Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 12 (BG 14.12) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

Here is the English translation of the meaning: In verse 14.12, the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna enumerates the principal characteristics of the rajasic quality. In the sequence in which they are presented, we observe that each successive characteristic arises from the preceding one. The desire for the possessions of others is called greed, which is never satisfied. When greed takes hold of a person, he becomes driven by impulse—that is, he becomes active and restless, unable to remain at peace. When greed becomes excessive, all his actions become self-centered, which is what is indicated here by the word "beginning of actions." A person enslaved by selfishness and greed cannot attain peace or tranquility. Sri Shankaracharya explains the word "restlessness" as the tendency toward joy and attachment. This means that such a person is constantly oscillating between elation and despair upon gaining or losing what he desires and dislikes. How can peace come to him in such a state? He finds himself, as a result of his own actions, in a condition that increasingly propels him toward cruelty, base immorality, and crimes such as murder, which shatter his inner peace. Overwhelmed by the rajasic quality, this person also falls under the sway of longing—the craving for sensory gratification. This endless desire to acquire unobtained things and gains is called longing. In summary, under the influence of the affliction born of the rajasic quality, our mental personality is tormented by its own restless tendencies, which express themselves as endless schemes, exhausting actions, distressing desires, painful cravings, maddening greed, and anguished agitation. When such a person acts in society, his suffering does not remain confined to him alone; rather, like a contagion, it afflicts thousands of people around him.