Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

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

Bg 18.28

ayuktaḥ prākṛtaḥ stabdhaḥ
śaṭho naiṣkṛtiko ’lasaḥ
viṣādī dīrgha-sūtrī ca
kartā tāmasa ucyate

Synonyms: 

ayuktaḥ — not referring to the scriptural injunctions; prākṛtaḥ — materialistic; stabdhaḥ — obstinate; śaṭhaḥ — deceitful; naiṣkṛtikaḥ — expert in insulting others; alasaḥ — lazy; viṣādī — morose; dīrgha–sūtrī — procrastinating; ca — also; kartā — worker; tāmasaḥ — in the mode of ignorance; ucyate — is said to be.

Translation: 

The worker who is always engaged in work against the injunctions of the scripture, who is materialistic, obstinate, cheating and expert in insulting others, and who is lazy, always morose and procrastinating is said to be a worker in the mode of ignorance.

ayuktaḥ prākṛtaḥ stabdhaḥ, yuktaḥ means well situated well connected according to scriptures, ayuktaḥ means that which is not according to scripture.

prākṛtaḥ, means materialistic, prakriti is generally used to refer to material nature so prākṛtaḥ is materialistic so prakriti sahajiya are people who are quite materialistic although they may seem to be a devotee, sahajiya they may take devotion very cheaply. There conceptions, their aspirations all are within realm of matter only, but they have a religious garb to them, 

stabdhaḥ, insolent, obstinate, means these people once they decide to do something then even if it is wrong they will not give it up actually obstinacy and determination seems to be similar but they are not. Determination is positive, even if I will not get success I will do it, obstinacy is negative, it is something undesirable one should give it up but still one doesn’t give it up although one may experience oneself or learn from others still one doesn’t give it up. E.g. Dhruva Maharaj continued even after Narad muni’s advice and same is the case of Duryodhana but the difference is one is according to the scripture but other is not. So Duryodhana and Ravan are examples of stabdhaḥ.

śaṭho means deceitful, person who is very treacherous, to do things for oneself the person doesn’t care for other’s at all, and one uses others for one’s own purpose. E.g. someone is patenting some yoga ashana or certain herbs which are grown from centuries. 

naiṣkṛtiko, people delight in hurting others

’lasaḥ, lazy 

śaṭho naiṣkṛtiko ’lasaḥ

dīrgha-sūtrī, means the person is postponing things, procrastinating

viṣādī means one who is always morose.

Generally selfishness is for things but it can also be at the level of thoughts that one wants everyone’s attention either by letting everyone know he is doing excellent or by drawing their attention by putting forward his miserable condition. 

Some people becomes mentally sick in the sense they always think of themselves in a negative way, this sort of self-pity is not humility, self-pity is very self-centered, I and I, one doesn’t think about others at all. 

viṣādī dīrgha-sūtrī ca
kartā tāmasa ucyate

moroseness, one always think sorry for oneself, world is so bad, nothing is going to work out for me. Humility is never self-centered humility is Krishna centered, we feel small because we feel greatness of Krishna, among other people in front of Krishna I am small and this way I stay humble.

So when we give these up we become happy and more productive.

End of transcription.