Shloka 34
भीष्मविक्रमदर्शनं तथा क्रौञ्चारुणव्यूहविधानम् | Bhīṣma’s Ascendancy and the Organization of the Krauñcāruṇa Formation
यया तु धर्मकामार्थान् धृत्या धारयते<र्जुन । प्रसड़ेन फलाकाडुक्षी धृति: सा पार्थ राजसी,परंतु हे पृथापुत्र अर्जुन! फलकी इच्छावाला मनुष्य जिस धारणशक्तिके द्वारा अत्यन्त आससक्तिसे धर्म, अर्थ और कामोंको धारण करता है,* वह धारणशक्ति राजसी है
yayā tu dharmakāmārthān dhṛtyā dhārayate 'rjuna | prasaṅgena phalākāṅkṣī dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha rājasī ||
Arjuna said: That steadfastness by which a person, driven by attachment and craving for results, holds on to duty, pleasure, and gain—O Partha—that steadfastness is of the rajasic kind. Ethically, it describes a will-power that can sustain outwardly ‘right’ pursuits, yet is inwardly propelled by self-interest and clinging to outcomes rather than clarity and inner discipline.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Resolve can look strong yet be ethically inferior when it is fueled by attachment and desire for outcomes. Rajasic steadfastness sustains action, but it is driven by craving for results and clinging, not by inner clarity or selfless duty.
In the dialogue on the battlefield, Arjuna asks about types of steadfastness (dhṛti) according to the three guṇas. This verse defines the rajasic type: persistence in dharma, artha, and kāma motivated by attachment and expectation of reward.