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Bhagavad-gītā 14.12

लोभ: प्रवृत्तिरारम्भ: कर्मणामशम: स्पृहा । रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥ १२ ॥
lobhaḥ pravṛttir ārambhaḥ
[lobhah pravrittir aarambhah]
karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā
[karmanaam ashamah sprihaa]
rajasy etāni jāyante
[rajasy etaani jaayante]
vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha
[vivriddhe bharatarshabha]
Word-for-word
lobhaḥ — greed pravṛttiḥ — activity ārambhaḥ — endeavor karmaṇām — in activities aśamaḥ — uncontrollable spṛhā — desire rajasi — of the mode of passion etāni — all these jāyante — develop vivṛddhe — when there is an excess bharata - ṛṣabha — O chief of the descendants of Bharata .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
lobhaḥ pravṛttir ārambhaḥ
lobhaḥ
greed
pravṛttiḥ
activity
ārambhaḥ
endeavor
karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā
karmaṇām
in activities
aśamaḥ
uncontrollable
spṛhā
desire
rajasy etāni jāyante
rajasi
of the mode of passion
etāni
all these
jāyante
develop
vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha
vivṛddhe
when there is an excess
bharata - ṛṣabha
O chief of the descendants of Bharata .
Important Words
  • lobhaḥ — greed
    Lobha — the desire for more, specifically more of what one already has. Distinguished from kāma (desire for what one lacks). Rajas's signature is not need but excess-seeking; the verse names it first because it is most diagnostic.
  • pravṛttiḥ — activity
    Pra-vṛt — to go forward, to engage. Pravṛtti is positive, outward, project-oriented engagement. By itself neutral, but symptomatic of rajas when paired with the other items in this list.
  • ārambhaḥ — endeavor, undertaking
    Ā-rabh — to begin. Rajas loves the beginning of things; the energy is in the launch. Hence the rajasic personality starts many projects and finishes few — the energy is project-launching, not project-completing.
  • aśamaḥ spṛhā — uncontrollable desire and hankering
    A-śama — not-stilled. Śama is the great sattvic virtue (BG 6.7, 18.42), and rajas is its precise negation. Spṛhā: the leaning-toward, the felt pull. Together: the inner posture that cannot let any moment simply be.
  • bharata-ṛṣabha — O chief of the descendants of Bharata
    The vocative — 'bull of the Bhāratas' — is being used precisely when Kṛṣṇa is cataloging rajas. A kṣatriya, even a noble one, is by occupational nature exposed to these symptoms. The address acknowledges the risk and respects the listener.
O chief of the Bhāratas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion the symptoms of great attachment, fruitive activity, intense endeavor, and uncontrollable desire and hankering develop.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Rajas swollen leaves a recognizable signature: a mind grabbing for more (lobha), unable to sit (aśama), constantly starting new projects (ārambha), driven by longing (spṛhā). Modern hyperactivity is rajas seen through anatomical detail.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Symptom-verse for rajas, paralleling 14.11 (sattva) and 14.13 (tamas). The five symptoms form a feedback loop: lobha breeds spṛhā; spṛhā breeds pravṛtti; pravṛtti breeds ārambha; ārambha guarantees aśama. Recognition is itself part of the cure: when the sādhaka spots the cycle, vivekā is already loosening rajas. Cross-ref BG 16.10–12 (āsurī expansion of kāma) and 18.27 (rājasa-kartṛ).
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे भरतर्षभ! रजसि विवृद्धे लोभः प्रवृत्तिः कर्मणाम् आरम्भः अशमः स्पृहा एतानि जायन्ते ।
he bharatarṣabha! rajasi vivṛddhe lobhaḥ pravṛttiḥ karmaṇām ārambhaḥ aśamaḥ spṛhā etāni jāyante |
O best of Bharatas, when rajas has grown strong, greed, restless activity, undertaking of works, lack of inner calm, and craving — these arise.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
लोभः प्रवृत्तिः आरम्भः कर्मणाम् अशमः स्पृहा । रजसि एतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥
lobhaḥ pravṛttiḥ ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā | rajasi etāni jāyante vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
लोभः lobhaḥ लोभ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'greed' greed
प्रवृत्तिः pravṛttiḥ प्रवृत्ति (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'engagement, restless activity' engagement
आरम्भः ārambhaḥ आरम्भ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'commencement, enterprise' undertaking
कर्मणाम् karmaṇām कर्मन् (n.) gen.pl. (genitive plural), 'of works' of works
अशमः aśamaḥ अशम (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'lack of peace, unrest' restlessness
स्पृहा spṛhā स्पृहा (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'hankering, longing' longing
रजसि rajasi रजस् (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular), 'in rajas' in rajas
एतानि etāni dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.pl. (nominative plural)n., 'these' these
जायन्ते jāyante √जन् pres. (present) 3pl.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice), 'arise' arise
विवृद्धे vivṛddhe वि+√वृध् p.p.p. (past passive participle) loc.sg. (locative singular)n., 'when grown strong' when grown strong
भरतर्षभ bharatarṣabha भरत (m.) + ऋषभ (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), karmadhāraya cpd. (compound), 'O bull of the Bharatas' O best of Bharatas
Purport

One in the mode of passion is never satisfied with the position he has already acquired; he hankers to increase his position. If he wants to construct a residential house, he tries his best to have a palatial house, as if he would be able to reside in that house eternally. And he develops a great hankering for sense gratification. There is no end to sense gratification. He always wants to remain with his family and in his house and to continue the process of sense gratification. There is no cessation of this. All these symptoms should be understood as characteristic of the mode of passion.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
12. Greed, absorption, intense efforts in actions and incessant enjoyment of objects arise with an increase of rajas, O best of the Bharata lineage.
Commentary

Greed, absorption in various endeavors (pravṛttiḥ), effort in actions such as building a house, and the non-cessation of enjoyment of objects (aśamaḥ) and desire appear with the increase of rajas.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
12. Attachment to possessions, effort to increase possessions, engaging in strenuous undertakings, inability to withdraw the senses from sense objects, and longing for objects of enjoyment arise with an increase of rajas, O best of Bharata.
Commentary

Lobhaḥ means the tendency of being unable to give up ones possessions. Pravṛttiḥ means the tendency to make efforts to increase ones possessions. Karmaṇām arambhaḥ means to engage in activities such as building ones house. Aśamaḥ means inability of the senses to give up enjoyments of sense objects. Spṛhā means longing for objects. By these characteristics one should know that rajas has increased.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Symptoms of three modes – These verses explain how the effects of the three modes of

material nature, as explained in Texts 14.6 – 14.8, are manifested externally

Focus of Learning

Certain concepts are defined below:

(a) “All gates illuminated by knowledge” (14.11) – Implies

Perception by the senses based on knowledge, in the right position
Clean inside and out

(b) Darkness and inertia implies (14.13)

Not works according to regulative principles
Works whimsically for no purpose

(c) Illusion – Even though he has the capacity to work, he does not endeavor (14.13)

(a) Modes struggle to dominate each other

If one is actually intent on advancing in Krishna consciousness, one has to transcend the mode
“Vasudeva state” – State of pure goodness where one can understand the science of God

(b) How to identify the modes – Depending on the characteristics mentioned in 14.11 – 14.13

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
14.12 O best of the Bharata dynasty, when the ality of rajas vivrddhe, becomes predominant; etani, these indications; jayante, come into being; lobhah, avarice, the desire to appropriate other's possessions; pravrtih, movement in general; arambhah, undertaking;-of what?-karmanam, of actions; asamah, unrest, lack of tranillity-(i.e.) manifestation of joy, attachment, etc.; and sprha, hankering, desire in general for all things.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
14.12 'Greed' is the tendency not to spend one's own property. 'Activity' is the disposition to be active devoid of any purpose. 'Undertaking of works' is engagement in works which yield fruits. 'Unrest' is absence of rest of sense-activities. 'Longing' is the desire for sense objects. These predominate when Rajas has increased. The meaning is that whenever greed etc., prevail, then one should know that Rajas has very much increased.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
14.12 See Comment under 14.13
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
14.12 Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness, longing these arise when Rajas is predominant, O Arjuna.
Commentary

14.12 लोभः greed? प्रवृत्तिः activity? आरम्भः the undertaking? कर्मणाम् of actions? अशमः restlessness? स्पृहा longing? रजसि in Rajas? एतानि these? जायन्ते arise? विवृद्धे having become predominant? भरतर्षभ O best of the Bharatas (or O Lord of the Bharatas).Commentary Greed Covetousness Desire to appropriate the property of others a desire to possess more wealth though one has sufficient already.Pravritti Action in general.Asamah Restlessness being agitated by joy? attachment? etc. I will do this and then I wil take up that action. After finishing the second? I will take up the third? and so on. There is no end to the continuity of desire? will and action. This is called Asama or restlessness.Spriha Thirsting or longing for all sensual objects in general.These are the characteristic marks that indicate that Rajas is predominant.Do not mistake Rajasic restlessness or Rajasic movements for Karma Yoga or divine activity. People may say that they are doing selfless service to the world? but if you analyse their motives,there will be the taint of personal desire in some form or other. Many persons cannot sit iet even for a moment. They think that moving about here and there or doing some action or other is to full of life. The Yogi or sage who sits still by calming the mind? who does nothing at all physically? is the most active man in the whole world whereas the man who runs here and there and who is always very busy does nothing at all. This may be paradoxical to you. Very few can comprehend the truth of this statement. Sattva is intense activity. A wheel that revolves very rapidly appears to be at rest. So is Sattva. So is a Sattvic man.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
14.12 O best of the Bharata dynasty, when rajas becomes predominant, these come into being: avarice, movement, undertaking of actions, unrest and hankering.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
14.12 O best of Indians! Avarice, the impulse to act and the beginning of action itself are all due to the dominance of Passion.
Related values & verses
Related values
Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 3.37 BG 16.11 BG 18.24 SB 11.25.2 SB 3.26.23 SB 5.14.2 CC Madhya 22.117 CC Ādi 4.165 CC Antya 1.138 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.3BRS 1.2.255
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
When rajas increases — greed, restlessness, hankering, ambition, intense activity — these manifest.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize the felt-sense of rajas: restlessness, hankering.
  • Don't romanticize rajas as 'productivity.'
  • Discipline rajas with regulated routine.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I label rajas as productivity?
  • What discipline reduces the actual restlessness?
Analogy

A river in flood — water everywhere, motion everywhere, and no banks to direct it. Rajas swollen is exactly this. The cure is not to stop the water but to remember the banks: routine, vow, regulated time.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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