पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे | साङ्ख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम् ||
pañcaitāni mahā-bāho kāraṇāni nibodha me sāṅkhye kṛtānte proktāni siddhaye sarva-karmaṇām
Translation
Learn from Me, O mighty-armed, the five causes for the accomplishment of all actions as stated in Samkhya philosophy.
Interpretation
Krishna now draws from Samkhya philosophy to explain the metaphysics of action. Five causes operate in every action — this analysis is important for dissolving the ego-illusion of 'I am the doer.' Understanding these five causes is both intellectually liberating (it dissolves false ownership of action) and spiritually essential (it lays the ground for genuine non-doership). The Samkhya analysis of causation is here pressed into the service of karma yoga.