Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Verse 18.34
यया तु धर्मकामार्थान् धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन।प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी।।18.34।।
yayā tu dharma-kāmārthān dhṛityā dhārayate ‘rjuna prasaṅgena phalākāṅkṣhī dhṛitiḥ sā pārtha rājasī
Word Meanings
yayā—by which; tu—but; dharma-kāma-arthān—duty, pleasures, and wealth; dhṛityā—through steadfast will; dhārayate—holds; arjuna—Arjun; prasaṅgena—due of attachment; phala-ākāṅkṣhī—desire for rewards; dhṛitiḥ—determination; sā—that; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; rājasī—in the mode of passion
Translation · English
But that, O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to Dharma (duty), enjoyment of pleasures, and earning of wealth, on account of attachment and desire for reward—that firmness, O Arjuna, is Rajasic (passionate).
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Bhagavan Krishna characterizes the 'Rajasic' (passionate) form of dhriti, or firm resolve. Unlike the sattvic resolve that is rooted in spiritual evolution, the rajasic resolve is fundamentally transactional. It is the psychological state of an individual who is deeply anchored in the world of duality, where duty (dharma), desire (kama), and wealth (artha) are pursued not for the sake of higher order or divine harmony, but for personal gain and the ego's expansion. This type of determination is energized by a craving for the fruits of one's actions, making it restless, conditional, and ultimately tethered to the cycle of samsara. From a philosophical standpoint, this illustrates the 'will to power' when disconnected from the Divine Will. The practitioner here is not necessarily wicked, but their focus is exteriorized. The mind is perpetually reaching into the future, measuring every action against the standard of 'What do I gain?' This creates a fragmentation of consciousness where the individual loses the ability to act with equanimity. Krishna is teaching Arjuna that the quality of one's determination is determined by the motive behind it; when the motive is the gratification of the ego, the resolve itself becomes a shackle, even if it is channeled into seemingly virtuous acts like dharma.
Rajasic determination is the ego's attempt to manipulate the world for personal satisfaction, replacing the stillness of surrendered action with the feverish pursuit of the fruit.
Connected Verses
Provides the direct contrast by defining sattvic dhriti, which is fixed through yoga and unwavering devotion to the Divine.
Completes the triad by defining tamasic dhriti, showing the spectrum of how human will can be clouded by different modes of nature.
Expounds on the mindset of the asuric/rajasic personality that accumulates wealth through illicit means for the sole purpose of sensory gratification.
Contrast this with the command to act without attachment to the results, which is the remedy for rajasic clinging.
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