Whatever action a man undertakes with these three, body, speech, and mind, whether right, that is, lawful and scriptural, or its opposite, unscriptural and unlawful, these five named above are the causes of all of it. Even the action that sustains life, such as blinking and the rest, is the effect of merit and demerit done before, and so is already included under 'right and its opposite'. It may be objected: how can these, the seat and the rest, be called the bringers-about of all action, when it is said 'whatever action a man undertakes with body, speech, and mind'? This is no fault. All action, marked by injunction and prohibition, has body and the other two as its chief means, and the action that sustains life, seeing, hearing, and the rest, is subordinate to it; so the whole, gathered into three heaps, is said to be undertaken with body and the rest. And at the time of its fruit too it is enjoyed by means of those same chief instruments, so that the fivefold causality is not contradicted.

This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.

Ramanuja's commentary treats verses 18.14 through 18.15 as a single passage; it is given in full at verse 18.14.

This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.

Madhva's commentary treats verses 18.14 through 18.15 as a single passage; it is given in full at verse 18.14.