Chapter 14: Guṇa-traya-vibhāga-yoga:: Verse 7
रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् ।
तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ॥
rajo rāgātmakaṃ viddhi tṛṣṇāsaṅga-samudbhavam
tan-nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam – 14.7
Know rajo-guṇa to be in the nature of desire and passion. It springs from greed and delusional clinging. It binds one (the embodied being), O son of Kunti, through clinging to ceaseless activity.
Chapter 14: Guṇa-traya-vibhāga-yoga: - Verse 7
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
Sattva-guna alone will not be able to constitute life and living. It needs the close partnership with rajo-guna and tamo-guna. All the three go together, co-exist and cofunction. In fact, there is nothing like a unitary existence or expression. Everything is conjunctional.
Hunger is felt in the stomach. But the need and desire to eat spring from rajo-guna. Rajo-guna also causes a variety of tastes for food items. Thus, desire is the cause motivating one to various kinds of activity. But for rajo-guna, everything will be in a standstill in the world. It is through rajo-guna that Nature keeps everyone active ceaselessly. There is nothing stationary in Nature.
Each guna thus has its place of distinction as well as role. Like sattva-guna, rajo-guna also causes bondage. It is through the urge for being active and the need to resort to various activities throughout the day, being motivated by various desires.
