Bhagavad Gita 16.7 Meaning: Pravrittim cha nivrittim cha

Bhagavad Gita 16.7

प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः ।न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥

Pravrittim cha nivrittim cha jana na vidurasurahNa shaucham napi chacharo na satyam teshu vidyate

pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca janā na vidurāsurāḥ |na śaucaṃ nāpi cācāro na satyaṃ teṣu vidyate ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation Krishna says that people of the asura nature do not know pravṛtti and nivṛtti: what to take up and what to turn away from. In them there is no cleanness, no right conduct and no truth. The commentators explain the two words differently (see the views).

हिंदी अर्थ कृष्ण कहते हैं कि आसुरी स्वभाव वाले लोग प्रवृत्ति और निवृत्ति को नहीं जानते, यानी क्या करना है और किससे हटना है। उनमें न शौच (पवित्रता) है, न सदाचार, न सत्य। टीकाकार इन दो शब्दों को अलग-अलग ढंग से समझाते हैं।

Word by word

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Word by word

प्रवृत्तिम् pravṛttim · what to do, action (noun (feminine), accusative singular) Dictionary: pra-vṛtti, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 694, col. 1 “activity, exertion, efficacy, function”
च ca · and (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. ca, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 380, col. 1 “and, both, also, moreover, as well as”
निवृत्तिम् nivṛttim · what to refrain from (noun (feminine), accusative singular) Dictionary: ni-vṛtti, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 560, col. 2 “ceasing from worldly acts, inactivity, rest, repose (opp. to pra-vṛtti)”
च ca · and (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. ca, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 380, col. 1 “and, both, also, moreover, as well as”
जनाः janāḥ · people (noun (masculine), nominative plural) Dictionary: jana, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 410, col. 1 “creature, living being, man, person, race”
न na · not (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. na, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 523, col. 1 “not, no, nor, neither”
विदुः viduḥ · know (perfect with present sense, 3rd person plural) Dictionary: 1. vid, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 963, col. 2 “to know, understand, perceive, learn”
आसुराः āsurāḥ · of asura nature (adjective (masculine), nominative plural) Dictionary: 1. āsura, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 160, col. 3 “belonging or relating to the Asuras”
न na · not (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. na, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 523, col. 1 “not, no, nor, neither”
शौचम् śaucam · purity (noun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: śauca, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1092, col. 3 “cleanness, purity, purification”
न na · not (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. na, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 523, col. 1 “not, no, nor, neither”
अपि api · even (indeclinable) Dictionary: api, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 55, col. 1 “in the sense of even, also, very”
च ca · and (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. ca, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 380, col. 1 “and, both, also, moreover, as well as”
आचारः ācāraḥ · good conduct (noun (masculine), nominative singular) Dictionary: ā-cāra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 131, col. 3 “conduct, manner of action, behaviour, good behaviour, good conduct”
न na · not (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. na, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 523, col. 1 “not, no, nor, neither”
सत्यम् satyam · truth (noun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: satya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1135, col. 3 “true, real, actual, genuine, sincere, honest, truthful”
तेषु teṣu · in them (pronoun (masculine), locative plural) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
विद्यते vidyate · is found (present passive, 3rd person singular) Dictionary: 3. vid, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 965, col. 1 “to be found, exist, be”

What should be done for the attainment of real good, and what should not be done as productive of mischief. See too p. 125. ↩

Bhagavad Gita 16.7: meaning and translation

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