Shloka 18

Karma-Saṃnyāsa–Karma-Yoga Saṃvāda

Renunciation and the Discipline of Action

Devanagari script

नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थों नाकृतेनेह कश्नन । न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रय:

Transliteration

naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana | na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścid arthavyapāśrayaḥ ||

Translation

对那位大心之人而言，在此世间，行事并无可得之私利，不行亦无可得之私利；于一切众生之中，他也不为自利而依赖任何人。

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

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

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• कृतेन: by (what is) done; by action
• कृतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ-)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• अर्थः: purpose/need
• अर्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अकृतेन: by (what is) not done; by non-action
• अकृतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकृत (कृ-)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• इह: here/in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• कश्चन: any (at all)
• कश्चन: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चन (क + चन)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

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

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• सर्वभूतेषु: in all beings
• सर्वभूतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: neuter, locative, plural

• कश्चित्: any (at all)
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चित् (क + चित्)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अर्थव्यपाश्रयः: dependence on self-interest/purpose
• अर्थव्यपाश्रयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ-व्यपाश्रय
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (speaker, per provided metadata)
• sarvabhūta (all beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A truly accomplished person has no selfish purpose to fulfill either by acting or by not acting, and does not rely on others for personal gain; action, if undertaken, is grounded in dharma rather than need, reward, or dependence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Bhīṣma Parva’s battlefield discourse context, the speaker articulates an ethical ideal: the great-souled person stands beyond personal profit in both action and renunciation, indicating a model of inner freedom amid the demands of duty.