Chapter XVIII · Śloka 16
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः ।
पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः ॥
पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः ॥
tatraivaṃ sati kartāram ātmānaṃ kevalaṃ tu yaḥ |
paśyaty akṛta-buddhi-tvān na sa paśyati durmatiḥ ||
paśyaty akṛta-buddhi-tvān na sa paśyati durmatiḥ ||
Such being the case, one who sees the pure Self alone as the doer — with undeveloped understanding — does not see rightly; that one is of perverted mind.
The error of identifying the ātman as the sole agent is a fundamental cognitive distortion. Because action arises from five factors, attributing it entirely to the pure Self is both philosophically incorrect and spiritually misleading.