Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Now Krishna will go in deep set of action by analyzing actions in different set of terms. 

Bg 18.18

jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ parijñātā
tri-vidhā karma-codanā
karaṇaṁ karma karteti
tri-vidhaḥ karma-saṅgrahaḥ

Synonyms: 

jñānam — knowledge; jñeyam — the objective of knowledge; parijñātā — the knower; tri–vidhā — of three kinds; karma — of work; codanā — the impetus; karaṇam — the senses; karma — the work; kartā — the doer; iti — thus; tri–vidhaḥ — of three kinds; karma — of work; saṅgrahaḥ — the accumulation.

Translation: 

Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower are the three factors that motivate action; the senses, the work and the doer are the three constituents of action.

Now this verse is a very important verse to understand the flow of the Gita in next 20 verses or so 

jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ parijñātā, 

tri-vidhā karma-codanā

codanā, means impetus or inspiration

what are that is involved in action?

That is jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ parijñātā, i.e. the knowledge, the objective of the knowledge and the knower, 

karaṇaṁ karma karteti

tri-vidhaḥ karma-saṅgrahaḥ

karaṇaṁ is the instrument by which the action is done 

Karma is the action and the Karta is the doer.

Say a person goes to see some scenic seen flowers birds etc.

That time there is jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ parijñātā, 

parijñātā is the person, who is the knower, who wants to be the knower, jñāna is the process of knowledge and jñeya is the object of knowledge. 

Another example someone studying engineering, jñānaṁ but the objective is not knowledge but employment and then enjoyment, jñeyaṁ.

So jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ parijñātā these are the three factors of action.

Then

karaṇaṁ karma karteti

karaṇaṁ is the instrument by which the action is done 

Karma is the action and the Karta is the doer.

Say if a person wanted to be eloquent speaker then the person has to be there, voice has to be there, and the person has to speak, and the person speaks several times and by that he becomes a good speaker. 

karaṇaṁ karma karteti
tri-vidhaḥ karma-saṅgrahaḥ

these three are the components of action, 

Now again this can be analyzed in terms of three basic factors that exist Jiva, Jagat and Jagadish, 

How this is related to 18.14?

18.14 –Five factors related with three factors of action

Jiva desires, Ishvara sanctions, prakrti executes

Jiva –karta

Ishvara –daiva

Prakrti –adhisthanam, karanam,

Prakrti can be referred to as body and senses within the body 

Jiva + Prakrti –chesta

Chesta is endeavor which is a combination of Jiva and Prakriti.

Jiva endevors through the body without body jiva cannot endeavor, singer practices with the throat. 

Going to our previous example a batsman is batting and bowler is bowling and batsman thinks that on this ball I will hit a sixer that is the desire of Jiva, but the batsman missed the bowling line so it is not that every time the batsman desire will be fulfilled, Ishwar has to sanction, when Ishwar sanctions then the Prakriti executes, this is the progression Jiva, Ishvara and Prakriti all three come together, 

18.18 (6 elements) –> 18.19 (3 elements)

  1. Jnana–knowledge
  2. Jneya-that which is to be known as an impetus for action
  3. Parijnata–knower
  4. Karanam-senses
  5. Karma –action
  6. Karta –doer

Krishna will reduce this 6 elements to 3 elements in the 19th verse and these three elements will be analyzed in the three modes, in the subsequent set of verses in the BG, 

Parijnata= Karta; karanam& jneya–matter

End of transcription.