Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 18 - Shloka (Verse) 32

अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसावृता -- ईश्वरकी निन्दा करना शास्त्र? वर्ण? आश्रम और लोकमर्यादाके विपरीत काम करना मातापिताके साथ अच्छा बर्ताव न करना सन्तमहात्मा? गुरुआचार्य आदिका अपमान करना झूठ? कपट? बेईमानी? जालसाजी? अभक्ष्य भोजन? परस्त्रीगमन आदि शास्त्रनिषिद्ध पापकर्मोंको धर्म मानना -- यह सब अधर्मको धर्म मानना है।अपने शास्त्र? वर्ण? आश्रमकी मर्यादामें चलना मातापिताकी आज्ञाका पालन करना तथा उनकी तनमनधनसे सेवा करना संतमहात्माओंके उपदेशोंके अनुसार अपना जीवन बनाना धार्मिक ग्रन्थोंका पठनपाठन करना दूसरोंकी सेवाउपकार करना शुद्धपवित्र भोजन करना आदि शास्त्रविहित कर्मोंको उचित न मानना -- यह धर्मको अधर्म मानना है।तामसी बुद्धिवाले मनुष्योंके विचार होते हैं कि शास्त्रकारोंने? ब्राह्मणोंने अपनेको बड़ा बता दिया और,तरहतरहके नियम बनाकर लोगोंको बाँध दिया? जिससे भारत परतन्त्र हो गया जबतक ये शास्त्र रहेंगे? ये धार्मिक पुस्तकें रहेंगी? तबतक भारतका उत्थान नहीं होगा? भारत परतन्त्रताकी बेड़ीमें ही जकड़ा हुआ रहेगा? आदिआदि। इसलिये वे मर्यादाओंको तोड़नेमें ही धर्म मानते हैं।सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च -- आत्माको स्वरूप न मानकर शरीरको ही स्वरूप मानना ईश्वरको न मान करके दृश्य जगत्को ही सच्चा मानना दूसरोंको तुच्छ समझकर अपनेको ही सबसे बड़ा मानना दूसरोंको मूर्ख समझकर अपनेको ही पढ़ालिखा? विद्वान् समझना जितने संतमहात्मा हो गये हैं? उनकी मान्यताओंसे अपनी मान्यताको श्रेष्ठ मानना सच्चे सुखकी तरफ ध्यान न देकर वर्तमानमें मिलनेवाले संयोगजन्य सुखको ही सच्चा मानना न करनेयोग्य कार्यको ही अपना कर्तव्य समझना अपवित्र वस्तुओंको ही पवित्र मानना -- यह सम्पूर्ण चीजोंको उलटा मानना है।बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी -- तमोगुणसे आवृत जो बुद्धि अधर्मको धर्म? धर्मको अधर्म और अच्छेको बुरा? सुलटेको उलटा मानती है? वह बुद्धि तामसी है। यह तामसी बुद्धि ही मनुष्यको अधोगतिमें ले जानेवाली है -- अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः (गीता 14। 18)। इसलिये अपना उद्धार चाहनेवालेको इसका सर्वथा त्याग कर देना चाहिये। सम्बन्ध -- अब भगवान् सात्त्विकी धृतिके लक्षण बताते हैं।

हे पार्थ जो तमोगुणसे आवृत हुई बुद्धि अधर्मको -- निषिद्ध कार्यको? धर्म मान लेती है? यानी शास्त्रविहित मान लेती है? तथा जाननेयोग्य अन्यान्य समस्त पदार्थोंको भी? जो विपरीत ही समझती है? वह तामसी है।

Thinking that the word Dharma is also neuter gender, 'Dharmam' (in neuter form) is said. 'Tamasāvṛtā' — enveloped by non-discrimination, this is the meaning.

To include Karya-Akarya etc. spoken and unspoken, 'Sarvārthān' (all things) is said, he explains that — 'Sarvāneva' (All indeed).

In 'Viparītāṃśca', taking 'ca' in the sense of emphasis, 'Viparītāneva' (Contraries indeed) is said.

Having stated the Rajasic intellect, He states the Tamasic — 'Adharmam' — the prohibited, as 'dharmam' — the enjoined, she who thinks, knows; 'tamasā' — by non-discrimination, 'āvṛtā' — being covered; 'sarvārthān' — all knowable objects, 'viparītān' — as contrary indeed, she knows; that intellect is Tamasic.

Partha? This is not proper for you, this is the intention of the address.

'Adharmam'. Intellect grasping incorrectly (contrarily) is Tamasic, this is the meaning.

But the Tamasic intellect, being enveloped by Tamas, considers all objects contrary — Adharma as Dharma and Dharma as Adharma; existent object as nonexistent; and nonexistent object as existent; higher truth as lower; and lower truth as higher;

thus it considers everything contrary, this is the meaning.

He states the Tamasic intellect — 'Adharmam'. Intellect grasping contrarily is Tamasic, this is the meaning.

Buddhi is Antahkarana, as said before. Knowledge is its modification (Vritti). Dhriti also is its modification indeed. Or — of the Antahkarana which is the substance (Dharmi), 'Buddhi' also is indeed a modification characterized by determination.

Although its modifications like desire, hatred etc. are many, due to predominance as means to Dharma-Adharma, Fear-Fearlessness, the threefold nature of these (Buddhi, Dhriti etc.) is stated. And this is an indicator of others.

Since by 'Tāmasī' itself being rooted in Tamas is established, by 'Tamasāvṛtā' the state of having expansion obstructed by immediate Tamas is intended, he says — 'Tamasāvṛtā satī'.

By 'Sarvārthān' he states the collection of all unmentioned [things] of the nature of established and to-be-accomplished — by 'Santaṃ cārtham asantam' etc. By this it is shown that the view of outsiders (non-Vedics) and wrong-viewers is Tamasic. And it is said by Manu — 'Whatever Smritis are outside the Veda and whatever wrong views are there. All those are fruitless after death, for they are declared to be based on Tamas' [Manu 12.95].

Here the distinction between Rajasic and Tamasic intellects is this much — in Rajasic there is incomplete knowledge and erroneous knowledge — from the explanation 'does not know as it is'; but in Tamasic 'considers everything contrary', from the statement 'all objects' — thus 'Eke' (some) [say].

Others however say — difference is in contrariety of mode (Prakara) and contrariety of object (Prakari). Although in both cases only non-property is superimposed on the property-holder which is the substratum, still in the contrariety of the defining property of nature there is Tamas-ness, as in the illusion of silver in nacre; but in the contrariety of the distinguishing property of the defined nature there is Rajas-ness, as in the illusion of yellow conch.

सात्त्विक बुद्धि का पदार्थ ज्ञान यथार्थ होता है? तो राजसी बुद्धि का सन्देहात्मक किन्तु तामसी बुद्धि तो वस्तु को उसके मूलस्वरूप से सर्वथा विपरीत रूप में जानती है। धर्म को अधर्म और अधर्म को धर्म मानना इस बुद्धि का कार्य है। वस्तुत तामसी बुद्धि कोई बुद्धि ही नहीं कही जा सकती। वह तो विपरीत ज्ञानों की एक गठरी ही है। विपरीत निष्कर्षों पर पहुँचने की इसकी क्षमता अद्भुत है इसका कारण है? अज्ञानावरण का अन्धकार और अहंकार का अंधोन्माद।अगले श्लोक में त्रिविध धृति का वर्णन करते हैं हे पार्थ योग के द्वारा जिस अव्याभिचारिणी धृति (धारणा) से मनुष्य मन? प्राण और इन्द्रियों की क्रियाओं को धारण करता है? वह धृति,

From 'Pravṛttim' etc. up to 'is considered Tamasic'.

'Ayathāvat' — incorrectly.

'Adharmam' (Adharma...) — thus. The intellect which, covered by 'Tamas' — the defect which opposes specific perception (discrimination) — thinks Adharma to be Dharma — reverses (misunderstands) everywhere regarding unseen matters; similarly, regarding 'Sarvarthan' — all knowable objects even having seen purposes — thinks of them as contrary indeed; that intellect, possessed of perversity, is Tamasic.

He states the Tamasic (intellect) — 'Adharmam' (Adharma...) — thus. That which, being covered by Tamas, i.e., ignorance, thinks Adharma — the non-duty which is not in accordance with the Lord's will — to be Dharma — the duty which yields fruit; 'Ca' (and) again, thinks all things — non-duty, duty, fearlessness, fear etc. — to be contrary;

O Partha, that intellect is Tamasic; it should be considered so, this is the meaning.

Adharma, meaning prohibited, as Dharma, meaning enjoined — she who thinks — knows — thus, being covered by Tamas; and 'Sarvarthan' — indeed all knowable objects — 'Viparitan ca' — knows as contrary indeed;

that intellect, O Partha, is Tamasic.

'Adharmam' (Adharma...) — thus.

Covered by Tamas — by ignorance — she thinks all things to be contrary; that is Tamasic.

अधर्मम् Adharma? धर्मम् Dharma? इति thus? या which? मन्यते thinks? तमसा by darkness? आवृता enveloped? सर्वार्थान् all things? विपरीतान् perverted? च and? बुद्धिः intellect? सा that? पार्थ O Partha? तामसी Tamasic (dark).Commentary That intellect which regards righteous acts as evil? and considers right things to be false? which treats everything in a contrary sense and looks upon virtues as if they were vices and takes everything that the scriptures declare to be good as being entirely wrong? is Tamasic. It views all things in a perverted light.Thus? O Arjuna? I have explained to thee the three aspects of the intellect. Now listen to the explanation of the characteristics of the three aspects of firmness.

O Partha, sa, that; buddhih, intellect; tamasi, is born of tamas; ya, which; tamasavrta, being covered by darkness; manyate, considers, understands; adharmam, vice, what is prohibited; iti, as; dharmam, virtue, what is prescribed; and ca, verily; perceives sarvarthan, all things, all objects of knowledge without exception; viparitan, contrary to what they are.

That Buddhi is of the nature of Tamas which is 'enveloped in Tamas' and 'reverses every value.' The meaning is that it regards Adharma as Dharma and Dharma as Adharma, existent as non-existent, and non-existent as existent, and higher truth as the lower and the lower truth as the higher, and thus reverses every value.