A core teaching · reflective in mood · easy to enter
“Desire and ego turn action restless, even when it looks productive.”
But action done with desire for pleasure, or with ego, or with great strain, is said to be rajasic.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallywhich · but · by one desiring pleasure · action · with ego · or · again · is done · with great effort · that · rajasic · is called
Action driven by craving, ego, or strain belongs to restlessness, not clarity. It is active, but it is not clean.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Moksha Sanyasa Yoga" (Liberation through Renunciation).
Verse 24 sits in Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga, "Liberation through Renunciation". The chapter has 78 verses in total.
You keep pushing because you want the praise, the win, the proof. The work gets done, but it leaves you tighter than before.
Did you like this verse?
It teaches you to notice when effort is powered by craving and self-importance, not purpose.
What this verse means
Action driven by craving, ego, or strain belongs to restlessness, not clarity. It is active, but it is not clean.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, with Arjuna frozen and the war still waiting, Krishna explains how action can be shaped by the three qualities. After describing clear action, he now names the kind driven by desire, pride, and strain.
Why this verse still matters
You keep pushing because you want the praise, the win, the proof. The work gets done, but it leaves you tighter than before.
“You can spot the difference between healthy effort and effort fueled by wanting.”
Explore related themes: rajas (21 verses)