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Bhagavad-gītā 18.24

यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुन: । क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ॥ २४ ॥
yat tu kāmepsunā karma
[yat tu kaamepsunaa karma]
sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ
[saahankaarena vaa punah]
kriyate bahulāyāsaṁ
[kriyate bahulaayaasam]
tad rājasam udāhṛtam
[tad raajasam udaahritam]
Word-for-word
yat — that which tu — but kāma - īpsunā — by one with desires for fruitive results karma — work sa - ahaṅkāreṇa — with ego vā — or punaḥ — again kriyate — is performed bahula - āyāsam — with great labor tat — that rājasam — in the mode of passion udāhṛtam — is said to be .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yat tu kāmepsunā karma
yat
that which
tu
but
kāma - īpsunā
by one with desires for fruitive results
karma
work
sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ
sa - ahaṅkāreṇa
with ego
vā
or
punaḥ
again
kriyate bahulāyāsaṁ
kriyate
is performed
bahula - āyāsam
with great labor
tad rājasam udāhṛtam
tat
that
rājasam
in the mode of passion
udāhṛtam
is said to be .
Important Words
  • kāma-īpsunā — by one desiring (sense) gratification
    Instrumental. The doer is defined first — he is *driven by desire*. The action acquires its rājasa color from his desiring.
  • sa-ahaṅkāreṇa — with false ego
    Compound — 'accompanied by ahaṅkāra.' Doership-claim travels alongside the deed. Whatever is accomplished is also claimed.
  • bahula-āyāsam — with great labor
    The signature of rajas: enormous effort. Sāttvika action can be intense too, but rājasa action is specifically marked by *strain* — the laboring after desired ends.
  • rājasam — in the mode of passion
    The classification. The verse paints the worldly working life with precision — most professional and ambitious activity sits exactly here.
  • udāhṛtam — is declared
    Passive — 'is set forth as.' Formal labeling language. The chapter is offering classifications a sādhaka can use diagnostically on his own week's work.
But action performed with great effort by one seeking to gratify his desires, and enacted from a sense of false ego, is called action in the mode of passion.
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)
Rājasa action is desire-fueled, ego-driven, and effortful out of proportion. It produces results — often impressive ones — but at the cost of inner peace and inevitable karmic entanglement.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Three marks of rājasa-karma: kāmepsutā (object-craving), ahaṅkāra (ego-doership), bahulāyāsa (excessive exertion). The exhaustion of modern hyper-productivity finds its precise label here. Note: the action itself may even be prescribed, but its motivation and feel make it rājasa.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
यत् कर्म तु काम-ईप्सुना स-अहङ्कारेण वा पुनः बहुल-आयासं क्रियते, तत् राजसम् उदाहृतम् ।
yat karma tu kāma-īpsunā sa-ahaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ bahula-āyāsaṃ kriyate, tat rājasam udāhṛtam |
But that action done by one craving objects of desire, or with egotism, with great strain — that is declared to be rājasa.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
यत् तु काम-ईप्सुना कर्म स-अहङ्कारेण वा पुनः । क्रियते बहुल-आयासं तत् राजसम् उदाहृतम् ॥
yat tu kāma-īpsunā karma sa-ahaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ | kriyate bahula-āyāsaṃ tat rājasam udāhṛtam ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
यत् yat यद् (pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. which
तु tu ind. (indeclinable) but
काम-ईप्सुना kāma-īpsunā tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)m. by a desire-seeker
कर्म karma कर्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) action
स-अहङ्कारेण sa-ahaṅkāreṇa bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)m. with ego
वा vā ind. (indeclinable) or
पुनः punaḥ ind. (indeclinable) again
क्रियते kriyate √कृ pres. (present)pass. (passive) 3sg. is done
बहुल-आयासम् bahula-āyāsam tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. with great strain
तत् tat तद् (pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. that
राजसम् rājasam राजस (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. rājasa
उदाहृतम् udāhṛtam उद् + आ + √हृ p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. is declared
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
24. That work is performed with desire for results, with little or great pride, with plenty of suffering, is called rajasic work.
Commentary

That work which is performed with desire for results (kāma ipsunā), indicating a little pride, or with great pride (sāhaṅkārena) is called rajasic work.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
24. That work which is performed with desire for results, with the conception of being the agent, with plenty of trouble, is called rajasic work.
Commentary

Acton done with desire for results, with the conception of being the doer (sa ahaṅkareṇa), with plenty of trouble (bahula āyāsam), is called work in the mode of passion.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.24 But tat, that; karma, action; udahrtam, is said to be; rajasam, born of rajas; yat, which; is kriyate, done; kamepsuna by one desirous of results; va, or; saahankarena, by one who is egotistic; and bahulaayasam, which is highly strenuous, accomplished by the agent with great effort. 'Egotistic' is not used in contrast to knowledge of Truth. What then? It is used in contrast to the absence of egotism in an ordinary person versed in the Vedic path. For in the case of the knower of the Self, who is not egotistic in the real sense, there is no estion of his being desirous of results or of being an agent of actions reiring great effort. Even of actions born of sattva, the agent is one who has not realized the Self and is possessed of egoism; what to speak of actions born of rajas and tamas! In common parlance, a person versed in the Vedic path, even though not possessing knowledge of the Self, is spoken of as being free from egotism thus-'This Brahmana is free from egotism'. Therefore, 'sahan-karena va' is said in contrast to him only. Punah (again) is used to complete the meter.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.24 But whatever act is performed by one who seeks to gratify his desires, viz., by one who desires the results of his action and with the feeling of egoism, viz., has the misconceived notion that oneself is the agent; and with a great deal of effort - such an act is of the nature of Rajas. Here va (or) is used in the sense of ca (and). Whatever action is performed by one who possesses the misconceived notion, 'This action demanding enormous effort is performed entirely by me' - it is said to be Rajasika.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.24 See Comment under 18.25
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.24 But that action which is done by one longing for the fulfilment of desires or gain with egoism or with much effort that is declared to be Rajasic (passionate).
Commentary

18.24 यत् which? तु but? कामेप्सुना by one longing for desires? कर्म action? साहङ्कारेण with egoism? वा or? पुनः again? क्रियते is performed? बहुलायासम् with much effort? तत् that? राजसम् Rajasic (passionate)? उदाहृतम् is declared.Commentary A passionate man performs various selfish actions. He boasts of his actions in public. Passion prompts him to do them. He can never work without expectation of a reward.Kamepsuna? phalepsuna The Rajasic or passionate man expects pleasures as fruits of action. A liberated sage alone is absolutely free from egoism. He will not dream even of a reward for the action? because all his desires are gratified when he realises Brahman. He is an Aptakama. (Aptakamasya ka spriha) How can there be longing or craving in a sage in whom all desires are gratified or burnt by the fire of SelfknowledgeEven the performer of a pure act? who has no knowledge of the Self is egoistic. If such be the case? the Rajasic and Tamasic workers are much more egoistic. In worldly parlance we speak of a learned Pundit This Pundit is a very modest? unassuming? and egoless Brahmana.Now listen? O Arjuna? to the characteristics of action that is of darkness.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.24 But that action is said to be born of rajas which is done by one desirous of results or by one who is egotistic, and which is highly strenuous.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.24 But even though an action involve the most strenuous endeavour, yet if the doer is seeking to gratify his desires, and is filled with personal vanity, it may be assumed to originate in Passion.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 2.43 BG 3.37 BG 16.12 SB 11.25.15 SB 6.1.9 SB 5.5.8 CC Madhya 22.8 CC Antya 5.14 CC Madhya 24.88 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.5Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.8
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Action driven by the desire to gratify desires, performed with great labor and false ego — rajasic.
Practical Applications
  • Notice the great-labor-ego signature of rajasic action.
  • Reduce labor that's serving ego.
  • Cultivate easeful right action.
Reflection Questions
  • What recent labor was serving ego?
  • What would easeful right action look like?
Analogy

A laborer breaks his back hauling stones for a palace whose only purpose is his name on the gate. The sweat is real, the effort is enormous, but every stone laid is laid for the ego. Rājasa karma is muscular and exhausting — and bound at every node by 'I.'

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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