Chapter 14 · Verse 12 · Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 14.12
Sanskrit
लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा।रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ।।14.12।।
Transliteration
lobhaḥ pravṛittir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśhamaḥ spṛihā rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe bharatarṣhabha
In plain words
You know that feeling—the endless wanting, the restlessness that won't let you sleep, the sense that you're chasing something that keeps moving away from you. Krishna says: that hunger you feel, that compulsion to control and grasp and fix everything right now, that's not you at your core—it's a storm passing through you, and storms pass. When you notice yourself caught in that frantic energy, pause and ask: is this drive coming from my deepest wisdom, or from panic? That one question can change everything.
Word by Word
When rajas—the mode of passion—swells within us, it births a hunger that devours peace: greed, endless busyness, restless craving, the itch to control outcomes. The Gita names these not as sins but as symptoms of an imbalanced inner state, so we may recognize them and turn toward equilibrium.
When you notice yourself chasing, grasping, perpetually unsettled, pause—that is rajas speaking, not your deepest nature. The invitation is to witness this passionate storm with clarity, then consciously choose actions rooted in purpose rather than compulsion.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 14.12 — BG 14.12
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
2.2M people trust Mahakatha