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

Disse Vāyu: “Descrevi-vos de muitas maneiras as qualidades nascidas do rajas e a conduta que delas decorre, tal como realmente são. Mas aquele que compreende com clareza essas qualidades e mantém esse conhecimento sempre presente—ó melhor dos sábios—não é enredado por toda a teia dos traços rajásicos; permanece livre do seu poder de atar.”

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.