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BG 18.32 — 18.32 That, which, enveloped in darkness, sees Adharma as Dharma and all things perverted that intellect, O Arjuna, is Tamasic (dark).
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अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसावृता |
सर्वार्थान्विपरीतांश्च बुद्धिः सा पार्थ तामसी ||१८-३२||

adharmaṃ dharmamiti yā manyate tamasāvṛtā . sarvārthānviparītāṃśca buddhiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī ||18-32||


18.32 That, which, enveloped in darkness, sees Adharma as Dharma and all things perverted that intellect, O Arjuna, is Tamasic (dark).

Word-by-word meanings

18.32 अधर्मम् Adharma? धर्मम् Dharma? इति thus? या which? मन्यते thinks? तमसा by darkness? आवृता enveloped? सर्वार्थान् all things? विपरीतान् perverted? च and? बुद्धिः intellect? सा that? पार्थ O Partha? तामसी Tamasic (dark).Commentary That intellect which regards righteous acts as evil? and considers right things to be false? which treats everything in a contrary sense and looks upon virtues as if they were vices and takes everything that the scriptures declare to be good as being entirely wron

Commentaries

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

Swami Gambirananda

18.32 O Parhta, that intellect is born of tamas which, being covered by darkness, considers vice as virtue, and verily perceives all things contrary ot what they are.

Sri Shankaracharya

18.32 O Partha, sa, that; buddhih, intellect; tamasi, is born of tamas; ya, which; tamasavrta, being covered by darkness; manyate, considers, understands; adharmam, vice, what is prohibited; iti, as; dharmam, virtue, what is prescribed; and ca, verily; perceives sarvarthan, all things, all objects of knowledge without exception; viparitan, contrary to what they are.

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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