Commentary

Commentary

Krishna now shifts to a deeper philosophical analysis of action. He tells Arjuna that according to Vedanta philosophy, there are five factors that underlie the accomplishment of every action. Understanding these five factors is essential for understanding why the individual soul is not the ultimate doer.

One might wonder: if every action produces some result, how can a person who acts in devotion be free from karmic reaction? Krishna is about to demonstrate through Vedanta philosophy that this is indeed possible. He cites the Sankhya system — here referring to Vedanta, the conclusion of Vedic knowledge — as His authority.

The five causes will be enumerated in the next verse. They include the body (the seat of action), the doer, the various senses, the different types of effort, and ultimately the Supersoul (the divine sanction). By understanding that action is the result of these five factors working together, one can free oneself from the false ego that says “I alone am the doer.”

Sankhya, as the foundational philosophical system, and Vedanta, as its ultimate conclusion, are both accepted as authoritative here. Even the great Shankaracharya accepted the Vedanta Sutra as the supreme philosophical authority. Krishna invokes this tradition to add weight to His teaching.