Topic

Sankhya

2 verses from the Bhagavad Gita on sankhya. Explore teachings across 1 chapter.

All Verses

Chapter 18 • Verse 13 →The Yoga of Liberation and Renunciation
pancaitani maha-baho karanani nibodha me sankhye krtante proktani siddhaye sarva-karmanam

Krishna asks Arjuna to learn from the Sankhya system the five causes for the accomplishment of all actions. This teaching draws on the analytical tradition of Sankhya to explain the metaphysical structure underlying all activity.

  • •All actions have five underlying causes according to Sankhya philosophy
  • •Understanding these causes leads to true wisdom about agency
  • •Krishna integrates Sankhya analysis into his practical teaching
causationactionphilosophyfive-causes
Chapter 18 • Verse 19 →The Yoga of Liberation and Renunciation
jnanam karma ca karta ca tridhaiva guna-bhedata procyate guna-sankhyane yathavac chrinu tany api

In the Sankhya analysis of the gunas, knowledge, action, and the doer are each described as threefold according to their gunic quality. Krishna invites Arjuna to hear these distinctions properly, as they illuminate the nature of all activity.

  • •The gunas divide knowledge, action, and the doer each into three kinds
  • •Sankhya philosophy provides the analytical framework for this tripartite teaching
  • •Understanding gunic distinctions clarifies the quality and karmic weight of any act
three-gunasknowledgeactiondoer