Verse 18.60

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 18.60:

स्वभाव-जेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा ।
कर्तुं नेच्छसि यन् मोहात् करिष्यस्य् अवशोऽपि तत् ॥ ६० ॥

svabhāva-jena kaunteya nibaddhaḥ svena karmaṇā |
kartuṃ necchasi yan mohāt kariṣyasy avaśo'pi tat || 60 ||

svabhāva-jena–born of the nature; kaunteya–O son of Kuntī; nibaddhaḥ–bound; svena–your own; karmaṇā–by your work; kartum–to do; na icchasi–you do not wish; yat–which; mohāt–out of delusion; kariṣyasi–you will do; avaśaḥ–helplessly; api–still; tat–that.

O son of Kuntī, you will be helplessly compelled to perform that action which in your deluded state you now wish to avoid, because you are bound to act in accordance with your inborn nature.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

This verse elaborates on the previous one. “Due to saṃskāras, or impressions from past lives, you possess the nature of a kṣatriya. You will certainly engage in battle, being compelled by your natural inborn qualities, such as chivalry.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

The import of Śrī Bhagavān’s statement in this verse is as follows: “Now you are not following My instructions because you are bewildered; that is why you are not engaging in battle. But when your enthusiasm to fight gains strength, then, in accordance with your own nature, you will not be able to suppress it. Having considered yourself to be the performer of battle, you will be bound to experience the results of battle. It is therefore beneficial for you to fight in pursuance of My instruction.”

According to this injunction, the sādhakas who have a similar level of qualification (as discussed in the previous verses) should become free from both their gross and subtle egos in order to perform action in service to Bhagavān, which is favourable to bhakti.