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यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः।क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम्।।18.24।।

yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhankāreṇa vā punaḥ kriyate bahulāyāsaṁ tad rājasam udāhṛitam

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 18, Verse 24
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
But that action which is done by one longing for the fulfillment of desires or gain with egotism or with much effort is declared to be Rajasic (passionate).

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: but action performed with great effort, by one desiring to gratify desires, or from egotism, is said to be of passion, again naming effortful, desire-driven, ego-motivated action as belonging to the more restless quality, regardless of the effort's outward intensity.

In life: highly effortful, intense work driven mainly by personal desire or ego can look identical from outside to work driven by genuine duty, but the internal quality and its eventual cost to you differ significantly.

Teaching: for your current highest-effort undertaking, honestly check whether the underlying driver is more genuine duty or personal desire and ego, that distinction, according to this verse, matters more than the sheer intensity of effort itself.

yatwhich
tubut
kāma-īpsunāprompted by selfish desire
karmaaction
sa-ahaṅkāreṇawith pride
vāor
punaḥagain
kriyateenacted
bahula-āyāsamstressfully
tatthat
rājasamin the nature of passion
udāhṛitamis said to be

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
18.24 यत् which? तु but? कामेप्सुना by one longing for desires? कर्म action? साहङ्कारेण with egoism? वा or? पुनः again? क्रियते is performed? बहुलायासम् with much effort? तत् that? राजसम् Rajasic (passionate)? उदाहृतम् is declared.Commentary A passionate man performs various selfish actions. He boasts of his actions in public. Passion prompts him to do them. He can never work without expectation of a reward.Kamepsuna? phalepsuna The Rajasic or passionate man expects pleasures as fruits of action. A liberated sage alone is absolutely free from egoism. He will not dream even of a reward for the action? because all his desires are gratified when he realises Brahman. He is an Aptakama. (Aptakamasya ka spriha) How can there be longing or craving in a sage in whom all desires are gratified or burnt by the fire of SelfknowledgeEven the performer of a pure act? who has no knowledge of the Self is egoistic. If such be the case? the Rajasic and Tamasic workers are much more egoistic. In worldly parlance we speak of a learned Pundit This Pundit is a very modest? unassuming? and egoless Brahmana.Now listen? O Arjuna? to the characteristics of action that is of darkness.