Brahma Describes Rajas, the Quality of Passion

Verse 1 (14.38.1)

रजोऽहं वः प्रवक्ष्यामि याथातथ्येन सत्तमाः । निबोधत महाभागा गुणवृत्तं च राजसम् ॥

rajo'haṃ vaḥ pravakṣyāmi yāthātathyena sattamāḥ | nibodhata mahābhāgā guṇavṛttaṃ ca rājasam

I shall now tell you of rajas, O best of men, exactly as it is. Listen, O fortunate ones, to the nature and workings of the quality of passion.

Note on the text: Differs from CE 14.37.1 (rajo 'haṃ vaḥ pravakṣyāmi yāthātathyena sattamāḥ / nibodhata mahābhāgā guṇavṛttaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ) only in the last word of line 2 (the page's राजसम् for CE sarvaśaḥ), a recension variant.

Verse 2 (14.38.2)

संतापो रूपमायासः सुखदुःखे हिमातपौ । ऐश्वर्यं विग्रहः सिद्धिर्हेतुवादोऽरतिः क्षमा ॥

saṃtāpo rūpamāyāsaḥ sukhaduḥkhe himātapau | aiśvaryaṃ vigrahaḥ siddhirhetuvādo'ratiḥ kṣamā

Distress, beauty, toil, pleasure and pain, cold and heat, lordship, strife, success, argument, discontent, patience,

Note on the text: The page reads संतापः where the CE has saṃghātaḥ (the page's footnote 14-38-2 records संघातः as the क.ट.थ readings) and सिद्धिः for CE saṃdhiḥ; recension variants, kept.

Verse 3 (14.38.3)

बलं शौर्यं मदो रोषो व्यायामकलहावपि । ईर्ष्येप्सा पैशुनं युद्धं ममत्वं परिपालनम् ॥

balaṃ śauryaṃ mado roṣo vyāyāmakalahāvapi | īrṣyepsā paiśunaṃ yuddhaṃ mamatvaṃ paripālanam

strength, valour, pride, anger, exertion and quarrel, envy and the wish to get, slander, war, possessiveness, protection,

Verse 4 (14.38.4)

वधबन्धपरिक्लेशाः क्रयो विक्रय एव च । निकृन्त च्छिन्धि भिन्धीति परवर्मावकर्तनम् ॥

vadhabandhaparikleśāḥ krayo vikraya eva ca | nikṛnta cchindhi bhindhīti paravarmāvakartanam

killing, binding, torment, buying and selling, and the cries "Cut off! Hew! Split!" and the cutting through of another's armour,

Note on the text: The page's परवर्मावकर्तनम् (cutting another's armour) differs from CE paramarmāvakartanam (cutting another's vital parts); good Sanskrit, kept as a recension variant.

Verse 5 (14.38.5)

उग्रं दारुणमाक्रोशः परवित्तानुरागिता । लोकचिन्ताऽनुचिन्ता च मत्सरः परिभाषणम् ॥

ugraṃ dāruṇamākrośaḥ paravittānurāgitā | lokacintā'nucintā ca matsaraḥ paribhāṣaṇam

violence, cruelty, abuse, fondness for others' wealth, worry about the world and endless brooding, envy, and scolding,

Verse 6 (14.38.6)

वृथाशास्त्रं मृषावादो विकल्पपरिभाषणम् । निन्दा स्तुतिः प्रशंसा च प्रतापः परिधर्षणम् ॥

vṛthāśāstraṃ mṛṣāvādo vikalpaparibhāṣaṇam | nindā stutiḥ praśaṃsā ca pratāpaḥ paridharṣaṇam

useless treatises, lying, wavering speech, blame, praise and applause, display of power, and overbearing insult,

Note on the text: Differs from CE 14.37.6 (mṛṣādānaṃ … paritarpaṇam) in two places; recension variants, kept.

Verse 7 (14.38.7)

परिचर्या च शुश्रूषा सेवा तृष्णा व्यपाश्रयः । व्यूहो नयः प्रमादश्च परिवादः परिग्रहः ॥

paricaryā ca śuśrūṣā sevā tṛṣṇā vyapāśrayaḥ | vyūho nayaḥ pramādaśca parivādaḥ parigrahaḥ

service, attendance, waiting on others, craving, dependence, military arrays, policy, negligence, slander, and acquisition,

Note on the text: The page reads परिवादः where the CE has paritāpaḥ; recension variant, kept.

Verse 8 (14.38.8)

संस्कारा ये च लोकेषु प्रवर्तन्ते पृथक्पृथक् । नृषु नारीषु भूतेषु द्रव्येषु शरणेषु च ॥

saṃskārā ye ca lokeṣu pravartante pṛthakpṛthak | nṛṣu nārīṣu bhūteṣu dravyeṣu śaraṇeṣu ca

and the rites that are carried on here, each apart, among men, among women, among creatures, with goods, and with refuges,

Verse 9 (14.38.9)

संतापोऽप्रत्ययश्चैव व्रतानि नियमाश्च ये । प्रधानमाशीर्युक्तं च सततं मे भवत्विति ॥

saṃtāpo'pratyayaścaiva vratāni niyamāśca ye | pradhānamāśīryuktaṃ ca satataṃ me bhavatviti

distress, distrust, vows and observances, and what is chief, joined with a prayer: "May this always be mine."

Note on the text: The page reads प्रधानम् where the CE has pradānam (giving); good Sanskrit, kept as a recension variant. The last words differ too (CE: satataṃ me bhavatv iti).

Verse 10 (14.38.10)

स्वाहाकारो नमस्कारः स्वधाकारो वषट्क्रिया । याजनाध्यापने चोभे यजनाध्ययने अपि ॥

svāhākāro namaskāraḥ svadhākāro vaṣaṭkriyā | yājanādhyāpane cobhe yajanādhyayane api

The cries of svaha, namah, svadha and vashat; officiating at sacrifices and teaching, both; sacrificing and studying too;

Note on the text: The second line differs from CE 14.37.10c (yājanādhyāpane cobhe tathaivāhuḥ parigraham), a recension variant.

Verse 11 (14.38.11)

दानं प्रतिग्रहश्चैव प्रायश्चित्तानि मङ्गलम् । इदं मे स्यादिदं मे स्यात्स्नेहो गुणसमुद्भवः ॥

dānaṃ pratigrahaścaiva prāyaścittāni maṅgalam | idaṃ me syādidaṃ me syātsneho guṇasamudbhavaḥ

giving and receiving, expiations, auspicious rites; "Let this be mine, let that be mine": affection born of the qualities;

Note on the text: Input had no alignment. Line 1 = star passage *0076_01 (after 14,037.010d: dānaṃ pratigrahaś caiva prāyaścittāni maṅgalam), not in the critical text proper; line 2 = CE 14.37.11a.

Verse 12 (14.38.12)

अभिद्रोहस्तथा माया निकृतिर्मान एव च । स्तैन्यं हिंसा जुगुप्सा च परितापः प्रजागरः ॥

abhidrohastathā māyā nikṛtirmāna eva ca | stainyaṃ hiṃsā jugupsā ca paritāpaḥ prajāgaraḥ

treachery, deceit, fraud, and conceit, theft, violence, disgust, torment, sleeplessness,

Note on the text: Input had no alignment. Line 1 = CE 14.37.11c; line 2 = CE 14.37.12a (page's जुगुप्सा for CE parīvādaḥ, a recension variant).

Verse 13 (14.38.13)

दम्भो दर्पोऽथ रागश्च भक्तिः प्रीतिः प्रमोदनम् । द्यूतं च जनवादश्च सम्बन्धाः स्त्रीकृताश्च ये ॥

dambho darpo'tha rāgaśca bhaktiḥ prītiḥ pramodanam | dyūtaṃ ca janavādaśca sambandhāḥ strīkṛtāśca ye

hypocrisy, arrogance, passion, devotion, affection, delight, gambling, gossip, and relations made through women,

Note on the text: Input had no alignment. Line 1 = CE 14.37.12c (page's दर्पः for CE stambhaḥ, a recension variant); line 2 = CE 14.37.13a.

Verse 14 (14.38.14)

नृत्यवादित्रगीतानां प्रसङ्गा ये च केचन । सर्व एते गुणा विप्रा राजसाः सम्प्रकीर्तिताः ॥

nṛtyavāditragītānāṃ prasaṅgā ye ca kecana | sarva ete guṇā viprā rājasāḥ samprakīrtitāḥ

and whatever attachments there are to dance, instrumental music and song: all these qualities, O Brahmins, are declared rajasic.

Note on the text: Input had no alignment. Line 1 = CE 14.37.13c; line 2 = CE 14.37.13e (page's सम्प्रकीर्तिताः matches). The page's footnote 14-38-14 records the reading प्रसङ्गा येन केनचित् (क.थ).

Verse 15 (14.38.15)

भूतभव्यभविष्याणां भावानां भुवि भावनाः । त्रिवर्गनिरता नित्यं धर्मोऽर्थः काम इत्यपि ॥

bhūtabhavyabhaviṣyāṇāṃ bhāvānāṃ bhuvi bhāvanāḥ | trivarganiratā nityaṃ dharmo'rthaḥ kāma ityapi

Those who dwell on the states of the past, future and present in the world, ever intent on the three aims, dharma, wealth and desire,

Verse 16 (14.38.16)

कामवृत्ताः प्रमोदन्ते सर्वकामसमृद्धिभिः । अर्वाक्स्रोतस इत्येते मनुष्या रजसा वृताः ॥

kāmavṛttāḥ pramodante sarvakāmasamṛddhibhiḥ | arvāksrotasa ityete manuṣyā rajasā vṛtāḥ

live by desire and rejoice in the fulfilment of every wish. These men, wrapped in rajas, are the lower-flowing ones.

Verse 17 (14.38.17)

अस्मिँल्लोके प्रमोदन्ते जायमानाः पुनःपुनः । प्रेत्यभाविकमीहन्ते इहलौकिकमेव च । ददति प्रतिगृह्णन्ति तर्पयन्त्यथ जुह्वति ॥

asmim̐lloke pramodante jāyamānāḥ punaḥpunaḥ | pretyabhāvikamīhante ihalaukikameva ca | dadati pratigṛhṇanti tarpayantyatha juhvati

They rejoice in this world, being born again and again. They seek their welfare in the world beyond and in this world as well. They give, they receive, they make offerings and pour oblations.

Note on the text: Corrected अस्मिँलोके → अस्मिँल्लोके (dropped ल्; CE asmiṃl loke), पुनःपनः → पुनःपुनः (misprint; CE punaḥ punaḥ) and हलौकिकम् → इहलौकिकम् (dropped इ; CE iha laukikam). Line 3 = CE 14.37.16e (page's तर्पयन्ति for CE japanti, a recension variant); the CE's star line *0077_01 is not on the page.

Verse 18 (14.38.18)

रजोगुणा वो बहुधानुकीर्तिता । यथावदुक्तं गुणवृत्तमेव च । नरोऽपि यो वेद गुणानिमान्सदा । स राजसैः सर्वगुणैर्विमुच्यते ॥

rajoguṇā vo bahudhānukīrtitā | yathāvaduktaṃ guṇavṛttameva ca | naro'pi yo veda guṇānimānsadā | sa rājasaiḥ sarvaguṇairvimucyate

The many kinds of rajasic qualities have been declared to you, and the workings of the qualities have been told as they are. The man who always knows these qualities is freed from all rajasic qualities.

Note on the text: Corrected नरोपि → नरोऽपि (misprint in Wikisource: missing avagraha; the CE has naro hi yo veda, so the page's अपि for हि is a recension variant, kept).