Chapter 18: Moksha-sannyasa-yoga:: Verse 22
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् ।
अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥
yat-tu kṛtsnavad-ekasmin-kārye saktam-ahaitukam
atattvārthavad-alpaṃ ca tat-tāmasam-udāhṛtam – 18.22
That knowledge, which clings to a single task or proposition as though it is everything, which is unreasonable and trivial having no basis on Truth, is said to be tāmasa.
Chapter 18: Moksha-sannyasa-yoga: - Verse 22
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
The tamasa people are narrow, obstinate and relentless in their preferences. They lack the comprehensive intelligence to grasp the real nature of the world. As a result, they become inflexible, incorrigible, harsh and even murderous.
Tamasa mind feels that in the name of devotion, anything can be done. Animal slaughter in temples to propitiate God came into vogue from t¡masa devotees. They feel that anything can be done to please their Deity. Even human slaughter was resorted to in a bid to please God.
God is living in one and all. So, to think of killing any being in an effort to please the Lord, who lives also in the being brought to be slaughtered, is wrong, deceptive and self-defeating. But this fact will appeal only to those given to understanding the ethics and propriety of action.
Tamasa mind will never entertain any comment or evaluation about its thoughts and faith. Tamo-guna does not allow comprehensive understanding, flexibility and reason.
