Shloka 18

तमोगुण-निरूपण

Analysis of Tamas and its Marks

Devanagari script

अत्यागश्चाभिमानश्चव मोहो मन्युस्तथाक्षमा । मत्सरश्रैव भूतेषु तामसं वृत्तमिष्यते

Transliteration

atyāgaś cābhimānaś ca moho manyus tathākṣamā | matsaraś caiva bhūteṣu tāmasaṁ vṛttam iṣyate ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva dit : «L’avarice (refuser de donner), l’orgueil, l’illusion, la colère, l’intolérance et l’envie envers les êtres vivants : une telle conduite est tenue pour tāmasa, née des ténèbres et de l’inertie.»

Word by Word

• अत्यागः: non-giving; refusal to give
• अत्यागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अभिमानः: pride; self-conceit
• अभिमानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मोहम्: delusion
• मोहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मन्युः: anger; wrath
• मन्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अक्षमा: intolerance; unforbearance
• अक्षमा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मत्सरः: envy; malice
• मत्सरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• भूतेषु: towards beings; among creatures
• भूतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• तामसम्: tamasic; of darkness/ignorance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वृत्तम्: conduct; behavior
• वृत्तम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इष्यते: is considered; is held to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Active (Atmanepada usage)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva
• bhūta (living beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse defines tāmasa conduct by listing inner vices—miserliness, pride, delusion, anger, intolerance, and envy—implying that ethical life requires generosity, humility, clarity, patience, forbearance, and goodwill toward all beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is instructing the listener by classifying certain traits as tāmasa, using a concise catalogue of behaviors that obstruct dharma and harmonious social and spiritual life.