Bhagavad Gita: Understanding One Shloka at a time. (Chp. 3, Verse 27) — HBR Patel

Trying to understand Bhagavad Gita, one Shloka at a time…

प्रकृते: क्रियमाणानि गुणै: कर्माणि सर्वश: |
अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते || 27||

All activities are enacted by the gunaas(qualities) of Prakriti(material nature), but the unrealized deluded by false identification of being the body, thus thinks: I am the doer.’

Bhagwan Shri Krishna explained in the previous shlokas told Arjuna to act without attachment and by doing so set an example for the world to follow. In this shloka, Bhagwan Shri Krishna explains to Arjuna how to act without detachment.

The quality of our actions is determined by the three Gunaas/qualities of the Prakriti/material energy. This Prakriti consists of the three modes (Gunaas) — goodness (sattva), passion (rajas), and ignorance (tamas). These Gunaas are experienced by the mind when the senses make contact with sense objects.

The problem lies in the misplaced identity. The soul identifies itself as the physical body and is blinded by the ego…