Shloka 25
भीष्मविक्रमदर्शनं तथा क्रौञ्चारुणव्यूहविधानम् | Bhīṣma’s Ascendancy and the Organization of the Krauñcāruṇa Formation
अनुबन्ध॑ क्षयं हिंसामनवेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते,जो कर्म परिणाम, हानि, हिंसा और सामर्थ्यको न विचारकर केवल अज्ञानसे आरम्भ किया जाता है, वह तामस कहा जाता हे?
anubandhaṁ kṣayaṁ hiṁsām anavekṣya ca pauruṣam | mohād ārabhyate karma yat tat tāmasam ucyate ||
Arjuna said: That action is called tāmasika when, out of delusion, one undertakes it without considering its consequences, the loss it may cause, the violence involved, or one’s own capacity to carry it through. Ethically, it points to heedless, ignorant initiative that ignores harm and responsibility.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
An action becomes tāmasika when it is initiated in ignorance—without weighing consequences, potential loss, violence, or one’s capacity. The verse teaches ethical deliberation and accountability before acting, especially where harm may result.
In the Bhīṣma Parva context, Arjuna is engaged in a dialogue about right action amid the impending war. This verse defines a category of action (tāmasika) by its careless, delusion-driven origin, contrasting it with more discerning modes of action.