Verse-34
Chapter 18 — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
Verse 34
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
yayā tu dharmakāmārthāndhṛtyā dhārayate'rjuna
prasaṅgena phalākāṅkṣī dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha rājasī
🕉 English Translation
Phal ichha rehti hai jisme sadaa,
Dhan, dharma, bhogo ki hai dharana.
Asakti bhi bahut jisme bhari,
Kehte useh hain dhriti rajasi.
📜 Translation
English
But O Parth! The persistence with which the being who is desirous of fruit with great attachment, holds onto duty, wealth and covetable things, that persistence is rajasic.
Persistence will work in any case. What has to be persisted upon, that depends on discrimination and thoughts. The Blessed Lord, by distinguishing amongst the three kinds of persistence is leaving the decision on the discernment of the embodied being. The recognition of the difference between right and wrong will be done by the satvic intellect or the awakened discrimination of the intellect. The ripeness and the divinity of the steadiness has been taken up in the previous verse in the form of satvic persistence. Now in the form of rajasic persistence an absolutely different picture.
Religion, wealth, desire and salvation-have been considered the chief four kinds of efforts to be made in life. Here three of them have been discussed. Salvation has not been taken up here. The reason is that the goal here is not salvation. Whatever there is, all pertains to wealth or objects of indulgence. Even to the extent that if any religious undertaking is engaged in like any dedicated activity, worship and recitation of scriptures, sacrifice, chanting, it is for the purpose of fulfilling the desire for material objects and wealth. From the beginning itself inside prevails the multitude of desire for fruits. That is why the strength of persistence will also pursue that which can lead to the fulfilment of one's desires. All the time there would be obsession with wealth and craving for the objects of enjoyment. The word 'religion' is definitely associated with the rajasic persistence but it is meant for cautioning the learned. Should religion be practised merely for the fulfilment of desires for worldly objects? Though the goal should be salvation yet the influence of rajasic qualities keeps every situation limited to the fulfilment of wealth and desires.