Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingअयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः।
विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते
ayuktaḥ prākṛitaḥ stabdhaḥ śhaṭho naiṣhkṛitiko ‘lasaḥ
viṣhādī dīrgha-sūtrī cha kartā tāmasa uchyate
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaThe agent who is unsteady, naive, inflexible, deceitful, wicked, lazy, sullen, and procrastinating is said to be possessed of tamas.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
अयुक्त, प्राकृत, स्तब्ध, शठ, नैष्कृतिक, आलसी, विषादी और दीर्घसूत्री कर्ता तामस कहा जाता है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiअयुक् त#प्राकृतस् स्तब् धः
शठो नैष् कृतिकोऽ लसः
विषादी दीर्घ सूत्री च
कर्ता तामस उच्यते
॥ २८ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthaayuktaḥundisciplined
prākṛitaḥvulgar
stabdhaḥobstinate
śhaṭhaḥcunning
naiṣhkṛitikaḥdishonest or vile
alasaḥslothful
viṣhādīunhappy and morose
dīrgha-sūtrīprocrastinating
chaand
kartāperformer
tāmasaḥin the mode of ignorance
uchyateis said to be
Meaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA18.28What agent is tāmasika — with what full charge-sheet of qualities?
The agent who is unsteady, naive, inflexible, deceitful, wicked, lazy, sullen, and procrastinating is said to be possessed of tamas.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.