Gita 18.27
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः । हर्षशोकान्वितः कर्ता राजसः परिकीर्तितः ॥२७॥
rāgī karma-phala-prepsur lubdho hiṃsātmako'śuciḥ | harṣa-śokānvitaḥ kartā rājasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ ||27||
In essence: The rajasic doer is a slave to results—passionate, greedy, violent, impure, and tossed perpetually between elation and despair.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "This description sounds like most successful people in the world. Is worldly success inherently rajasic?"
Guru: "Not success itself, but the orientation toward it. One can achieve great things with sattvic qualities—excellence for its own sake, service to others, equanimity about outcomes. What makes someone rajasic is the passionate attachment to results, the greed, the willingness to harm, and the emotional dependence on success. Many outwardly successful people are indeed rajasic; some, however, act from a higher principle."
Sadhak: "The word 'hiṃsātmaka'—violent by nature—seems extreme. I'm not violent but I recognize other rajasic qualities in myself."
Guru: "Violence has many forms beyond physical harm. Harsh words that wound, competitive actions that crush others' opportunities, exploitation that harms livelihoods—these are all hiṃsā. Even subtle aggression in thought qualifies. When greed drives action, some form of harm to others typically follows. The question is not whether you are overtly violent but whether your pursuit of results ever causes harm to others."
Sadhak: "The emotional swinging between joy and sorrow exhausts me. How do I find stability?"
Guru: "The instability arises from attachment to results. When your happiness depends on external outcomes, you are at the mercy of circumstances. The path to stability involves gradually shifting focus from results to the quality of action itself, from outcomes to contribution, from personal gain to dharmic duty. This shift doesn't happen overnight but through conscious practice over time."
Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.
🌅 Daily Practice
Before beginning work, check your motivation: 'Am I about to act from passion and desire for results, or from a sense of duty and service?' Notice any greed, any potential for harm, any excessive attachment. This awareness itself begins to shift the orientation.
When you notice 'harṣa-śoka'—elation or despair based on results—pause and observe. Ask: 'What attachment is causing this emotional reaction? Can I engage fully with my work while holding outcomes more lightly?' Practice returning to the present action when pulled toward results.
Review the day honestly: 'Did greed influence any decision? Did I cause harm—even subtle harm—in pursuing my goals? Did impure motives color my actions?' This examination is not for guilt but for growth. Acknowledge rajasic patterns without judgment, and set intention for gradual refinement.