Chapter 14: Guṇa-traya-vibhāga-yoga:: Verse 12
लोभ: प्रवृत्तिरारम्भ: कर्मणामशम: स्पृहा ।
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥
lobha: pravṛttir-ārambha: karmaṇām-aśama: spṛhā
rajasy-etāni jāyante vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha – 14.12
When rajo-guṇa increases, greed, extrovert drive, enterprise, unceasing involvement in actions, unabating desire – all these arise, O best of Bharatas (Arjuna).
Chapter 14: Guṇa-traya-vibhāga-yoga: - Verse 12
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
Krishna next describes what happens when rajo-guna is on the rise. With rajas, intense involvement in activities and corresponding motivations take over. Desire, greed, drive or fascination supporting incessant involvement in activities also become strong. In short, for the rājasa individual, everything revolves around ceaseless desire-motivated activity.
Rājasa domination will not allow any kind of introspection aimed at gaining spiritual wisdom, or a contemplative life given to studying and evaluating the world as well as our interactions in it. Lingering taste for activities blinds the individual, so much so that he cannot think of any need for basic analysis of matters. He will not develop discrimination or be led by it.
As pointed earlier, this kind of guna-traya analysis is a unique philosophy Krishna presents throughout the dialogue, to make our pursuit practicable.
