BhG 18.41

syntax

he paraṁtapa (O scorcher of enemies!)
brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśām (of brahmins, of kṣatriyas and of vaiśyas) śūdrāṇām ca (and of śūdras) karmāṇi (activities) svabhāva-prabhavaiḥ guṇaiḥ (by the guṇas born from own’s nature) pravibhaktāni [santi] (they are divided).

grammar

brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśām	–	brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viś 6n.3 m.; DV: brāhmaṇānāṁ ca kṣatriyānāṁ ca viśāṁ ca – of brahmins, of kṣatriyas and of vaiśyas (from: √bṛh – to increase, brahman – spirit, the Vedas, brāhmaṇa – brahmin; √kṣi – to own, to reign or √kṣi – to destroy, kṣatriya – kṣatriya; √viś – to enter, viś – settlement, tribe , people, vaiśya);
śūdrāṇām	–	śūdra 6n.3 m. – of servants, of śūdras;
ca	–	av. – and;
paraṁtapa	–	param-tapa 8n.1 m.; yaḥ parān tāpayati saḥ – O you who torment enemies (from: para – another, strange; √tap – to scorch, tapas – heat, austerity);
karmāṇi	–	karman 1n.3 n. – activities (from: √kṛ – to do);
pravibhaktāni	–	pra-vi-bhakta (pra-vi-√bhāj – to divide, to separate) PP 1n.3 n. – being divided;
sva-bhāva-prabhavaiḥ	–	sva-bhāva-prabhava 3n.3 m.; BV: yasya sva-bhāvāt prabhavo ‘sti taiḥ – by those born from own’s nature (from: sva – own; bhāva – being, state, nature, sva-bhāva – own nature, natural state; pra-√bhū – to spring up from, to produce, prabhava – birth, source);
guṇaiḥ	–	guṇa 3n.3 m. – by qualities, virtues, threads (from: √grah – to take);

textual variants

pravibhaktāni → pravibhuktāni ([activities] with which he enjoys);

Śāṃkara

sarvaḥ saṃsāraḥ kriyā-kāraka-phala-lakṣaṇaḥ sattva-rajas-tamo-guṇātmako’vidyā-parikalpitaḥ sa-mūlo’nartha uktaḥ, vṛkṣa-rūpa-kalpanayā ca ūrdhva-mūlaṃ [gītā 15.1] ity ādinā, taṃ ca asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena cchittvā tataḥ padaṃ tat-parimārgitavyaṃ [gītā 15.3-4]iti coktam | tatra ca sarvasya triguṇātmakatvāt saṃsāra-kāraṇa-nivṛtty-anupapattau prāptāyām, yathā tan-nivṛttiḥ syāt tathā vaktavyam, sarvaś ca gītā-śāstrārtha upasaṃhartavyaḥ, etāvān eva ca sarva-veda-smṛty-arthaḥ puruṣārtham icchadbhir anuṣṭheya ity evam arthaṃ brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśām ity ādir ārabhyate—

brāhmaṇāś ca kṣatriyāś ca viśaś ca brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśaḥ, teṣāṃ brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśām | śūdrāṇāṃ ca—śūdrāṇām asamāsa-karaṇam eka-jātitve sati vedānadhikārāt—he paraṃtapa ! karmāṇi pravibhaktāni itaretara-vibhāgena vyavasthāpitāni | kena ? svabhāva-prabhavair guṇaiḥ, svabhāva īśvarasya prakṛtis triguṇātmikā māyā sā prabhavo yeṣāṃ guṇānāṃ te svabhāva-prabhavāḥ, taiḥ | śamādīni karmāṇi pravibhaktāni brāhmaṇādīnām | athavā brāhmaṇa-svabhāvasya sattva-guṇaḥ prabhavaḥ kāraṇam, tathā kṣatriya-svabhāvasya sattvopasarjanaṃ rajaḥ prabhavaḥ kāraṇam, tathā kṣatriya-svabhāvasya sattvopasarjanaṃ rajaḥ prabhavaḥ, vaiśya-svabhāvasya tama-upasarjanaṃ rajaḥ prabhavaḥ, śūdra-svabhāvasya raja-upasarjanaṃ tamaḥ prabhavaḥ praśānty-aiśvaryehā-mūḍhatā-svabhāva-darśanāc caturṇām |

athavā, janmāntara-kṛta-saṃskāraḥ prāṇināṃ vartamāna-janmani sva-kāryābhimukhatvenābhivyaktaḥ svabhāvaḥ, sa prabhavo yeṣāṃ guṇānāṃ te svabhāva-prabhavāḥ guṇāḥ | guṇa-prādurbhāvasya niṣkāraṇatvānupapatteḥ | svabhāvaḥ kāraṇam iti ca kāraṇa-viśeṣopādānam | evaṃ svabhāva-prabhavaiḥ prakṛti-bhavaiḥ sattva-rajas-tamobhiḥ guṇaiḥ svakāryānurūpeṇa śamādīni karmāṇi pravibhaktāni |

nanu śāstra-pravibhaktāni śāstreṇa vihitāni brāhmaṇādīnāṃ śamādīni karmāṇi | katham ucyate sattvādi-guṇa-pravibhaktānīti ? naiṣa doṣaḥ | śāstreṇāpi brāhmaṇādīnāṃ sattvādi-guṇa-viśeṣāpekṣayaiva śamādīni karmāṇi pravibhaktāni, na guṇānapekṣayā, iti śāstra-pravibhaktāny api karmāṇi guṇa-pravibhaktānīti ucyate

Rāmānuja

„tyāgenaike amṛtatvam ānaśuḥ” ityādiṣu mokṣasādhanatayā nirdiṣṭas tyāgaḥ saṃnyāsaśabdārthād ananyaḥ; sa ca kriyamāṇeṣv eva karmasu kartṛtvatyāgamūlaḥ phalakarmaṇos tyāgaḥ; kartṛtvatyāgaś ca paramapuruṣe kartṛtvānusaṃdhānenety uktam / etat sarvaṃ sattvaguṇavṛddhikāryam iti sattvopādeyatājñāpanāya sattvarajastamasāṃ kāryabhedāḥ prapañcitāḥ / idānīm evaṃbhūtasya mokṣasādhanatayā kriyamāṇasya karmaṇaḥ paramapuruṣārādhanaveṣatāṃ tathānuṣṭhitasya ca karmaṇas tatprāptilakṣaṇaṃ phalaṃ pratipādayituṃ brāhmaṇādyadhikāriṇāṃ svabhāvānubandhisattvādiguṇabhedabhinnaṃ vṛttyā saha kartavyakarmasvarūpam āha

brāhmaṇakṣatriyaviśāṃ svakīyo bhāvaḥ svabhāvaḥ brāhmaṇādijanmahetubhūtaṃ prācīnakarmety arthaḥ; tatprabhavāḥ sattvādayo guṇāḥ / brāhmaṇasya svabhāvaprabhavo rajastamo’bhibhavenodbhūtaḥ sattvaguṇaḥ; kṣatriyasya svabhāvaprabhavaḥ tamassattvābhibhavenodbhūto rajoguṇaḥ; vaiśyasya svabhāvaprabhavaḥ sattvarajo’bhibhavenālpodriktas tamoguṇaḥ; śūdrasya svabhāvaprabhavas tu rajassattvābhibhavenātyudriktas tamoguṇaḥ / ebhiḥ svabhāvaprabhavair guṇaiḥ saha pravibhaktāni karmāṇi śāstraiḥ pratipāditāni / brāhmaṇādaya evaṃguṇakāḥ, teṣāṃ caitāni karmāṇi, vṛttayaś caitā iti hi vibhajya pratipādayanti śāstrāṇi

Śrīdhara

nanu ca yady evaṃ sarvam api kriyā-kāraka-phalādikaṃ prāṇi-jātaṃ ca triguṇātmakam eva tarhi katham asya mokṣa ity apekṣāyāṃ sva-svādhikāra-vihitaiḥ karmabhiḥ parameśvarārādhanāt tat-prasāda-labdha-jñānenety evaṃ sarva-gītārtha-sāraṃ saṅgṛhya pradarśayituṃ prakaraṇāntaram ārabhate | brāhmaṇety ādi yāvad adhyāya-samāpti | he parantapa he śatru-tāpana | brāhmaṇānāṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ viśāṃ ca śūdrāṇāṃ ca karmāṇi pravibhaktāni prakarṣeṇa vibhāgato vihitāni | śūdrāṇāṃ samāsāt pṛthak-karaṇaṃ dvijatvābhāvena vailakṣaṇyāt | vibhāgopalakṣaṇam āha svabhāvaḥ sāttvikādiḥ prabhavati prādurbhavati yebhyas tair guṇair upakakṣaṇa-bhūtaiḥ | yad vā svabhāvaḥ pūrva-janma-saṃskāraḥ | tasmāt prādurbhūtair ity arthaḥ | sattvopasarjana-rajaḥ-pradhānāḥ kṣatriyāḥ | tama-upasarjana-rajaḥ-pradhānā vaiśyāḥ | raja-upasarjana-tamaḥ-pradhānāḥ śūdrāḥ

Viśvanātha

kiṃ ca triguṇātmakam api prāṇi-jātaṃ svādhikāra-prāptena vihita-karmaṇā parameśvaram ārādhya kṛtārthībhivatītyāha brāhmaṇeti ṣaḍbhiḥ | sva-bhāvenotpattyaiva prabhavanti prādurbhavanti ye guṇāḥ sattvādayas taiḥ prakarṣeṇa vibhaktāni pṛthak-kṛtāni karmāṇi brāhmaṇādīnāṃ vihitāni santīty arthaḥ

Baladeva

yadyapi sarvāṇi vastūni triguṇātmakāni tathāpi brāhmaṇādayaś cet sva-vihitāni karmāṇi bhagavad-ārādhana-bhāvenānutiṣṭheyus tadā tāni jñāna-niṣṭhām utpādya mocakāni bhavantiīti vaktuṃ prakaraṇam ārabhate brāhmaṇeti ṣaṭkena | śūdrāṇaṃ samāsāt pṛthak-karaṇaṃ dvijatvābhāvāt | brāhmaṇādīnāṃ caturṇāṃ karmāṇi svabhāv-prabhavair guṇaiḥ saha śāstreṇa pravibhaktāni, svabhāvaḥ prāktana-saṃskāras tasmāt prabhavanti ye guṇāḥ sattvādyās taiḥ saha śāstreṇa teṣāṃ karmāṇi vibhajyoktāni | evaṃ guṇaka-brāhmaṇādayas teṣām etāni karmāṇīti tatra sattva-pradhāno brāhmaṇaḥ praśāntatvāt sattvopasarjan-rajaḥ-pradhānaḥ kṣatriya īśvara-svabhāvatvāt, tama-upasarjana-rajaḥ-pradhāno viṭ ihāpradhānatvāt rajaupasarjanatamaḥpradhānaḥ śūdro mūḍha-svabhāvatvāt | karmāṇi tv agre vācyāni