Mahabharata 6.27.26 — Bhishma Parva, Adhyaya 27, Shloka 26

Karma-Saṃnyāsa–Karma-Yoga Saṃvāda

Renunciation and the Discipline of Action

Devanagari script

भीष्मपर्वणि तु षड्विंशो5ध्याय:

Transliteration

na buddhibhedaṁ janayed ajñānāṁ karmasaṅginām | joṣayet sarvakarmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran ||

Translation

«ຜູ້ຮູ້ ຜູ້ຕັ້ງມັ່ນໃນໂຍກະ ບໍ່ຄວນເຮັດໃຫ້ປັນຍາຂອງຜູ້ບໍ່ຮູ້ທີ່ຍຶດຕິດໃນກຳມະ ເກີດຄວາມສັບສົນ ຫຼືເສຍສັດທາ. ແຕ່ຄວນກະທໍາໜ້າທີ່ຕາມຄໍາສອນໃຫ້ຄົບຖ້ວນດ້ວຍຄວາມກົງກັນ, ແລະຊັກຊວນໃຫ້ເຂົາເຈົ້າກະທໍາເຊັ່ນດຽວກັນ».

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• buddhi-bhedam: confusion/division of understanding
• buddhi-bhedam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi-bheda
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• janayet: should generate/produce
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (janayati)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ajñānām: of the ignorant (persons)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajñāna
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• karma-saṅginām: of those attached to action
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karma-saṅgin
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• joṣayet: should cause to engage/should encourage
• Type: Verb
• Root: juṣ (joṣayati)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• sarva-karmāṇi: all actions
• sarva-karmāṇi: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-karman
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• vidvān: the wise man
• vidvān: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• yuktaḥ: disciplined/steadfast (in yoga)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• samācaran: practising/performing
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-car (samācarati)
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A spiritually disciplined person should not undermine the faith or clarity of those still attached to action; instead, by personally performing prescribed duties in a balanced way, he should inspire others to do their duties, gradually leading them toward steadiness and right understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the dialogue on the battlefield, Arjuna speaks within the ethical discussion of action and knowledge: the verse frames how the wise should relate to ordinary people—by guiding through example and encouragement rather than provoking skepticism toward dharmic work.