ayuktaḥ prākṛitaḥ stabdhaḥ śhaṭho naiṣhkṛitiko ‘lasaḥ
viṣhādī dīrgha-sūtrī cha kartā tāmasa uchyate
ayuktaḥ — undisciplined;
prākṛitaḥ — vulgar;
stabdhaḥ — obstinate;
śhaṭhaḥ — cunning;
naiṣhkṛitikaḥ — dishonest or vile;
alasaḥ — slothful;
viṣhādī — unhappy and morose;
dīrgha-sūtrī — procrastinating;
cha — and;
kartā — performer;
tāmasaḥ — in the mode of ignorance;
uchyate — is said to be
This verse talks about a certain type of person, described as one who does not follow the wise guidance from spiritual teachings or scriptures. In simple terms, there are certain rules and guidelines in life that help us understand what is right and wrong, what actions are good and what should be avoided.
The person being discussed here ignores these teachings. They are often focused on material things—this means they might care a lot about money, possessions, or physical pleasure rather than spiritual or moral integrity. This becomes clear when we look at their actions:
1. **Obstinate**: They are stubborn and refuse to listen to anyone else's advice, even when it's good for them.
2. **Cheating**: They might play tricks or deceive others, which shows a lack of honesty.
3. **Insulting**: Instead of being kind or supportive, they enjoy putting others down or insulting them, which is not a good quality.
4. **Lazy**: This person is also likely to be lazy. They often avoid hard work and responsibility, preferring to do nothing instead.
5. **Morose**: They might feel sad or unhappy often. This attitude can come from not doing what they should or from the guilt of their actions.
6. **Procrastinating**: Rather than getting tasks done, they delay doing what they need to do, putting things off again and again. Tasks that could take a short amount of time to finish can stretch out for a long time, making their life feel burdensome.
Overall, this type of person is described as being in a state of ignorance. This means they lack awareness or understanding of what’s better for them, often making choices that lead to unhappiness and problems in their life. They may not realize how their actions affect themselves and others negatively.
In a practical scenario, think of someone who knows they have an important job application to fill out for a great opportunity but instead chooses to watch TV or scroll through their phone all day. They push the application aside, thinking, 'I'll do it later.' By the end of the week, they have not completed it, and now they feel anxious about missing the opportunity. Not only are they lazy about doing their responsibilities, but they also feel unhappy about their choices but do nothing to change their situation.
So, this verse encourages us to understand the importance of being responsible, following good teachings, and acting with kindness and respect towards ourselves and others, rather than falling into behaviors that lead to ignorance and sorrow.