Chapter 18, Verse 30 (Bhagavad Gita 18.30)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये।बन्धं मोक्षं च या वेत्ति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ सात्त्विकी
Transliteration
pravṛittiṁ cha nivṛittiṁ cha kāryākārye bhayābhaye bandhaṁ mokṣhaṁ cha yā vetti buddhiḥ sā pārtha sāttvikī
Word Meanings
pravṛittim—activities; cha—and; nivṛittim—renuncation from action; cha—and; kārya—proper action; akārye—improper action; bhaya—fear; abhaye—without fear; bandham—what is binding; mokṣham—what is liberating; cha—and; yā—which; vetti—understands; buddhiḥ—intellect; sā—that; pārtha—son of Pritha; sāttvikī—in the nature of goodness
Translation
The intellect which knows the path of work and renunciation, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation—that intellect, O Arjuna, is Sattvic.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Bhagwan Shri Krishna defines the Sattvic intellect as the divine lens through which a soul perceives the ultimate reality. By bestowing this wisdom upon Arjuna, Lord Krishna teaches that true intelligence is not worldly knowledge, but the spiritual discrimination to distinguish between the ephemeral and the eternal. When a devotee aligns their intellect with the Lord's divine laws, they naturally transcend the dualities of fear and bondage. This is the path of liberation, where the seeker ceases to act out of ego and begins to act in total surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimately, Shri Krishna invites us to cultivate this pure consciousness so that we may realize our own eternal nature as His servants.