यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् ।
अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥
अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
किंतु जो ज्ञान एक कार्यरूप शरीरमें ही सम्पूर्णके तरह आसक्त है तथा जो युक्तिरहित, वास्तविक ज्ञानसे रहित और तुच्छ है, वह तामस कहा गया है ॥
English
But knowledge that clings to one body as if it were the whole, without reason, without truth, and petty, is called dark.
What this verse means
A dark kind of understanding mistakes one limited thing for the whole, lacks clear reasoning, and stays small and confused.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna stands frozen while Krishna explains how understanding can differ in quality. After praising clear and balanced knowledge, Krishna names the lowest kind: a cramped view that mistakes one limited form for the whole and cannot see reality properly.
Why this verse still matters
You’re certain your first angry reaction is the full story, and you build a whole argument on it. This verse warns that a tiny, rigid view can feel complete while missing reality.
The takeaway
You can stop treating a narrow view as total truth.
Word-by-word translation
यत् (which) / तु (but) / कृत्स्नवत् (as if complete) / एकस्मिन् (in one) / कार्ये (in body/action) / सक्तम् (attached) / अहैतुकम् (without reason) / अतत्त्वार्थवत् (without knowledge of reality) / अल्पम् (small/petty) / च (and) / तत् (that) / तामसम् (dark/tamas) / उदाहृतम् (is called)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18: Moksha Sanyasa Yoga — Liberation through Renunciation, which contains 78 verses.
Explore related themes: gunas (47 verses), buddhi (26 verses), tamas (18 verses)