Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga · Verse 12

Bhagavad Gita 14.12

Restless wanting multiplies action, but never settles the mind.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा ।
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे भरतवंशमें श्रेष्ठ अर्जुन रजोगुणके बढ़नेपर लोभ, प्रवृत्ति, कर्मोंका आरम्भ, अशान्ति और स्पृहा ये वृत्तियाँ पैदा होती हैं ॥
English
O best of the Bharatas, when rajas grows, greed, activity, the beginning of actions, restlessness, and desire arise.

What this verse means

When rajas becomes strong, greed, restless activity, constant starting, and craving appear.

Context & commentary

On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna stands frozen while Krishna explains how the three gunas shape human behavior. After describing sattva, Krishna now shows Arjuna the marks of rajas: the force that drives craving, motion, and unsettled action.

Why this verse still matters

You open five tabs, start three tasks, and still feel unsatisfied. That buzzing urge to keep doing more is not productivity — it is restlessness taking over.

The takeaway

You can recognize agitation early, before it turns into compulsive wanting.

Word-by-word translation

लोभः (greed) / प्रवृत्तिः (activity, urge) / आरम्भः (beginning) / कर्मणाम् (of actions) / अशमः (restlessness, lack of peace) / स्पृहा (desire, craving) / रजसि (in rajas) / एतानि (these) / जायन्ते (are born) / विवृद्धे (when increased) / भरतर्षभ (O best of the Bharatas)

Explore related themes: gunas (47 verses), rajas (21 verses)

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