Chapter 18 Shloka 18

ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना।

करणं कर्म कर्तेति त्रिविध: कर्मसंग्रह:।।१८।।

There are three motivators of action –

knowledge, that which is knowable and the knower.

It is with the conjunction of the karan or the faculties of

perception and action, the karma or the deed performed

and the karta or the doer that varied activities occur.

Chapter 18 Shloka 18

ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना।

करणं कर्म कर्तेति त्रिविध: कर्मसंग्रह:।।१८।।

Listen carefully to what the Lord is saying.

There are three motivators of action – knowledge, that which is knowable and the knower. It is with the conjunction of the karan or the faculties of perception and action, the karma or the deed performed and the karta or the doer that varied activities occur.

The Lord first speaks of those factors that motivate action. Gyata, gyan and gyeya – the knower, knowledge and that which can be known are the three factors.

Gyata (ज्ञाता) – The knower

1. One who comprehends knowledge.

2. One who knows that which is to be known.

3. One who has knowledge of the gyeya.

Gyan (ज्ञान) – Knowledge

Gyan is that:

a) knowing which, one can know another.

b) knowing which, one can know any sense object.

c) knowing which, one can know any subject.

Gyeya (ज्ञेय) – The object of knowledge

1. That which can be known.

2. That whose knowledge one craves.

3. That which one already knows.

4. That which one has experienced.

5. That which one wishes to know.

When these three unite, action is motivated. If there is no knower, knowledge and the object of knowledge become meaningless. If the object of knowledge is not present, then what is it one will seek to know and who will know? If knowledge does not remain then how will the knower know the known? How can one access the known? Just as the sadhak, sadhana and sadhya – aspirant, the practice of spirituality and the goal are all necessary components of spiritual practice, so also, knowledge, the known and the knower are necessary motivators of action.

Chodana (चोदना)

1. That inspiration which impels one to act.

2. That motivation which is palpable.

3. That which designs and delineates.

4. That which urges.

5. That which encourages and directs one towards action.

6. That which enlivens one.

7. That which tempts one.

8. That which instills active force into one’s life.

9. That which leads one forcibly into action.

10. That which drives one towards life and compels one to act.

11. That which becomes the basic inspiration to action.

12. That which enlivens a hitherto lifeless inclination.

The Lord says, “When these three motivators of action conjoin, the desire for action awakens. Then the ‘knower’ dons the garb of the ‘doer’ who acts in order to attain the ‘the object of knowledge’. That knower converts knowledge into practice in order to attain the gyeya or the object of knowledge. The inclination – chodana that arose to attain the object of knowledge now seeks fulfilment. Then the doer, the faculties of perception and action, and karma or the act itself, all conjoin to perform action. Action emanates from the conjunction of these three.

Understand this yet again. First the knower attained knowledge and cognised the gyeya, the object of knowledge, as attainable. The knower thus motivated, took the aid of the karans or the faculties of perception and was impelled into activity. It is said that the desire for the attainable drives man towards actions. Desire for the attainable rides upon the sense organs of perception and motivates one into action. That is, the sense organs act in accordance with their capacity, instigated by the desire to attain any object thought to be worthy of attainment. Thereafter, karma or action occurs. That which was the object of the knower’s knowledge, first attained the status of gyatavya or one worthy of being known, the inspiration to act arose thereafter. So also, when a certain object became worthy of attainment for the doer, action ensued.

Let us once again discuss the Atmavaan – essentially a non-doer. Nothing further remains to be known for one who has transcended the body idea, because:

1. The ‘I’ which desired to know, is now extinct.

2. The intellect that sought to know, that intellect is no longer his.

3. That mind which would have experienced, that, too, now belongs to Brahm.

4. The mainstay of the body in which the ‘I’ was to abide, no longer belongs to that elevated soul.

Thus for such a one, the knower and knowledge have no meaning. The known, too, is meaningless for such a one. The doer no longer remains. He no longer claims the faculties of perception and action as his own and thus no actions can be attributed to him.

The motivation that arose on account of the mind’s attachments has been silenced – the consequent actions have also ceased. Now the body acts in accordance with the universal destiny. The actions of such a one are sponsored through sheer identification with whoever comes before him. He dwells in identified oneness – Advaita. In gaining his Self, he has forgotten himself.