Chapter 18 • Verse 15
शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः। न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः॥
śharīra-vāṅ-manobhir yat karma prārabhate naraḥ nyāyyaṁ vā viparītaṁ vā pañchaite tasya hetavaḥ
Meaning
Whatever action a person performs by body, speech, or mind — whether right or wrong — these five are its causes.
All actions — bodily, verbal, mental, whether righteous or unrighteous — arise from these five factors. This analysis removes the burden of personal doership while clarifying how actions actually occur.
Strength Reflection
"All my actions arise from five factors; I am not the sole doer."
Devotional Surrender
O Lord, seeing the five causes, I release the pride of personal doership.