Shloka 18

Rajo-guṇa-nirdeśa — Brahmā’s Enumeration of Rajasic Dispositions

Devanagari script

रजोगुणा वो बहुधानुकीर्तिता यथाददुक्तं गुणवृत्तमेव च । नरो5पि यो वेद गुणानिमान्‌ सदा स राजसै: सर्वगुणैरविमुच्यते,मुनिवरो! इस प्रकार मैंने तुमलोगोंसे नाना प्रकारके राजस गुणों और तदनुकूल बर्तावोंका यथावत्‌ वर्णन किया। जो मनुष्य इन गुणोंको जानता है, वह सदा इन समस्त राजस गुणोंके बन्धनोंसे दूर रहता है

Transliteration

rajoguṇā vo bahudhānukīrtitā yathāvad uktaṃ guṇavṛttam eva ca | naro 'pi yo veda guṇān imān sadā sa rājasaiḥ sarvaguṇair avimucyate, munivara ||

Translation

Vāyu berkata: “Telah aku jelaskan kepada kamu dengan pelbagai cara tentang sifat-sifat yang lahir daripada rajas, serta tingkah laku yang mengikut sifat-sifat itu, sebagaimana adanya yang sebenar. Namun orang yang memahami sifat-sifat ini dengan jelas dan sentiasa mengekalkan pengetahuan itu dalam ingatan—wahai yang terbaik antara para resi—tidak terjerat oleh seluruh jalinan ciri-ciri rajasic; dia tetap bebas daripada kuasa ikatannya.”

Word by Word

• {'rajo-guṇāḥ': 'the qualities of rajas (passion, agitation, desire-driven energy)', 'bahudhā': 'in many ways

• variously', 'anukīrtitāḥ': 'recounted

• described in detail', 'yathāvat': 'as it really is

• in due manner', 'uktaṃ': 'said

• stated', 'guṇa-vṛttam': 'the behavior/conduct arising from the guṇas', 'eva': 'indeed

• precisely', 'naraḥ': 'a person

• man', 'yo veda': 'who knows

• who understands', 'imān guṇān': 'these qualities', 'sadā': 'always

• continually', 'rājasaiḥ sarva-guṇaiḥ': 'by all rajasic qualities (collectively)', 'avimucyate': 'is not released / is not freed (contextually: is not bound

• remains unentangled)', 'munivara': 'O best of sages'}

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• munivara (a sage addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Knowing the nature of rajasic qualities and the behaviors they generate helps a person avoid being trapped by them; clear discernment becomes a means of inner freedom from passion-driven bondage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva addresses a sage, concluding or summarizing an explanation of rajasic traits and their corresponding conduct, and states the ethical result: sustained understanding of these traits prevents one from being bound by them.