Chapter 18, Verse 60 (Bhagavad Gita 18.60)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा।कर्तुं नेच्छसि यन्मोहात्करिष्यस्यवशोऽपि तत्
Transliteration
swbhāva-jena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā kartuṁ nechchhasi yan mohāt kariṣhyasy avaśho ’pi tat
Word Meanings
swabhāva-jena—born of one’s own material nature; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; nibaddhaḥ—bound; svena—by your own; karmaṇā—actions; kartum—to do; na—not; ichchhasi—you wish; yat—which; mohāt—out of delusion; kariṣhyasi—you will do; avaśhaḥ—helplessly; api—even though; tat—that
Translation
O Arjuna, bound by your own karma born of your own nature, that which from delusion you do not wish to do, even that you shall do helplessly.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Bhagwan Shri Krishna explains that the individual soul is often caught in the web of its own past impressions and inherent tendencies (svabhava). Shri Krishna reveals that one’s destiny is shaped by the momentum of previous actions, making it nearly impossible to resist one's natural inclinations through egoistic will alone. By highlighting the helplessness of the conditioned soul, the Supreme Lord invites the devotee to surrender their limited agency unto Him. Only by seeking refuge in the grace of Shri Krishna can the seeker transcend these binding forces of nature and attain true liberation. Thus, Shri Krishna gently guides Arjuna to realize that surrendering the fruits of action to the Divine is the only way to break the cycle of karmic necessity.