अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम् ।
विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम् ॥
विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
इसमें कर्मोंकी सिद्धिमें अधिष्ठान तथा कर्ता और अनेक प्रकारके करण एवं विविध प्रकारकी अलगअलग चेष्टाएँ और वैसे ही पाँचवाँ कारण दैव संस्कार है ॥
English
The field, the doer, the instruments, the many efforts, and the fifth factor, the unseen force, all shape every action.
What this verse means
Every action depends on several causes: the base, the doer, the tools, the different efforts, and a fifth factor beyond human control.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen by the weight of action and consequence. Krishna now breaks action into its causes: the base, the agent, the instruments, the separate efforts, and a fifth factor beyond them. He is showing why no one acts alone.
Why this verse still matters
You replay a difficult conversation for hours, asking who caused the damage. This verse reminds you that outcomes are rarely single-cause; many forces move together, including factors you could not control.
The takeaway
It softens blame and pride. Not everything that happens can be reduced to one person’s will.
Word-by-word translation
अधिष्ठानम् (the basis) / तथा (and) / कर्ता (the doer) / करणम् (the instruments) / च (and) / पृथग्विधम् (of many kinds) / विविधाः (varied) / च (and) / पृथक् (separate) / चेष्टाः (efforts) / दैवम् (the unseen force) / च (and) / एव (indeed) / अत्र (here) / पञ्चमम् (the fifth)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18: Moksha Sanyasa Yoga — Liberation through Renunciation, which contains 78 verses.
Explore related themes: karma (11 verses)