—json {

  "name":"Bg. 18.15",
  "h1":"Bg. 18.15",
  "label":"Text 15",
  "title":"Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 18.15",
  "description":"Whatever right or wrong action a man performs by body, mind or speech is caused by these five factors."

} —

Bg. 18.15

शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः ।
न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः ॥१५॥

Text

śarīra-vāṅ-manobhir yat
karma prārabhate naraḥ
nyāyyaṁ vā viparītaṁ vā
pañcaite tasya hetavaḥ

Synonyms

śarīra—body; vāk—speech; manobhiḥ—by the mind; yat—anything; karma—work; prārabhate—begins; naraḥ—a person; nyāyyam—right; vā—or; viparītam—the opposite; vā—or; pañca—five; ete—all these; tasya—its; hetavaḥ—causes.

Translation

Whatever right or wrong action a man performs by body, mind or speech is caused by these five factors.

Purport

The words “right” and “wrong” are very significant in this verse. Right work is work done in terms of the prescribed directions in the scriptures, and wrong work is work done against the principles of the scriptural injunctions. But whatever is done requires these five factors for its complete performance.