Gita 18.24
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहंकारेण वा पुनः | क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ||२४||
yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ | kriyate bahulāyāsaṁ tad rājasam udāhṛtam ||24||
In essence: Rajasic action is desire-driven, ego-fueled, and exhaustingly effortful—much strain, little peace.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "This sounds like most successful people I know. Are worldly achievers all rajasic?"
Guru: "Often, yes. Look carefully at high achievers: many are driven by insecurity, desire, or need to prove themselves. Their achievements are real, but so is their restlessness. Some rare ones work hard from sattvic motivation—duty, contribution, natural expression—and they achieve without the strain."
Sadhak: "What's wrong with having desires and working hard to fulfill them?"
Guru: "Nothing 'wrong'—it's simply binding. Rajasic action generates more karma, more desire, more ego-investment. You achieve your goal and immediately want the next thing. You succeed and need bigger success to feel okay. It's a treadmill. The question isn't moral judgment but practical assessment: does this mode of action lead to freedom and peace?"
Sadhak: "How do I distinguish between working hard and 'bahulayasam'—excessive strain?"
Guru: "Sattvic hard work has a quality of flow, alignment, even joy. You work intensely but you're not fighting yourself or reality. Rajasic strain feels like pushing against resistance. There's tension, anxiety, the sense that you're forcing something. After sattvic work you're tired but content; after rajasic strain you're exhausted and restless."
Sadhak: "Can the same external action be either sattvic or rajasic?"
Guru: "Absolutely. A doctor might perform surgery from sattvic duty (healing, appropriate response to need) or from rajasic drive (fame, fees, ego-satisfaction). The surgery might look identical. The internal experience and karmic consequence differ completely."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Before launching into the day's activities, check your motivation: 'Am I about to work from desire for results or need to prove myself? Or from genuine duty and appropriate response to what's needed?' This check doesn't stop you from working; it clarifies your fuel.
When you notice strain—pushing, forcing, fighting resistance—pause and ask: 'What's driving this strain? Desire for a particular outcome? Ego-fear of failure?' Sometimes the strain dissolves with seeing. Other times, you continue but with awareness of the rajasic pattern.
Assess the day's effort quality: 'Where did I work with flow and alignment? Where did I strain against resistance?' Notice the correlation between mode and experience—rajasic strain brings exhaustion without satisfaction; sattvic effort brings tiredness with peace.