अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसाऽऽवृता ।
सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी ॥
सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे पृथानन्दन तमोगुणसे घिरी हुई जो बुद्धि अधर्मको धर्म और सम्पूर्ण चीजोंको उलटा मान लेती है, वह तामसी है ॥
English
The mind covered by darkness calls wrongdoing right and reverses everything.
What this verse means
A mind clouded by darkness mistakes wrongdoing for righteousness and gets its judgment completely reversed.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is still frozen, and Krishna begins sorting the kinds of understanding that shape action. After describing clear and confused intelligence, he names the darkest kind: a mind so covered that it calls adharma righteous and sees everything backward.
Why this verse still matters
You defend a choice in your head at 1 a.m., and it starts sounding noble. This verse catches that moment when self-justification begins to wear the mask of conscience.
The takeaway
It warns you that confusion can feel convincing, so you must question your own certainty.
Word-by-word translation
अधर्मम् (wrongdoing) / धर्मम् इति (as right) / या (which) / मन्यते (thinks) / तमसा (by darkness) / आवृता (covered) / सर्वार्थान् (all meanings / all aims) / विपरीतान् (reversed) / च (and) / बुद्धिः (intelligence) / सा (that) / पार्थ (O Partha) / तामसी (dark, inert)
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), adharma (12 verses)