jñānaṁ karma ca kartā ca tridhaiva guṇa-bhedataḥ procyate guṇa-saṅkhyāne yathāvac chṛṇu tāny api
"Knowledge, action, and the agent are declared to be threefold according to the distinction of gunas in the Sankhya teaching. Hear properly about these also."
What This Means:
Knowledge, action, and the doer each come in three varieties based on the three gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas). Krishna will now explain each type.
Going Deeper:
This introduces the systematic threefold classification that will occupy verses 20-40. Rather than abstract philosophy, Krishna gives practical categories to help Arjuna (and us) evaluate our own knowledge, actions, and motivations. 'Guna-sankhyane' refers to the Sankhya enumeration system. Self-diagnosis using these categories enables spiritual progress.
How To Apply This:
Learn to identify whether your knowledge, actions, and self-image are sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic. This self-diagnosis is the first step toward transformation.
Key Sanskrit Terms: