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Chapter 14 · Verse 12 · Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 14.12

contemplative Attachment & Letting Go Karma & Action Mind & Meditation

Sanskrit

लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा।रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ।।14.12।।

Transliteration

lobhaḥ pravṛittir ārambhaḥ karmaṇām aśhamaḥ spṛihā rajasy etāni jāyante vivṛiddhe bharatarṣhabha

Word by Word

lobhaḥ greed
pravṛittiḥ activity
ārambhaḥ exertion
karmaṇām for fruitive actions
aśhamaḥ restlessness
spṛihā craving
rajasi of the mode of passion
etāni these
jāyante develop
vivṛiddhe when predominates
bharata-ṛiṣhabha the best of the Bharatas, Arjun
Simplified Perspective

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

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Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

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