अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनवेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् ।मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते ॥
anubandhaṃ kṣayaṃ hiṃsām anavekṣya ca pauruṣam |mohād ārabhyate karma yat tat tāmasam ucyate ||
- अनुबन्धम् · anubandham
- consequence, sequel
- क्षयम् · kṣayam
- loss, waste
- हिंसाम् · hiṃsām
- harm, injury
- अनवेक्ष्य · anavekṣya
- without considering
- पौरुषम् · pauruṣam
- one's own capacity
- मोहात् · mohāt
- from delusion
- आरभ्यते · ārabhyate
- is undertaken
- कर्म · karma
- action
- यत् · yat
- which
- तत् · tat
- that
- तामसम् · tāmasam
- tamasic
- उच्यते · ucyate
- is called
“Action undertaken from delusion, without regard for consequence, loss, harm, or one's own capacity — that is called tamasic.”
— Original plain-language translation
Tamasic action skips all four checks a prudent person makes: what follows, what it costs, whom it hurts, whether I can do it. Delusion replaces deliberation. The verse is a timeless warning against reckless enterprise and thoughtless harm alike.
— Reader's notes (original)