Chapter 18 - Verse 16

Now: with reference to what we are speaking of. Such being the case: every action being accomplished by the five causes described above. Now…..case: this shows the reason why the person here referred to is said to be a man of perverted intelligence. The unenlightened one, in virtue of his ignorance, identifies the Self with the five causes and looks upon the pure Self as the agent of the action, which is really accomplished by those five causes.—Why does he regard them so?—For, his understanding (buddhi) has not been trained in the Vedānta, has not been trained by a master’s teaching, has not been trained in the principles of reasoning. Even he who, while maintaining the existence of the disembodied Self, looks upon the pure Self as the agent, is a man of untrained understanding; he does not therefore see the truth about the Self and action. He is therefore a man of perverted intelligence,—his intelligence takes a wrong direction, is vicious, continually leading to birth and death. Though seeing, yet he does not see (the truth), like a man whose timira-affected eye sees many moons, or like one who regards that the moon moves when the clouds are in motion, or like a man who, seated in a vehicle, regards himself as running—when it is the others (the bearers) that run.

Realisation of the Non Agency of the Self Leads to Absolution from the Effects of All Works.

Who then is the wise man that sees rightly?—The answer follows :