Chapter 18, Verse 34 (Bhagavad Gita 18.34)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
यया तु धर्मकामार्थान् धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन।प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी
Transliteration
yayā tu dharma-kāmārthān dhṛityā dhārayate ‘rjuna prasaṅgena phalākāṅkṣhī dhṛitiḥ sā pārtha rājasī
Word Meanings
yayā—by which; tu—but; dharma-kāma-arthān—duty, pleasures, and wealth; dhṛityā—through steadfast will; dhārayate—holds; arjuna—Arjun; prasaṅgena—due of attachment; phala-ākāṅkṣhī—desire for rewards; dhṛitiḥ—determination; sā—that; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; rājasī—in the mode of passion
Translation
But that determination, O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to duty, pleasure, and wealth—being attached and desiring the fruits of these actions—that firmness is declared to be Rajasic.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Lord Krishna explains how the quality of passion (Rajas) manifests in the human resolve. When a soul clings to the fruits of worldly pursuits—Dharma, Artha, and Kama—with a desperate desire for personal gain, that perseverance is merely a product of the restless ego. Bhagwan Shri Krishna warns that such a mindset binds the soul to the cycle of material consequences rather than spiritual liberation. True seekers must transcend this attachment, moving beyond the thirst for rewards to find a firmness rooted in selfless devotion. By surrendering the outcomes to the Supreme Lord Krishna, one elevates their consciousness from mere worldly activity to divine service.