Verse 18.15

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 18.15:

शरीर-वाङ्-मनोभिर् यत् कर्म प्रारभते नरः ।
न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः ॥ १५ ॥

śarīra-vāṅ-manobhir yat karma prārabhate naraḥ |
nyāyyaṃ vā viparītaṃ vā pañcaite tasya hetavaḥ || 15 ||

śarīra-vāk-manobhiḥ–with his body, words or mind; yat–whatever; karma–activity; prārabhate–undertakes; naraḥ–a man; nyāyyam–virtuous; vā–or; viparītam–improper; vā–or; pañca–five; ete–these; tasya–for; hetavaḥ–the causes.

These are the five causes behind whatever virtuous or improper actions a person may perform with his body, speech or mind.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Śarīra-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. There are three types of action: action performed by the body (kāyika), action performed by speech (vācika) and action performed by the mind (mānasika). That action can further be categorized as virtuous (dharmika) or wicked (adharmika). These are the five causes of action.