FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 14.7

రజో రాగాత్మకం విద్ధి తృష్ణాసఙ్గసముద్భ‍వమ్ । తన్నిబధ్‍నాతి కౌన్తేయ కర్మసఙ్గేన దేహినమ్ ॥ ౭ ॥
rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi
[rajo raagaatmakam viddhi]
tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
[trishnaa-sanga-samudbhavam]
tan nibadhnāti kaunteya
[tan nibadhnaati kaunteya]
karma-saṅgena dehinam
[karma-sangena dehinam]
Word-for-word
rajaḥ — the mode of passion rāga - ātmakam — born of desire or lust viddhi — know tṛṣṇā — with hankering saṅga — association samudbhavam — produced of tat — that nibadhnāti — binds kaunteya — O son of Kuntī karma - saṅgena — by association with fruitive activity dehinam — the embodied .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi
rajaḥ
the mode of passion
rāga - ātmakam
born of desire or lust
viddhi
know
tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
tṛṣṇā
with hankering
saṅga
association
samudbhavam
produced of
tan nibadhnāti kaunteya
tat
that
nibadhnāti
binds
kaunteya
O son of Kuntī
karma-saṅgena dehinam
karma - saṅgena
by association with fruitive activity
dehinam
the embodied .
Important Words
  • rāga-ātmakam — having attachment as its very self
    Ātmaka — composed of, having as its essence. Rajas is not 'attached to desire'; rajas is desire. The mode and the rāga are one substance. There is no rajas standing apart that you could clean up.
  • tṛṣṇā — hankering, thirst
    Tṛṣṇā is the unsatisfiable thirst — the rāga that is the very substance of rajas (rāga-ātmakam, this verse). It cannot be argued away or quenched by fresh acquisition; it is cured only when the heart is given to Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti redirects tṛṣṇā into laulyam — lobha for kṛṣṇa-sevā — which alone breaks the binding to karma-saṅga.
  • saṅga-samudbhavam — born of association
    Sam-ud-bhava — emerging up out of. Rajas is born from saṅga. The way out is therefore not internal effort alone but a deliberate change of association: sat-saṅga to dissolve karma-saṅga.
  • karma-saṅgena — by association with fruitive activity
    The compound names the specific bondage: not work itself but work-with-clinging. The very condition BG 2.47 prescribed against. The Gītā returns to this knife edge in every chapter.
The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.
Purport

The mode of passion is characterized by the attraction between man and woman. Woman has attraction for man, and man has attraction for woman. This is called the mode of passion. And when the mode of passion is increased, one develops the hankering for material enjoyment. He wants to enjoy sense gratification. For sense gratification, a man in the mode of passion wants some honor in society, or in the nation, and he wants to have a happy family, with nice children, wife and house. These are the products of the mode of passion. As long as one is hankering after these things, he has to work very hard. Therefore it is clearly stated here that he becomes associated with the fruits of his activities and thus becomes bound by such activities. In order to please his wife, children and society and to keep up his prestige, one has to work. Therefore, the whole material world is more or less in the mode of passion. Modern civilization is considered to be advanced in the standard of the mode of passion. Formerly, the advanced condition was considered to be in the mode of goodness. If there is no liberation for those in the mode of goodness, what to speak of those who are entangled in the mode of passion?

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
7. O son of Kuntī, know that rajas, consisting of attraction, arising from longing for the unattained and attachment to the attained, binds the jīva with attachment to action.
Commentary

Know that rajo-guṇa consists of attraction (rāgātmakam). When one does not obtain ones desired objects, one develops desire (tṛṣṇa), and when one obtains ones objects, one develops attachment (saṅga). Rajo-guṇa gives rise to these two. Rajo-guṇa binds up the soul (dehinam) by attachment (saṅgena) to actions, in quest of present and future goals. Attachment to action arises by desire and attachment (tṛṣṇa and saṅga).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
7. O son of Kuntī, know that rajas, consisting of mutual attraction between men and women, and which gives rise to longing for the unattained and attachment to the attained, binds the jīva with attachment to action.
Commentary

Rajas is said to be identical (ātmakam) with the mutual affection between men and women (rāgā), since that affection is both the cause and effect of increased rajas. Moreover, rajas gives rise to the desire for sense objects (tṛṣṇa) such as sound, and the desire for association (saṅga) with sons, friends and others. Accordingly, the following definition is given. rāga-tṛṣṇāsaṅga-kāraṇaṁ rajaḥ: rajas is the cause of attraction between men and women, the desire of sense objects and desire for association of other persons. This rajas binds the jīva (dehinam) by possessing those desires in his actions (karma saṅgena), which are for the purpose of attaining women, sense objects and sons. He does activities with a desire for these things. These actions enable him to attain the objects, which are means for enjoying the results of action. He repeats these actions and receives similar results. Thus he is not liberated from rajas.

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

In text 6, the word nirmala, “pure,” was used. Here, rāga, which can mean “colored,” is used. The

person in the mode of passion sees everything colored by his unlimited desires, and he experiences

tṛṣṇā-saìga, a thirst or hankering for boundless material enjoyment. Because of his intense, multiple

hankerings, he is always forced to engage in karma-saìga, hard work.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
14.7 Viddhi, know; rajas to be ragatmakam, of the nature of passion (-raga is derived in the sense of that which colours-), having the property of colouring, like the ochre pigment etc.; trsna-asanga-samud-bhavam, born of hankering and attachment-hankering is the longing for things not acired; attachment is the clining-of the nature of fondness-of the mind to things in possession. O son of Kunti, tat, that, that rajas; nibadhnati, binds; dehinam, the embodied one; karma-sangena, through attachment to actions. Deep involvement in actions related to seen or unseen objects is karmasangah. Rajas binds through that.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
14.7 Rajas is of the nature of passion, namely, it causes sexual desire. 'Passion' (Raga) is mutual yearning between a man and a woman. 'Springing from thirst and attachment' means it is the source of sensuality and attachment. 'Trsna', (thirst, sensuality) is the longing for all sense-objects, such as sound etc. 'Sanga' (attachment) is the inordinate longing for union with one's sons, friends and such other relations. By creating longing for actions, it binds the embodied self. Whatever actions have been begun by the self from longiing for sensual enjoyments, they become the cause of births in bodies that constitute the means for experiencing such enjoyments. Therefore Rajas binds the embodied self through attachment to actions. What is said is this: Rajas is the cause of sexuality, sensuality and attachment, and of constant engagement in actions.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
14.7 See Comment under 14.8
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
14.7 Know thou Rajas to be of the nature of passion, the source of thirst (for sensual enjoyment) and attachment; it binds fast, O Arjuna, the embodied one by attachment to action.
Commentary

14.7 रजः Rajas? रागात्मकम् of the nature of passion? विद्धि know? तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् the source of thirst and attachment? तत् that? निबध्नाति binds? कौन्तेय O son of Kunti (Arjuna)? कर्मसङ्गेन by attachment to action? देहिनम् the embodied one.Commentary The ality of Rajas denotes activity and ambition. The Rajasic man is full of cravings and desires. The cravings force him to act for their fulfilment. He gets attached to those who help him in the fulfilment of his desire and hates those who stand in his way. He is attached to action. He enters on great undertakings. He performs various sorts of sacrifices and rituals and charitable activities. He runs after sensual pleasures and his desires become insatiable like a flame fed by oil. The Self is not the doer. It is the silent witness but Rajas creates in the man the idea? I am the doer.Rajas pleases the mind and keeps alive the passions.A Rajasic man is never contented. He is ever greedy and restless. The more he acires? the more passionate and greedy he becomes. Desires multiply. Nothing gives him satisfaction. If he is a millionaire? he tries to become a multimillionaire. It is like petrol poured into the fire? which inflames it further. A Rajasic man loses his understanding and power of discrimination. His understanding is clouded. He is under intoxication of the pride of wealth. His intellect is turbid. He has a perverted intellect. On account of perversion of intellect misery appears to him to be happiness pain appears to him to be pleasure sorrow appears to be joy. His goal is money and women. He worships mammon as his god.He runs after name? fame and comforts and involves himself in endless activities. Quickness has been associated with the fish? with the flash of lightning and with the glance of a woman. But Rajas is icker than these. A Rajasic man is more active than these. He thinks What will happen to me after my possessions are gone and thus worries himself unnecessarily and engages himself in endless activities. He has no peace of mind.He thirsts for what has not been attained and is attached to what has already been obtained. He wishes and tries to protect his possessions. This is Sanga. I will do such and such an action. I will get such and such a result. I will do this sacrifice. I will enjoy in heaven. This sort of clinging to action and its fruits is Karma Sanga.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
14.7 Know rajas to be of the nature of passion, born of hankering and attachment. O son of Kunti, that binds the embodied one through attachment to action.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
14.7 Passion, engendered by thirst for pleasure and attachment, binds the soul through its fondness for activity.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.37 BG 16.12 BG 18.38 SB 11.25.2 SB 3.26.23 SB 5.5.4 CC Madhya 19.150 CC Madhya 24.43 CC Ādi 3.99 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.3BRS 1.2.255
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Rajas — the mode of passion — born from desire, binds the soul to fruitive activity.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize the rajasic pattern: desire → activity → more desire.
  • Notice the 'always doing something' compulsion as rajas.
  • Cultivate purposeful rest as discipline.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is rajas currently driving me?
  • What rest discipline would interrupt it?
Analogy

A wheel set spinning by a child keeps turning long after the push — desire turns the wheel of fruitive action, and the action sends fresh desires into the wheel. Rajas is the perpetual-motion delusion: it cannot stop itself.

Stories
Duryodhana's hunger that nothing fed

Duryodhana had a kingdom, an army, allies in every court, and the personal blessing of Bhīṣma and Droṇa. None of it slaked him. While Yudhiṣṭhira sat in Indraprastha unconcerned, Duryodhana paced his palace, eaten by the spectacle of another's prosperity.

Rajas is exactly this. He was not poor; he was thirsty. Karma-saṅga had bound him so tightly that no amount of fruitive activity could quiet him — only more activity, then more, until Kurukṣetra.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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