Sanskrit
यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः । क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ॥ २४ ॥
yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥ kriyate bahulāyāsaṃ tad rājasam udāhṛtam
Translation
But that action that is done by one longing for desires, or again with egoism, or with much effort, that is declared to be passionate.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
Rajasic action is done from craving, from egoism, or with excessive strain — the “much effort” detail is a useful diagnostic, since it implies sattvic action can look effortless, or at least unstrained, precisely because it isn’t fighting the ego’s demand for credit or outcome. Compare chapter 3’s description of rajasic sacrifice performed for display: the self-referential motive and visible strain recur across every guna-classified activity this text examines. Rājasic action carries two marks — desire for a result and ahaṅkāra, “I am doing this” — and one texture: bahula-āyāsa, strenuous, exhausting. Effort as proof of self.
Study deeper
Word by word
- yat tu kāmepsunāयत् तु कामेप्सुना
- but the action done by one seeking desires (yat + tu + kāma-īpsunā)
- karma sāhaṅkāreṇa vā punaḥकर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः
- or, again, with egoism (karma + sa-ahaṅkāreṇa + vā + punaḥ)
- kriyate bahulāyāsaṃक्रियते बहुलायासं
- performed with much effort (kriyate + bahula-āyāsam)
- tad rājasam udāhṛtamतद् राजसं उदाहृतं
- that is declared rājasic (tat + rājasam + udāhṛtam)
Commentary
Site Commentary
It’s easy to misread “much effort” as this chapter condemning hard work, when it’s flagging something narrower: strain as a symptom of how much the ego has staked on being seen to work hard, not a measure of how difficult the task objectively is. Two people can do the same demanding task; the sattvic one who does it because it’s needed will look different from the rajasic one who’s straining partly for the audience, even if the actual output looks identical.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- When you notice yourself straining visibly at something, check whether the task actually demands that effort or whether part of you wants the strain to be seen and credited. The ego cost is in the performance of difficulty, not in doing hard things — you can do demanding work without needing anyone to witness how hard it was.
Professional
- Watch for effort that's performed rather than needed — long visible hours, audible stress — both in yourself and your team. The problem isn't the workload; it's when strain becomes a signal aimed at an audience rather than a byproduct of what the task actually required.
Family & Social
- If you catch yourself sighing loudly or announcing how tired a chore made you, notice whether that's the task's real difficulty or a bid to have your effort seen and credited. Contributing doesn't require making the strain visible to be real.
Ask yourself
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