Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 18, Verse 34
यया तु धर्मकामार्थान् धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन।प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी।।
yayā tu dharma-kāmārthān dhṛtyā dhārayate ‘rjuna
prasaṅgena phalākāṅkṣī dhṛtiḥ sā pārtha rājasī
also searched as "yaya tu dharmakamarthan dhritya dharayate 'rjuna"
Translation
That dhṛti, O Arjuna, by which one, who is desirous of fruits, longs for them with intense attachment and holds fast to duty, desire, and wealth—that dhṛti is rajasika.
Vāṇi's rendering
The resolve that grips duty, pleasure, and profit, clinging to each, hungry for what they yield — is restless.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ययाyayā | by which |
| तुtu | but |
| धर्मकामार्थान्dharma-kāmārthān | duty, pleasure and wealth — these three |
| धृत्याdhṛtyā | by resolve, firmness of holding |
| धारयतेdhārayate | one holds fast, keeps a grip on |
| अर्जुन'rjuna | O Arjuna (the initial a is absorbed by the preceding e) |
| प्रसङ्गेनprasaṅgena | out of clinging attachment |
| फलाकाङ्क्षीphalākāṅkṣī | hungry for the fruit, craving the yield |
| धृतिःdhṛtiḥ | that resolve |
| साsā | that |
| पार्थpārtha | O son of Pṛthā |
| राजसीrājasī | restless in kind, driven by rajas |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Verse 34 mean?
It names a second kind of resolve. One may hold duty, pleasure and wealth with great firmness and still be restless, because the holding is fuelled by what each will return. Krishna calls this dhṛti rājasī — real strength, but strength on wages. It lasts exactly as long as the payment does.
What is the meaning of yaya tu dharmakamarthan dhritya dharayate 'rjuna?
By which resolve a person grips dharma, kāma and artha — right action, enjoyment, gain — clinging to them, craving their fruit. Krishna is describing the grip, not the objects. Duty and prosperity are not faults here. The fault is that the hand closes only where something is owed to it.
Is it wrong to want results from my efforts?
Wanting is not condemned; being carried by wanting is. Rājasika resolve is not evil, it is merely unstable — it holds firm on the days the fruit looks likely and loosens on the days it does not. Krishna offers something steadier: hold the work, and let the fruit belong to the field.
How can I tell if my determination is rajasika?
Watch what happens when reward is withdrawn. If your commitment thins the moment nothing is coming back — no recognition, no gain, no pleasure — the resolve was leaning on the yield. Sāttvika dhṛti stays through the dry stretch. That is the only difference, and it shows only under drought.
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Commentary
Notice the order: duty first, then pleasure, then profit — and the same fist closing on all three. Krishna is not condemning dharma here. He is describing a hand that cannot open. Rājasika resolve looks like devotion; it holds on tightly, it never lets a task fall. But it holds because it wants what the holding will pay. Take away the yield and the grip goes slack. That is the test, and it is uncomfortable: what would you keep doing if it gave you nothing? Whatever your answer is, that thing is where your steadiness actually lives.