BhG 18.48

syntax

he kaunteya (O son of Kuntī!),
sa-doṣam api (even faulty) saha-jam karma (natural activity) na tyajet (he should not abandon).
dhūmena (by smoke) agniḥ iva (as fire) [āvṛtaḥ asti] (is covered)
sarvārambhāḥ hi (indeed all undertakings) doṣeṇa (by fault) āvṛtāḥ [santi] (they are covered).

grammar

saha-jam	–	saha-ja 2n.1 n. – born together, inborn, natural (from: saha – together with, in the company of; –ja – suffix: born);
karma	–	karman 1n.1 n. – activity (from: √kṛ – to do);
kaunteya	–	kaunteya 8n.1 m. – O son of Kuntī (from: kunti – the people of Kunti, kuntī – Kunti, matka of the sons of Pāṇḍu);
sa-doṣam	–	sa-doṣa 1n.1 n.; BV: yad doṣena sahāsti tat – faulty (from: sa – together with, in common, short form of: saha or sama; occurs mostly in compounds, requires instrumental; √duṣ – to become bad, to be defiled, to perish, doṣa – evil, fault, guilt);
api	–	av. – although, moreover, besides, even;
na	–	av. – not;
tyajet	–	√tyaj (to abandon, to give up) Pot. Ā 1v.1 – he should abandon;
sarvārambhāḥ	–	sarva-ārambha 1n.3 m.; sarvā ārambhā iti – all undertakings (from: sarva – all, whole; ā-√rabh – to reach, to undertake, to begin, ā-rambha – beginning, undertaking);
hi	–	av. – because, just, indeed, surely;
doṣeṇa	–	doṣa 3n.1 m. – by evil, by fault, by guilt (from: √duṣ – to become corrupted);
dhūmena	–	dhūma 3n.1 m. – by smoke (from: √dhū – to shake, to kindle);
agniḥ	–	agni 1n.1 m. – fire (from: √ag – to move tortuously);
iva	–	av. – like, in the same manner as, almost, exactly;
āvṛtāḥ	–	ā-vṛta (ā-√vṛ – to cover) PP 1n.3 n. – covered;

textual variants

ivāvṛtāḥ → ivāvṛtaḥ (as if covered);

Śāṃkara

svabhāva-niyataṃ karma kurvāṇo viṣa-ja iva kṛmiḥ kilbiṣaṃ nāpnotīty uktam | para-dharmaś ca bhayāvahaḥ iti, anātmajñaś ca na hi kaścit kṣaṇam apy akarma-kṛt tiṣṭhati [gītā 3.5] iti | ataḥ—

sahajaṃ saha janmanaiva utpannam | kiṃ tat ? karma kaunteya sa-doṣam api triguṇātmakatvān na tyajet | sarvārambhāḥ ārabhyanta ity ārambhāḥ, sarva-karmāṇīty etat | prakaraṇāt ye kecit ārambhāḥ sva-dharmāḥ para-dharmāś ca te sarve | hi yasmāt | triguṇātmakatvam atra hetuḥ—triguṇātmakatvād doṣeṇa dhūmena sahajenāgnir iva, āvṛtāḥ | sahajasya karmaṇaḥ sva-dharmākhyasya parityāgena para-dharmānuṣṭhāne’pi doṣān naiva mucyate | bhayāvahaś ca para-dharmaḥ | na ca śakyate’śeṣatas tyaktum ajñena karma yataḥ, tasmān na tyajet ity arthaḥ |

kim aśeṣatas tyaktum aśakyaṃ karmeti na tyajet ? kiṃ vā sahajasya karmaṇas tyāge doṣo bhavatīti ? kiṃ cātaḥ ? yadi tāvat aśeṣatas tyaktum aśakyam iti na tyājyaṃ sahajaṃ karma, evaṃ tarhy aśeṣatas tyāge guṇa eva syād iti siddhaṃ bhavati | satyam evam | aśeṣatas tyāga eva nopapadyate iti cet, kiṃ nitya-pracalitātmakaḥ puruṣaḥ, yathā sāṃkhyānāṃ guṇāḥ ? kiṃ vā kriyaiva kārakam, yathā bauddhānāṃ skandhāḥ kṣaṇa-pradhvaṃsinaḥ ? ubhayathāpi karmaṇo’śeṣatas tyāgo na sambhavati |

atha tṛtīyo’pi pakṣaḥ—yadā karoti tadā sa-kriyaṃ vastu | yadā na karoti, tadā niṣkriyaṃ tad eva | tatra evaṃ sati śakyaṃ karmāśeṣatas tyaktum | ayaṃ tv asmin tṛtīye pakṣe viśeṣaḥ—na nitya-pracalitaṃ vastu, nāpi kriyaiva kārakam | kiṃ tarhi ? vyavasthite dravye’vidyamānā kriyā utpadyate, vidyamānā ca vinaśyati | śuddhaṃ tat dravyaṃ śaktimad avatiṣṭhate | iti evam āhuḥ kāṇādāḥ | tad eva ca kārakam iti | asmin pakṣe ko doṣaḥ iti | ayam eva tu doṣaḥ—yatas tv abhāgavataṃ matam idam | kathaṃ jñāyate ? yataḥ āha bhagavān nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ [gītā 2.16] ity ādi | kāṇādānāṃ hy asato bhāvaḥ, sataś cābhāvaḥ, itīdaṃ matam abhāgavatam | abhāgavatam api nyāyavac cet ko doṣaḥ ? iti cet, ucyate—doṣavat tv idam, sarva-pramāṇa-virodhāt | kathaṃ ? yadi tāvad dvy-aṇukādi dravyaṃ prāg utpatter atyantam evāsat, utpannaṃ ca sthitaṃ kaṃcit kālaṃ punar atyantam evāsattvam āpadyate | tathā ca saty asad eva sat jāyate, sad evāsattvam āpadyate, abhāvo bhāvo bhavati, bhāvaś cābhāvo bhavati |

tatrābhāvo jāyamānaḥ prāg utpatteḥ śaśa-viṣāṇa-kalpaḥ samavāyya-samavāyi-nimittākhyaṃ kāraṇam apekṣya jāyate iti | na caivam, abhāva utpadyate, kāraṇaṃ cāpekṣate iti śakyaṃ vaktum, asatāṃ śaśa-viṣāṇādīnām adarśanāt | bhāvātmakā ced ghaṭādayaḥ utpadyamānāḥ, kiṃcit abhivyakti-mātre kāraṇam apekṣya utpadyante iti śakyaṃ pratipattum | kiṃ ca, asataś ca sataś ca sad-bhāve’sad-bhāve na kvacit pramāṇa-prameya-vyavahāreṣu viśvāsaḥ kasyacit syāt, sat sad evāsat asad eveti niścayānupapatteḥ |

kiṃ ca, utpadyate iti dvy-aṇukāder dravyasya sva-kāraṇa-sattā-sambandham āhuḥ | prāg-utpatteś cāsat, paścāt sva-kāraṇa-vyāpāram apekṣya sva-kāraṇaiḥ paramāṇubhiḥ sattayā ca samavāya-lakṣaṇena sambandhena sambadhyate | sambaddhaṃ sat-kāraṇa-samavetaṃ sad bhavati | tatra vaktavyaṃ katham asataḥ svaṃ kāraṇaṃ bhavet sambandho vā kenacit syāt ? na hi vandhyā-putrasya svaṃ kāraṇaṃ sambandho vā kenacit pramāṇataḥ kalpayituṃ śakyate |

nanu, naiva vaiśeṣikair abhāvasya sambandhaḥ kalpyate | dvy-aṇukādīnāṃ hi dravyāṇāṃ sva-kāraṇena samavāya-lakṣaṇaḥ sambandhaḥ satām evocyate iti ? na, sambandhāt prāk-sattvānabhyupagamāt | na hi vaiśeṣikaiḥ kulāla-daṇḍa-cakrādi-vyāpārāt prāg ghaṭādīnām astitvam iṣyate | na ca mṛda eva ghaṭādy-ākāra-prāptim icchanti | tataś cāsata eva sambandhaḥ pāriśeṣyād iṣṭo bhavati |

nanu, asato’pi samavāya-lakṣaṇaḥ sambandho na viruddhaḥ ? na, vandhyā-putrādīnām adarśanāt | ghaṭāder eva prāg-abhāvasya sva-kāraṇa-sambandho bhavati, na vandhyā-putrādeḥ, abhāvasya tulyatve’pīti viśeṣo’bhāvasya vaktavyaḥ |

ekasyābhāvaḥ, dvayor abhāvaḥ, sarvasyābhāvaḥ, prāg-abhāvaḥ, pradhvaṃsābhāvaḥ, itaretarābhāvaḥ, atyantābhāvaḥ iti lakṣaṇato na kenacit viśeṣo darśayituṃ śakyaḥ | asati ca viśeṣe ghaṭasya prāg-abhāvaḥ eva kulāladibhiḥ ghaṭābhāvam āpadyate sambadhyate ca bhāvena kapālākhyena, sambaddhaś ca sarvavyavahārayogyaś ca bhavati, na tu ghaṭasyaiva pradhvaṃsābhāvo’bhāvatve saty api, iti pradhvaṃsādy-abhāvānāṃ na kvacit vyavahāra-yogyatvam, prāg-abhāvasyaiva dvyaṇukādi-dravyākhyasya utpatty-ādi-vyavahārārhatvam, ity etad asamañjasam | abhāvatvāviśeṣāt atyanta-pradhvaṃsābhāvayor iva ||

nanu, naivāsmābhiḥ prāg-abhāvasya bhāvāpattir ucyate | bhāvasyaiva tarhi bhāvāpattiḥ | yathā ghaṭasya ghaṭāpattiḥ, paṭasya vā paṭāpattiḥ | etad apy abhāvasya bhāvāpattivad eva pramāṇa-viruddham | sāṃkhyasyāpi yaḥ pariṇāma-pakṣaḥ, so’py apūrva-dharmotpatti-vināśāṅgī-karaṇāt vaiśeṣika-pakṣān na viśiṣyate | abhivyakti-tirobhāvāṅgī-karaṇe’py abhivyakti-tirobhāvayor vidyamānatvāvidyamānatva-nirūpaṇe pūrvavad eva pramāṇa-virodhaḥ | etena kāraṇasyaiva saṃsthānam utpatty-ādīty etad api pratyuktam |

pāriśeṣyāt sad ekam eva vastv avidyayā utpatti-vināśādi-dharmaiḥ anekadhā naṭavat vikalpyate iti | idaṃ bhāgavataṃ matam uktaṃ nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ ity asmin loke, sat-pratyayasyāvyabhicārāt, vyabhicārāc cetareṣām iti ||

kathaṃ tarhy ātmano’vikriyatve’śeṣataḥ karmaṇas tyāgo nopapadyate iti ? yadi vastu-bhūtā guṇāḥ, yadi vāvidyā-kalpitāḥ, tad-dharmaḥ karma, tadā ātmany avidyādhyāropitam eva, ity avidvān na hi kaścit kṣaṇam apy aśeṣatas tyaktuṃ śaknotīty uktam | vidvāṃs tu punar vidyayāvidyāyāṃ nivṛttāyāṃ śaknoty evāśeṣataḥ karma parityaktum, avidyādhyāropitasya śeṣānupapatteḥ | na hi taimirika-dṛṣṭyādhyāropitasya dvi-candrādes timirāpagame’pi śeṣo’vatiṣṭhate |

evaṃ ca satīdaṃ vacanam upapannaṃ sarva-karmāṇi manasā ity ādi, sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṃsiddhiṃ labhate naraḥ sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ iti ca

Rāmānuja

ataḥ karmaniṣṭhaiva jyāyasīti tṛtīyādhyāyoktaṃ smārayati
ataḥ sahajatvena sukaram apramādaṃ ca karma sadoṣaṃ saduḥkham api na tyajet; jñānayogayogyo ‚pi karmayogam eva kurvītetyarthaḥ / sarvārambhāḥ, karmārambhāḥ jñānārambhāś ca hi doṣeṇa duḥkhena dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛtāḥ / iyāṃs tu viśeṣaḥ karmayogaḥ sukaro ‚pramādaś ca, jñānayogas tadviparītaḥ iti

Śrīdhara

yadi punaḥ sāṅkhya-dṛṣṭya sva-dharme hiṃsā-lakṣaṇaṃ doṣaṃ matvā para-dharmaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ manyase tarhi sadoṣatvaṃ para-dharme ‚pi tulyam ity āśayenāha sahajam iti | sahajaṃ svabhāva-vihitaṃ karma sa-doṣam api na tyajet | hi yasmāt sarve ‚py ārambhāḥ dṛṣṭādṛṣṭārthāni sarvāṇy api karmāṇi doṣeṇa kenacid āvṛtā vyāptā eva | yathā sahajena dhūmenāgnir āvṛta itivat | ato yathāgner dhūma-rūpaṃ doṣam apākṛtya pratāpa eva tamaḥ-śītādi-nivṛttaye sevyate tathā karmaṇo ‚pi doṣāṃśaṃ vihāya guṇāṃśa eva sattva-śuddhaye sevyata ity arthaḥ

Viśvanātha

na ca sva-dharme eva kevalaṃ doṣo ‚stīti mantavyam, yataḥ para-dharmeṣv api doṣaḥ kaścid asty evety āha sahajam iti | sahajaṃ svabhāva-vihitaṃ hi yataḥ sarve ‚py ārambhāḥ dṛṣṭādṛṣṭa-sādhanāni karmāṇi doṣeṇāvṛtā eva | yathā dhūmena doṣeṇāvṛta eva vahnir dṛśyate | ato dhūma-rūpaṃ doṣam apākṛtya tasya tāpa eva tamaḥ-śītādi-nivṛttaye yathā sevyate tathā karmaṇo ‚pi doṣāṃśaṃ vihāya guṇāṃśa eva sattva-śuddhaye sevya ity bhāvaḥ

Baladeva

na khalu kṣatriyādi-dharmā eva yuddhādayaḥ sa-doṣāḥ | brahma-dharmāś ca tathety āha sahajam iti | sahajaṃ svabhāva-prāptaṃ karma sadoṣam api hiṃsādi-miśram api na tyajed api tu vihitatvāt kuryād eva | nirdoṣatva-buddhyā brahma-karmaṇā cared ity arthaḥ yataḥ sarveti | sarveṣāṃ brāhmaṇādi-varṇānām ārambhāḥ karmāṇi triguṇātmakatvād dravya-sādhyatvāc ca sāmānyataḥ kenacid doṣeṇāvṛtā vyāptā eva bhavanti | dhūmenevāgnir iti yathāgner dhūmāṃśam apākṛtya śītādi-nivṛttaye tāpaḥ sevyate | tathā karmaṇāṃ bhagavad-arpaṇena doṣāṃśaṃ nirdhūyātma-darśanāya jñāna-janakatvāṃśaḥ sevya iti bhāvaḥ