18.22 yath thu kruthsnavadh Ekasmin

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 18

<< Chapter 18 Verse 21

SlOkam – Original

yath thu kruthsnavadh Ekasmin kAryE saktham ahaithukam |
athathvArthavadh alpam cha thath thAmasam udAhrutham ||

word-by-word meaning

yath thu – the knowledge
Ekasmin kAryE – in an act (of worshipping dead people and ghosts which leads to lowest results)
kruthsnavath – like engaging in acts which give fulfilling results
saktham – to engage
ahEthukam – without any reason (to engage in this manner)
athathvArthavath – being situated in the false concept (of seeing AthmAs as being distinct from each other)
alpam cha – being very lowly
thath – that knowledge
thAmasam udhAhrutham – is said to be thAmasa gyAnam (which is acquired from thamO guNam)

Simple Translation

That knowledge which makes one engage in an act (of worshipping dead people and ghosts which leads to lowest results) like engaging in acts which give fulfilling results, without any reason (to engage in this manner), being situated in the false concept (of seeing AthmAs as being distinct from each other) and being very lowly, know that to be thAmasa gyAnam (which is acquired from thamO guNam).

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

‘But that (Knowledge) is called Tāmasa, which
clings to one act as if it were all, without reason, without grasping the reality, and narrow.’

Any one act, such as constitutes the worship of the hordes of Pretas, Bhutās etc., and considering this one act, which by nature carries but small fruit, as if it were all, or as that which would bestow any and every fruit desired.

Without reason (ahetukam) = Blindly thinking that that which is productive of but small result is pregnant with all results.

Without reality (atatvārthavat) = the notion of separateness in substance, quality etc., of ātmā-nature referred to previously (in Stanzas 20, 21).

Narrow (alpam), since it relates to such trivial acts as those of worshipping ghosts etc.

After thus showing the Guṇa-formed threefold character of Knowledge as abiding in one in the capacity of Performer of an act, the Guṇa-formed threefold character of the performed Act itself is now explained:-

>> Chapter 18 Verse 23

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