Bhagavad-gītā 18.27
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रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः।हर्षशोकान्वितः कर्ता राजसः परिकीर्तितः।।18.27।।
rāgī karma-phala-prepsur lubdho hinsātmako ‘śhuchiḥ harṣha-śhokānvitaḥ kartā rājasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
In one who is impulsive, greedy, looking for reward, violent, impure, and torn between joy and sorrow, it may be assumed that Passion is predominant.
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| rāgī | craving |
| karma-phala | fruit of work |
| prepsuḥ | covet |
| lubdhaḥ | greedy |
| hinsā-ātmakaḥ | violent-natured |
| aśhuchiḥ | impure |
| harṣha-śhoka-anvitaḥ | moved by joy and sorrow |
| kartā | performer |
| rājasaḥ | in the mode of passion |
| parikīrtitaḥ | is declared |
A passionate agent is the abode of sins and of greed of the whole world. Wherever he imagines that he may gain worldly fruit he will strive wholeheartedly to obtain it.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Follow the great recapitulation through renunciation, action, knowledge, duty, devotion, refuge and Sañjaya’s conclusion.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami GambiranandaThe agent who has attachment, who is desirous of the results of actions, covetous, cruel by nature, unclean, and subject to joy and sorrow, is declared to be possessed of rajas.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaThat doer is called Rajasika who is passionate, who seeks the fruits of his actions, who is greedy, harmful, and impure, and who is swayed by delight and grief.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaA passionate agent is the abode of sins and of greed of the whole world. Wherever he imagines that he may gain worldly fruit he will strive wholeheartedly to obtain it.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
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- 1
In one who is impulsive, greedy, looking for reward, violent, impure
- 2
torn between joy and sorrow, it may be assumed that Passion is predominant
- 3
rāgī: craving
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