattva and rajas, he now shows what happens when tamas dominates: the mind dims, effort stops, carelessness appears, and confusion follows.
Why this verse still matters
You keep scrolling at 1:13 a.m., telling yourself you will decide tomorrow. By morning, the problem feels heavier, and even simple action feels distant.
The takeaway
It feels easier to catch stagnation early than to wake up inside it.
Word-by-word translation
अप्रकाशः (absence of light) / अप्रवृत्तिः (absence of activity) / प्रमादः (negligence) / मोहः (delusion) / एव (indeed) / च (and) / तमसि (in tamas) / एतानि (these) / जायन्ते (are born) / विवृद्धे (when increased) / कुरुनन्दन (O descendant of Kuru)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14: Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga — The Three Modes of Material Nature, which contains 27 verses.
Explore related themes: gunas (47 verses), delusion (19 verses), tamas (18 verses)