Verse 18.27

Verse 18.27: “One swayed by passion, yearning for action’s fruit, avaricious, disposed to violence, impure, prone to elation and depression: such an agent is pronounced Rajas-dominated. (650)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

Just as a dung-hill is the (proper) place for the accumulation of the village dirt, or the funeral ground is the place for the coming together of all inauspicious things, in that way he (the Rajas agent) is the sink (place) for storing the wash of the feet of all the sins of the entire world greed. Therefore he sets about performing very zealously such actions only as hold out prospects of securing fruit uninterruptedly. And he is not prepared to forego even a single Kavadi (kavaḍī) of what he has earned and hugs his acquisitions to his bosom lovingly day and night, looking upon them as more precious than his life.

He watches covetously for opportunities to rob others of their possessions keeping a miserly attitude in regard to his own hoard, in the way a heron feigns it is absorbed in spiritual meditation (i.e. stands still) for catching the fish. He is like a berry tree, entangling with its thorns one passing by it, causing scratches in one’s skin when one grapples with it, or making the tongue smart under the sour taste of its fruit if put into mouth. He torments others through his mind, speech and body, and remains indifferent in regard to other peoples’ interests, while securing his own selfish ends. He allows no latitude to others while engaged in doing his own actions, and never engages his mind in any sentiment that does not interest him in any way (however noble it might be). He is devoid of purity internally and externally, in the way the pulp in the Datura (dhotrā) fruit is intoxicating and its external rind thorny.

If he secures the fruit of his actions, he gets, Oh Dhananjaya, overjoyed and indulges in grinning and mouthing in mockery of the world. On the other hand were the actions started to prove unfruitful, he would through grief curse whatever has been done. One seen abiding in activism in this way is the Rajas doer, know it definitely. Next comes the Tamas (dominated) agent, who is the very plantation of evil actions and now I shall reveal to you in detail his signs.