Chapter 18: Moksha-sannyasa-yoga:: Verse 24
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुन: ।
क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ॥
yat-tu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā puna:
kriyate bahulāyāsaṃ tad-rājasam-udāhṛtam – 18.24
An action which is motivated by desire, or performed with pronounced ego and excessive strain (undue effort looking at the personal gain), is said to be rājasa in nature.
Chapter 18: Moksha-sannyasa-yoga: - Verse 24
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
Krishna next defines rājasa action, which is more common in the society than the sāttvika counterpart. The sāttvika, of course, holds the balance of the society, like the centre of a circle. Any circle subsists on its centre.
For rājasa people, the real motivation for work is desire and greed, as clarified earlier (14.7). None will proceed to work without a strong desire for some personal gain. Even a fool, says a proverb, will not attempt an act without seeing a clear purpose before him. This is the stand of the rājasa, given to enhancing and strengthening desire into powerful greed. Equally strong are the ego and possessiveness they cherish while doing any task.
Ego-centric actions are very involving, fetching various stresses and strains. They make the actor restless. Increasing agitation is a recurring consequence of ego! Rājasa mind thrives on all these.
