Gyaneshwari -Sant Gyaneshwar
|
|
Chapter-14
The Three Qualities
7. Know that rajas is of the nature of passion, born of desire and attachment; it binds fast a person, O son of Kunti (Arjuna), through attachment to action. It is called rajas as it amuses the embodied Self and keeps his desire for sensuous pleasures ever fresh (156-160). Even if it gets a little access to the mind, it makes him run after senseobjects and then the embodied Self rides on the wind of passion. Then just as sacrificial fire blazes forth, when fed with ghee, and burns all things great and small, so his desire becomes inordinate and even painful things seem pleasurable to him. Then even if he acquires the wealth of the God of heaven, he considers it too little. In this way, when his passion grows strong, he is not satisfied even if the Meru Mountain falls in his hands and he craves for bigger things. He is willing to sacrifice his life even for a two-penny coin and feels happy if he secures even a blade of grass (161-165). He feels anxious as to how he will fare when all his wealth is exhausted and expands his business with great zeal. He begins to worry as to what he will live on in heaven, and so he undertakes sacrifices, observes vows after vows, builds wells, tanks etc. and performs only rites which bear fruit. Just as the wind blows continuously, without respite in the last month of summer, he labours hard, day and night in his business. The movements of fish or the side-glances of a beautiful maiden are fickle and the lightening is more fickle than them. But all these three are not fit to hold a candle to the rajas quality (166-170). One leaps into the fire of activity with great haste, in the hope of securing sensuous enjoyments in this world or heaven. Thus the embodied Self, even though separate from the body, is bound by the fetters of desires and becomes involved in various business deals. In this way, he is bound by the strong fetters of the rajas quality. Now I shall tell you, the characteristics of the tamas quality. |
 |
