Chapter 18 Shloka 13, 14

पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे।

सांख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम्।।१३।।

अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्।

विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्।।१४।। 

In Saankhya, five imperative factors have been described in order to attain accomplishment in all karma. Know these well. Adhishthaan, the impelling source of action; Karta, the ‘doer’ attributes; Karan, the faculties employed in the performance of those deeds, Cheshta, varied endeavours; and the fifth is Daiv, destiny.

Chapter 18 Shloka 13, 14

पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे।

सांख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम्।।१३।।

अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्।

विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्।।१४।।

The Lord says, “O Arjuna, let me explain to you the mystery of karma.”

In Saankhya, five imperative factors have been described in order to attain accomplishment in all karma. Know these well. Adhishthaan, the impelling source of action; Karta, the ‘doer’ attributes; Karan, the faculties employed in the performance of those deeds, Cheshta, varied endeavours; and the fifth is Daiv, destiny.

The Lord says that the Saankhya philosophy lays down five imperative factors for the accomplishment of action. Understand these and relinquish attachment with the fruits of action.

Man’s error

1. Man fruitlessly elevates the ego and indulges in hypocrisy.

2. Internally, he tortures himself.

3. He creates aberrations within himself.

4. His mind is immersed in futile thought processes – both positive and negative.

5. He remains enmeshed in mental dilemmas and is thus constantly agitated, doubtful and fearful.

6. Immersed thus in ego, he is alienated from the Truth.

7. He remains entangled in raag and dvesh – attachments and aversions.

8. He remains devoid of Sat Chit Anand – Truth, Consciousness and Bliss, which comprise his natural state.

9. That one who is actually Atma Itself, Consciousness Itself, becomes inanimate.

10. Losing his innate pure intellect established in equanimity and Truth, such a one is now guided by an intellect that has identified with the inert body-self.

The five factors for the accomplishment of karma or action

1. Adhishthaan

2. Karta

3. Karan

4. Cheshta

5. Daiv

Adhishthaan (अधिष्ठान)

1. The place of existence.

2. The mainstay.

3. The support.

4. The controlling power of the body.

5. Where there is yoga or union.

6. Where the seeds of action inhere.

7. The source of the power that impels action.

8. The repository of desires.

9. Where unfulfilled intentions abide.

10. The repository of qualities, where the enjoyment of the enjoyer takes place.

11. Where the qualities that enjoy, dwell and partake of other qualities in solitude.

Karta (कर्ता)

1. The real performers of action are the qualities or gunas.

2. The intellect that identifies with the inanimate body-self futilely claims the doership of action.

3. The nature of living beings and the attributes of Prakriti are the real doers of deeds. The Supreme Brahm could be called the Supreme Doer.

4. That attribute which attracts one towards sense objects.

5. That attribute which repels one from sense objects.

6. That quality which approves or condemns.

7. Those impelling forces of the inner being such as greed, desire, etc.

The Lord has specified that the real ‘doer of deeds’ are the qualities.

Karan (करण)

1. The five organs of perception:

­­–  Ears – hear words.

­­–  Eyes – witness forms.

­­–  Skin – touches sense objects.

­­–  Nose – smells fragrances.

­­–  Tongue – savours tastes.

2. The five organs of action:

­­–  Hands.

­­–  Feet.

­­–  Speech.

­­–  Excretion.

­­–  Procreation.

3. The mind.

4. The intellect.

5. That is, all the energies of the body.

All the means to action comprise ‘karan’. Mounted on these, the attributes make their external forays and procure sustenance.

Cheshta (चेष्टा)

1. Endeavour that springs from inspiration.

2. That which controls motion.

3. That which attracts action.

4. That which directs the limbs.

5. That which induces activity.

6. The endeavour towards a certain behaviour.

7. The endeavour to occupy oneself in action.

8. That which induces varied thought processes.

9. That which engages one in a channel of activity.

10. That which transforms energy into action.

Daiv (दैव)

1. The appropriate situation should exist.

2. The requisite latencies or sanskars of past births should be there.

3. The co-operation of the requisite qualities should be there to enable the harmonious interaction of those qualities.

4. Service should be in accordance with the stipulations of destiny.

5. The appropriate qualities should be present.

6. Desire influenced by qualities should be there.

7. There must be qualities that attract.

8. There must also be repelling qualities.

9. The energy to perform action must exist.

10. Mental strength must exist.

11. A chit or mind-stuff that is conducive to action must also be present.

All these are in the hands of daiv or destiny. The conjunction of all these factors is called daiv. Thus it is evident that none of the controlling factors of action are in the hands of the individual.

Now let us evaluate the controlling factors of action from another point of view.

1. The body that is said to be the repository of action, is not in the hands of the individual.

2. The real doers are the attributes of Prakriti; it is Prakriti that endows the individual with the tricoloured qualities that comprise his nature. This, too, is not in the hands of the individual.

3. The karan or the faculties of the individual that enable him to perform actions, are not within the control of man.

4. Daiv – which creates the situations and circumstances conducive to action, and also creates the destinies of individuals, is beyond the control of man.

5. If endeavour is based on the attributes endowed by Prakriti, these too are not in the hands of the individual.

Guna vivek – The knowledge of the qualities

1. It is qualities that are attracted to other qualities.

2. It is qualities that are repelled by other qualities.

3. Qualities influence other qualities.

4. Qualities inspire other qualities.

5. It is qualities that enliven and energise other qualities.

6. It is qualities that renounce other qualities.

7. It is on account of the some quality of another individual that the quality of jealousy and hatred is aroused within oneself.

8. Love is inspired by some quality of another.

9. Friendship or enmity are inspired by certain other qualities.

10. The attributes of one circumstance seem suspicious to you, and you distance yourself from those.

11. The attributes of a certain situation endear themselves to you and you desire the repetition of that situation.

It is attributes that inspire one to pursue a certain endeavour:

1. The body and its faculties are not in one’s control.

2. The qualities and one’s endeavour are not within one’s control.

3. The situation is certainly not in your control.

It is man’s foolishness if he attempts to claim doership of action. To claim doership in the conjoining of the five factors imperative for action and to take pride in these, to identify with these, to fill the hues of doership in these, is sheer absurdity.

Qualities are the enjoyers or partakers

Actually it is qualities that enjoy or experience other qualities. Your qualities are interdependent. Your qualities partake of other qualities:

a) and get strengthened;

b) and get weakened;

c) and become enraged;

d) and become fearful;

e) and make you merciless and hardhearted or compassionate and merciful.

All this comprises the playground of the qualities and their interaction. Qualities inspire and repel. Qualities impel towards action and qualities also cause disinterest in action. Qualities cause evasion of duty and qualities become the ‘doers’ and partake of one another.

Ahamkaar

Ahamkaar or ego is the delusory infliction of the idea of doership upon one’s natural attributes. Ahamkaar causes man to become fruitlessly attached to his qualities.

1. Thus he becomes proud and arrogant.

2. He knows his own attributes to be deficient and he endeavours to conceal them.

3. He thus causes misery and pain to himself and makes himself detestable.

4. He establishes himself upon a high pedestal.

5. He becomes conceited.

­­–Raag and dvesh or attraction and repulsion are forms of ahamkaar.

­­–  Greed and avarice are endowments of ahamkaar.

­­–  The augmentation of demonic qualities is caused by ahamkaar.

­­–  One who is devoid of ahamkaar will necessarily nurture divine attributes within himself.

Ahamkaar is caused by sheer ignorance, moha and attachment.

If one witnesses the qualities from afar, if one perceives one’s own body-self from a distance, one will realise that one has not accumulated one’s virtuous attributes consciously or knowingly. If you have attained a certain degree of education or a certain attribute, it is the benediction of certain qualities. If you have acquired a certain physical form, it is thanks to daiv and the conjunction of one’s latencies of past births; and if one is employed in a certain occupation, that too is on account of some qualities. If you have performed a certain deed, all five factors imperative to action, which have been discussed here, were necessary to make it possible.

1. If one did not have the body, nothing would have transpired.

2. If one did not have the qualities, nothing would have transpired.

3. If the body did not possess faculties of sense perception and action, nothing would have transpired.

4. If the qualities did not endeavour, having been impelled by certain other qualities, nothing would have transpired.

5. If destiny were not on your side, this situation would not have existed. The qualities that are within you, would not have been there. The family into which you were born would not have existed, you would not have been moulded in this manner by different influences in the family to which you belong. The attributes you have today have been sustained and nourished by other attributes. If those other attributes had not existed in your destiny, you would not have been what you are. This is the truth the Lord has been explaining.