Bhagavad Gita · Sankhya YogaChapter 2, Shloka 43 (2.43)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम्
क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैश्वर्यगतिं प्रति
॥ 2.43 ॥
kāmātmānaḥ svargaparā janmakarmaphalapradām
kriyāviśeṣabahulāṃ bhogaiśvaryagatiṃ prati
Translation
"…(they,) full of desires, holding heaven to be the highest goal — (speak words) that yield rebirth as the fruit of action, full of countless rituals for the attainment of pleasure and power…" (the sentence is completed in 2.44)
Interpretation
Desire-centred religion. Krishna gives four marks of such people:
- Kāmātmānaḥ — whose very nature is desire (Shankara: kāma-parāḥ).
- Svarga-parāḥ — who hold heaven to be the highest human goal.
- Their speech is janma-karma-phala-pradā — whose fruit is birth itself (Shankara: janmaiva karma-phalam). That is, such action brings one back into the cycle of birth and death.
- Kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulā — full of rituals: Shankara — a profusion of rites for svarga, paśu, putra (heaven, cattle, sons) and the like.
The limit of ritual. Krishna does not condemn ritual — he points out its limit: action done for pleasure and power gives birth again; not liberation.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.