Who is Royal (Rajasica) Person - The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita

Shree Krishna has explained in chapters 14, 16 17 and 18 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita about the different personalities of persons which are caused by the root material i.e. Prakriti (nature) having three attributes viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas in varying proportion. The different characteristics viz. state of mind, actions & doership, charity, spiritual duties, food habits, true knowledge, intellect, determination, joy and re-birth spell out about the Rajasika person.
 
The rajas element is of the nature of passion which draws the person to action (14.9). It binds the soul through attachment to actions and their fruit (14.7). By overpowering Sattva and Tamas, Rajas prevails (14.10). Rajas expresses as dynamism, passion, anger, covetousness, the reproaching the others, extreme sternness, discontent, fierceness, attachment and like (14.5).
 
Knowledge dominated by Rajas directs attention to diversity of things; actions dominated by it result in actions done with great attachment, egotism and expenditure of energy; an agent dominated by it is greedy, cruel, attached and subject to elation and depression; the intelligence is dominated by it is riddled with confusion about right and wrong and has little sense of duty; strength of mind is dominated by ambitions, desires and worldly status; and happiness dominated by it is extremely attractive in the beginning due to sensual excitement but in its final result brings about sufferings.

The main attributes of Rajasika Person are listed as under (in bracket, chapter.verse) (the relevant Sanskrit verses of Bhagavad Gita are mentioned at the bottom):

1. Rajasika state of mind: With the dominance of Rajas, greed, activity, undertaking of action with an interested motive, restlessness and a thirst for enjoyment make their appearance (14.12).
2. Charity: Charity is bestowed in a grudging spirit (चंदा) and with the object of mere show, getting a service in return or in the hope of obtaining a reward (prestige, fame, position, getting heaven etc.) is called Rajasika (17.12, 17.21).

1. Spiritual duties:
   1. Those of Rajasika temperament worship demigods, the demons; (17.4).
   2. The rajas worshippers are prompted by desires and ambitions, by greed of wealth and power.
   3. The austerity which is performed for the sake of renowned, honour or adoration, as well as for any other selfish gain, either in all sincerity or by way of ostentation, and yields an uncertain and momentary fruit, has been spoken of here as Rajasika (17.18).
2. Actions & Doership:
   1. Action, which involves much strain and is performed by one who seeks enjoyments or by a man full of egotism, has been spoken of as Rajasika (18.24).
   2. The doer, who is full of attachment, seeks the fruit of actions and is greedy, and who is oppressive by nature and of impure conduct, and who feels joy and sorrow, has been called Rajasika (18.27).
   3. The renunciation of one’s duties out of fear of physical strain, is Rajasika form of renunciation, he does not reap the fruit of renunciation (18.8).
   4. Sorrow is declared to be the fruit of a Rajasika act (14.16).
3. Food habits: Foods which are bitter, sour, salty, over hot, pungent, dry and burning, and which cause suffering, grief and sickness, are dear to the Rajasika (17.9).
4. Knowledge: The knowledge by which man cognizes many existences of various kinds, as apart from one another, in all beings, is Rajasika (18.21).
5. Intellect: The intellect by which man does not truly perceive what is Dharma and what is Adharma, what ought to be done and what should not be done-that intellect is Rajasika (18.31).
6. Determination: The perseverance by which the man seeking reward for his actions clutches with extreme fondness virtues, earthly possessions and worldly enjoyments-that perseverance is said to be Rajasika (18.34).
7. Joy: The delight which ensues from the contact of the senses with their objects is eventually poison like, though appearing at first as nectar; hence it has been spoken of as Rajasika (18.38).
8. Re-birth - When Rajas predominates, he is born among those attached to action; (14.15).

 
 
 

Reference:

1. Bhagavad Gita, by Swami Sivananda, a divine life society publication
2. Srimad-Bhagavad Gita, by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna math, Mylapore, Madras – 600004.  
3. https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_giitaa/bhagvadnew.html?lang=sa
4. The Bhagavad Gita, Gita press, Gorakhpur:

 
Chapter: 14
रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् । तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ॥ १४-७॥ रजः कर्मणि भारत । ॥ १४-९॥ रजस्तमश्चाभिभूय सत्त्वं भवति भारत । रजः सत्त्वं तमश्चैव तमः सत्त्वं रजस्तथा ॥ १४-१०॥ लोभः प्रवृत्तिरारम्भः कर्मणामशमः स्पृहा । रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥ १४-१२॥ यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् । तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १४-१४॥ रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते । तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ॥ १४-१५॥ कर्मणः सुकृतस्याहुः सात्त्विकं निर्मलं फलम् । रजसस्तु फलं दुःखमज्ञानं तमसः फलम् ॥ १४-१६॥
Chapter: 17 
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः । प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ॥ १७-४॥ कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः । आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ॥ १७-९॥ अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् । इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥ १७-१२॥ सत्कारमानपूजार्थं तपो दम्भेन चैव यत् । क्रियते तदिह प्रोक्तं राजसं चलमध्रुवम् ॥ १७-१८॥ यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं  लमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः । दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥ १७-२१॥
Chapter: 18
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् । स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ॥ १८-८॥ पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् । वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम् ॥ १८-२१॥ यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः । क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १८-२४॥ रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः । हर्षशोकान्वितः कर्ता राजसः परिकीर्तितः ॥ १८-२७॥ यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च । अयथावत्प्रजानाति बुद्धिः सा पार्थ राजसी ॥ १८-३१॥ यया तु धर्मकामार्थान्धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन । प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी ॥ १८-३४॥ विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् । परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥ १८-३८॥
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