Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Verse 28
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 18 श्लोक 28

अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः।
विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते।।18.28।।



English Translation - Swami Gambirananda
18.28 The agent who is unsteady, naive, unbending, deceitful, wicked, [A variant reading is naikrtikah.-Tr.] lazy, morose and procrastinating is said to be possessed of tamas.


English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary
18.28 Ayukta is the doer who is unalified for acts enjoined by the Sastras; the meaning is that he is engaged in perverse acts; who is unrefined, means one uninstructed; who is stubborn, means one who is not disposed to act; who is depraved means one who has the taste for black magic etc; who is dishonest is one who is treacherous; who is indolent is one who is not inclined to carry out actions undertaken; who is despondent is one given to excessive despondency; and one who is dilatory, is a person who, while engaged in black magic, etc., pays malevolent attention to produce long-standing evil to others - such a doer is declared to be Tamasika.

Thus, has been told the threefold division in terms of the Gunas of the knowledge about the work that ought to be performed, and about the agent of work. Now, Sri Krsna describe s the threefold division of Buddhi and Dhrti (fortitude) on the basis of Gunas. These faculties give the determinate knowledge of all realities in existence and of all ends of human life (Purusarthas).


Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 18.28Ayuktah praakritah stabdhah shatho naishkritiko’lasah;
Vishaadee deerghasootree cha kartaa taamasa uchyate.


Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 18.28ayuktaḥ—undisciplined; prākṛitaḥ—vulgar; stabdhaḥ—obstinate; śhaṭhaḥ—cunning; naiṣhkṛitikaḥ—dishonest or vile; alasaḥ—slothful; viṣhādī—unhappy and morose; dīrgha-sūtrī—procrastinating; cha—and; kartā—performer; tāmasaḥ—in the mode of ignorance; uchyate—is said to be