Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यत्तु कामेप्सुना* कर्म साहंकारेण5 वा पुनः । क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्‌ राजसमुदाह्ृतम्‌,परंतु जो कर्म बहुत परिश्रमसे युक्त होता हैः तथा भोगोंको चाहनेवाले पुरुषद्वारा या अहंकारययुक्त पुरुषद्वारा किया जाता है, वह कर्म राजस कहा गया है?

Transliteration

yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ | kriyate bahulāyāsaṃ tad rājasam udāhṛtam ||

Translation

阿周那说：然而，那由贪求感官享乐之人所作，或又以我慢自矜而作，并伴随巨大劳苦与耗竭的行为，即被宣说为罗阇性（rājasa）。就伦理而言，它由渴爱与自我炫示所驱动，而非以内在安定来履行本分。

Word by Word

यत्that which

तुbut/indeed

कामin pleasures/objects of desire

ईप्सुनाby one desiring (to obtain)

कर्मaction/deed

सthat

अहंकारेणby egoism/with pride

वाor

पुनःagain/also

क्रियतेis done/is performed

बहुलmuch/great

आयासम्effort/exertion

तत्that

राजसम्rajasic (of rajas)

उदाहृतम्is said/declared (as)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Action becomes 'rajasic' when its motive is craving for enjoyment or egoistic self-importance, and when it is pursued with restless, strenuous exertion—signaling passion-driven effort rather than calm duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Bhīṣma Parva’s Bhagavadgītā teaching context, Arjuna is presenting (as part of the dialogue) the classification of actions by the three guṇas, here describing the marks of rajasic action.