Chapter 18, Verse 22 (Bhagavad Gita 18.22)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम्।अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्
Transliteration
yat tu kṛitsna-vad ekasmin kārye saktam ahaitukam atattvārtha-vad alpaṁ cha tat tāmasam udāhṛitam
Word Meanings
yat—which; tu—but; kṛitsna-vat—as if it encompasses the whole; ekasmin—in single; kārye—action; saktam—engrossed; ahaitukam—without a reason; atattva-artha-vat—not based on truth; alpam—fragmental; cha—and; tat—that; tāmasam—in the mode of ignorance; udāhṛitam—is said to be
Translation
But that knowledge which clings to one single effect as if it were the whole, devoid of reason, without foundation in the ultimate Truth, and is trivial, is declared to be Tamasic.
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna unveils the darkness of Tamasic knowledge, which blinds the soul to the infinite reality of the Divine. By clinging to a singular, material aspect as if it were the entire Truth, the individual traps themselves in a narrow, fragmented existence. Yogeshwar Krishna warns that such a limited perspective lacks divine reason and ignores the eternal substratum of Brahman. To transcend this state, the seeker must surrender their limited ego and perceive the presence of Shri Krishna in all things. Only through this devotion and wisdom can the soul break the cycle of delusion and move toward ultimate liberation.