Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Shloka 18

Moksha Sannyasa Yoga

Devanagari script

ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना । करणं कर्म कर्तेति त्रिविधः कर्मसंग्रहः ॥ १८.१८ ॥

Transliteration

jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ parijñātā trividhā karmacodanā | karaṇaṁ karma karte ti trividhah karmasaṅgrahaḥ || 18.18 ||

Translation

Knowledge, the knowable, and the knower—these three are the impulse to action; instrument, action, and doer—these three constitute the aggregate of action.

Gita Press Meaning

ज्ञान, ज्ञेय (जानने योग्य वस्तु) और ज्ञाता—ये तीन प्रकार की कर्म-प्रेरणा हैं; तथा करण, कर्म और कर्ता—ये तीन प्रकार का कर्म-संग्रह (कर्म का समुच्चय) है।

Critical Edition Meaning

Knowledge, the knowable, and the knower—this is the threefold impelling (basis) of action; instrument, action, and agent—this is the threefold compendium of action.

Comparative Note

Traditional renderings often gloss ‘karmacodanā’ as ‘that which impels one to act’ and ‘karmasaṅgraha’ as ‘the aggregate/constituents of action’. Academic-literal translations keep the technical triads without interpretive expansion; no major variant is typically noted for this verse in standard critical presentations.

Word by Word

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा-जनाने)

• ज्ञेयम्: the knowable (object to be known)
• Root: √ज्ञा (कृदन्त: यत्-प्रत्यय)

• परिज्ञाता: the knower (one who knows)
• Root: परि+√ज्ञा (कृदन्त: तृ-प्रत्यय; ‘ज्ञातृ’)

• त्रिविधा: threefold
• Root: त्रिविध (प्रातिपदिक)

• कर्मचोदना: impulse/instigation to action
• Root: कर्मचोदना (प्रातिपदिक)

• करणम्: instrument; means
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ-करणे)

• कर्म: action; deed
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ-करणे)

• कर्ता: doer; agent
• कर्ता: Karta
• Root: √कृ (कृदन्त: तृ-प्रत्यय; ‘कर्तृ’)

• इति: thus; namely
• Root: इति

• त्रिविधः: threefold
• Root: त्रिविध (प्रातिपदिक)

• कर्मसंग्रहः: the aggregate/collection (summary) of factors of action
• Root: कर्मसंग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)

Speakers

• Krishna

Primary Concepts

• Karma
• Jñāna
• Pramātṛ-prameya-pramāṇa (knower-known-means framework)
• Agency (kartṛtva)

Key Themes

• Analysis of action
• Epistemic and practical triads
• Structuring moral psychology

FAQs

Psychological significance?

The verse frames action as arising from a cognitive triad (knower, known, knowledge) and being executed through a practical triad (agent, action, instruments). This supports a psychological reading in which intention and perception shape behavior, while capacities and tools condition how behavior manifests.

Metaphysical meaning?

It distinguishes epistemic factors (jñāna/jñeya/parijñātā) from the components of action (kartā/karma/karaṇa), allowing later discussion of how the guṇas qualify knowledge and agency without reducing consciousness to mere action.

Contextual relevance?

In Chapter 18’s systematic recap, Krishna begins a taxonomy that will classify knowledge, action, and agent according to the three guṇas, providing a framework for ethical discernment and disciplined conduct.

Modern Application?

For decision-making, it encourages separating (1) what you know, (2) what you aim to know, (3) your standpoint as knower, from (4) your tools/resources, (5) the task, and (6) your role as doer—helpful for reflective practice and accountability.