Chapter 18: Moksha-sannyasa-yoga: / Verse 13

Krishna wants Arjuna to know the science of action and how it fruitions, as ascertained by Sankhya, which delineates everything to be known. Sankhya is the highest and final wisdom. In its discussion, it reveals what constitutes action and how it is transcended.

All actions, as Krishna has already said, end up in knowledge (4.33); they are a means and process of knowledge. So discussion of action is also discussion of knowledge.

Sankhya details altogether five factors, which shape an action to fruition. Without these, no action can be performed and result gained.

The first in the series is the ground to commence an activity. The second factor is the doer or performer, with the knowledge about what is to be done and how. He sets up facilities to act, and begins the action.

Apart from our senses, various external instruments are also employed for the purpose. For instance in agriculture, spade, pickaxe, crowbar, shovel, tractor, harvesting machine, etc. – all these are employed as part of the whole process.

Even when all of them are applied in time discreetly, an unpredictable element, the fifth, reigns in the fruition. Krishna calls it daivam, the Providential element, the supra-worldly factor beyond human ingenuity.

But Providence alone does not do anything, nor does human alone. A combination of both is necessary at every stage – before, during and after every action.

We can only ensure that all the four factors in the human domain are well applied. But Providence will prevail, as the unpredictable factor every time. That is why Krishna emphasizes the need for an equal attitude to the desired, undesired and mixed outcomes of actions. However, actions will fruition. But, occasionally partial or adverse fruition may also occur. True insight and dexterity demand that one is prepared for any eventuality.