Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Shloka 60

Moksha Sannyasa Yoga

Devanagari script

स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा । कर्तुं नेच्छसि यन्मोहात्करिष्यस्यवशोऽपि तत् ॥ १८.६० ॥

Transliteration

svabhāvajena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā | kartuṁ necchasi yan mohāt kariṣyasy avaśo 'pi tat || 18.60 ||

Translation

Oh hijo de Kuntī, atado por tu propia acción nacida de tu naturaleza, aquello que por confusión no quieres hacer, lo harás aun así, obligado contra tu voluntad.

Gita Press Meaning

हे कौन्तेय! अपने स्वभाव से उत्पन्न कर्म के द्वारा बँधा हुआ तुम मोहवश जो करना नहीं चाहते, वही तुम विवश होकर भी करोगे।

Critical Edition Meaning

Bound by your own action arising from your nature, O son of Kuntī, what you do not wish to do out of delusion, that you will do even against your will.

Comparative Note

‘स्वभावज’ is commonly glossed as ‘born of one’s nature/temperament,’ while ‘स्वेन कर्मणा’ can be taken as (a) one’s prescribed role-based action, or (b) accumulated karmic momentum expressed as tendency. The verse emphasizes compulsion through delusion (moha), not an absolute denial of moral responsibility.

Word by Word

• स्वभावजेन: by what is born of (one’s) nature; by innate disposition
• स्वभावजेन: Karana
• Root: स्वभावज

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kuntī
• Root: कौन्तेय

• निबद्धः: bound; constrained
• Root: नि√बन्ध्

• स्वेन: by one’s own
• स्वेन: Karana
• Root: स्व

• कर्मणा: by action; by (one’s) karma
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Root: कर्मन्

• कर्तुम्: to do; to perform
• Root: कृ

• न: not
• Root: न

• इच्छसि: you desire; you wish
• Root: √इष् (इच्छ्)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma
• Root: यद्

• मोहात्: from delusion; due to delusion
• मोहात्: Apadana
• Root: मोह

• करिष्यसि: you will do; you will perform
• Root: √कृ

• अवशः: helpless; under compulsion
• Root: अवश

• अपि: even; indeed
• Root: अपि

• तत्: that (same thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Root: तद्

Speakers

• Krishna
• Arjuna

Primary Concepts

• Svabhāva (disposition)
• Moha (delusion)
• Karma
• Guṇa psychology

Key Themes

• Conditioned action
• Delusion and loss of autonomy
• Need for discernment

FAQs

Psychological significance?

It describes akrasia-like behavior: under confusion, people act against their better intentions due to entrenched habits and identity-based pressures.

Metaphysical meaning?

The verse supports the Gita’s layered agency model: the empirical self is driven by prakṛti and karmic dispositions; liberation involves disidentifying from these drivers through knowledge and disciplined practice.

Contextual relevance?

Krishna presses Arjuna to recognize that avoidance is not a stable solution; inner and social dispositions will push him back toward action within the narrative’s dharma frame.

Modern Application?

It can motivate reflective practice: identify the forces (habits, roles, conditioning) that steer behavior, and reduce ‘moha’ through clarity, values-based planning, and training.