The seat (body), the doer, the various instruments, the different kinds of efforts, and divine providence as the fifth.
This verse outlines the five factors involved in every action, emphasizing that individuals are not the sole agents. By including divine providence (daivam), Krishna subtly introduces how cosmic order and individual will interact, addressing the paradox of free will and determinism.
Whatever action a man performs with his body, speech, and mind, whether right or wrong, these five are its causes.
Krishna extends the analysis to moral dimensions of action, showing that the same five factors operate regardless of whether actions are righteous or unrighteous. This objective framework helps Arjuna move beyond subjective judgment to a deeper understanding of causality.
Now, such being the case, he who through an untrained understanding looks upon his Self, which is isolated, as the doer, he, of perverted intelligence, does not see.
Krishna addresses the ego's misidentification as the sole doer of actions. This delusion forms the root of suffering, as one mistakenly claims absolute agency while ignoring the complex factors described earlier. True wisdom recognizes the interdependent nature of all action.
He whose nature is free from egotism, whose understanding is not tainted, though he slays these people, he slays not, nor is he bound.
This verse contains one of the Gita's most profound paradoxes: one who acts without ego-identification is actually not acting at all. The enlightened warrior can fulfill his duty without accruing karma, resolving Arjuna's dilemma about the morality of warfare.
Knowledge, the known and the knower form the threefold impulse to action; the instrument, the action and the doer form the threefold basis of action.
Krishna systematically categorizes the components of action into two triads, creating a comprehensive framework for understanding human behavior. This analytical approach helps transform Arjuna's emotional conflict into philosophical clarity, preparing him for the classification that follows.
Knowledge, action and the doer are declared in the science of the gunas to be of three kinds, according to the distinction of the gunas. Hear them also duly.
Krishna introduces the application of the three gunas (qualities of nature) to knowledge, action, and the doer. This systematic approach reveals how the gunas influence every aspect of life, offering a complete framework for self-understanding and transformation.
That knowledge by which one sees the one indestructible reality in all beings, undivided in the divided, know that knowledge to be sattvic.
The description of sattvic knowledge presents the highest spiritual vision—seeing unity amid diversity. This perspective doesn't deny the world's apparent multiplicity but perceives the underlying wholeness, enabling action that honors both universal principles and particular situations.