रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् |
तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् || 7||
rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi tṛiṣhṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinam
rajaḥ—mode of passion; rāga-ātmakam—of the nature of passion; viddhi—know; tṛiṣhṇā—desires; saṅga—association; samudbhavam—arises from; tat—that; nibadhnāti—binds; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; karma-saṅgena—through attachment to fruitive actions; dehinam—the embodied soul
Translation:
Know that rajas is the essence of passion and the cause of thirst and attachment. It binds fast the embodied soul, Ο son of Kunti, by attachment to action.
Commentary:
The word ‘Trishna’ means passion for objects not possessed by him. ‘Sanga’ means attachment for those things already possessed by him. Rajoguna causes both passion and attachment. The effect of this passion is activity to gain this or that object, wealth, name and fame, power and position etc. The mad rush that one sees in the world is all the manifestation of Rajoguna. Territories are gained, wars are fought, enemies are put down, name is achieved, fame is obtained and thus in a hundred ways, man works for selfish ends and aims; This is Rajoguna. Thus action is the outer manifestation of Rajoguna. The Rajasic man cannot remain quiet. He is urged into action by the very force of Rajas. Action binds him. In this also, there is the false imposition of Kshetradharma on the pure and perfect Atma. The Lord uses a very strong word ‘nibadhnati’, not simply ‘badhnati’ when he speaks of the binding power of Rajoguna and tamoguna.
Question: What is the nature of Rajoguna?
Answer: It is passion for objects, and causes desire and attachment.
Question: How does it bind man?
Answer: By desire and attachment to action.
Question: What should the aspirant do?
Answer: He should free himself from the binding power of ‘Rajoguna’.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 14 🔻 (27 Verses)
