Chapter 14 · Verse 7

Yoga through Understanding the Three Modes of Material Nature

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम्।तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम्

rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi tṛiṣhṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam tan nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam

Word Meanings

rajaḥ — mode of passion; rāga-ātmakam — of the nature of passion; viddhi — know; tṛiṣhṇā — desires; saṅga — association; samudbhavam — arises from; tat — that; nibadhnāti — binds; kaunteya — Arjun, the son of Kunti; karma-saṅgena — through attachment to fruitive actions; dehinam — the embodied soul

Language:

Translation

Know that rajas, the mode of passion, is born of craving and attachment. It binds the embodied soul, O Arjuna, through attachment to action.

Commentary

रजः Rajas? रागात्मकम् of the nature of passion? विद्धि know? तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् the source of thirst and attachment? तत् that? निबध्नाति binds? कौन्तेय O son of Kunti (Arjuna)? कर्मसङ्गेन by attachment to action? देहिनम् the embodied one.Commentary The ality of Rajas denotes activity and ambition. The Rajasic man is full of cravings and desires. The cravings force him to act for their fulfilment. He gets attached to those who help him in the fulfilment of his desire and hates those who stand in his way. He is attached to action. He enters on great undertakings. He performs various sorts of sacrifices and rituals and charitable activities. He runs after sensual pleasures and his desires become insatiable like a flame fed by oil. The Self is not the doer. It is the silent witness but Rajas creates in the man the idea? I am the doer.Rajas pleases the mind and keeps alive the passions.A Rajasic man is never contented. He is ever greedy and restless. The more he acires? the more passionate and greedy he becomes. Desires multiply. Nothing gives him satisfaction. If he is a millionaire? he tries to become a multimillionaire. It is like petrol poured into the fire? which inflames it further. A Rajasic man loses his understanding and power of discrimination. His understanding is clouded. He is under intoxication of the pride of wealth. His intellect is turbid. He has a perverted intellect. On account of perversion of intellect misery appears to him to be happiness pain appears to him to be pleasure sorrow appears to be joy. His goal is money and women. He worships mammon as his god.He runs after name? fame and comforts and involves himself in endless activities. Quickness has been associated with the fish? with the flash of lightning and with the glance of a woman. But Rajas is icker than these. A Rajasic man is more active than these. He thinks What will happen to me after my possessions are gone and thus worries himself unnecessarily and engages himself in endless activities. He has no peace of mind.He thirsts for what has not been attained and is attached to what has already been obtained. He wishes and tries to protect his possessions. This is Sanga. I will do such and such an action. I will get such and such a result. I will do this sacrifice. I will enjoy in heaven. This sort of clinging to action and its fruits is Karma Sanga.