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BG 14.13 — 14.13 Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna.
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अप्रकाशोऽप्रवृत्तिश्च प्रमादो मोह एव च |
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ||१४-१३||

aprakāśo.apravṛttiśca pramādo moha eva ca . tamasyetāni jāyante vivṛddhe kurunandana ||14-13||


14.13 Darkness, inertness, heedlessness and delusion these arise when Tamas is predominant, O Arjuna.

Word-by-word meanings

14.13 अप्रकाशः darkness? अप्रवृत्तिः inertness? च and? प्रमादः heedlessness? मोहः delusion? एव even? च and? तमसि in inertia? एतानि these? जायन्ते arise? विवृद्धे have become prdominant? कुरुनन्दन O descendant of Kuru (Arjuna).Commentary When Tamas increases? darkness? a desire to do nothing? forgetfulness of ones duties and confusion ome into existence.Darkness Absence of discrimination.Apravritti Inertness extreme inactivity.Pramada (heedlessness) and Moha (delusion) are the effects of darkness

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

14.13 Kuru-nandana, O descendant of the Kuru dynasty; when the ality of tamas vivrddhe, predominates; etani, these indications; eva, surely; jayante, come into being; extreme aprakasah, non-discrimination; and apravrttih, inactivity; its [i.e. of non-discrimination.] effects, pramadah, in-advertence; and mohah, delusion, i.e. stupidity, which is a from of non-discrimination. Whatever result is achieved even after death, that is also owing to attachment and desire; every-thing is certainly caused by the alities. By way of showing this the Lord says:

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

14.13 O descendant of the Kuru dynasty, when tamas predominates these surely [i.e. without exception.-M.S.] come into being: non-discrimination and inactivity, inadvertence and delusion.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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