BG 18.13
I will now tell you the five causes that must come together for an action to be accomplished.
सांख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम्
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pañchaitāni — five of these
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pañcha — five
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etāni — these
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mahā-bāho — Arjuna
Epithet for Arjuna as "mighty armed one"-
mahā
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bāho
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kāraṇāni — causes
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nibodha — listen
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me — from me
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sānkhye — of Sānkya
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kṛitānte — stop reactions
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proktāni — explains
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siddhaye — for the accomplishment
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sarva-karmaṇām — of all karmas
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sarva — all, every
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karmaṇām — of karmas
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I will now tell you the five causes that must come together for an action to be accomplished. There is the body, the personality, the sense organs, the various kinds of activities, and cosmic destiny. These five are the essential causes for any action a person may perform, whether by physical effort, speech, or thought, and whether the action be righteous or immoral. Those with impure intellect regard the soul as the only agent of action - they cannot see things as they really are. Even though they may kill living beings, one who is free from pride and attachment is neither the one who kills nor are they bound by their actions. Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower are the three incentives to action. The act, the actor, and the instrument are its three constituents.