UdyamGita

Mokṣha Sanyāsa Yoga

Chapter 18 - Verse 23,24,25

नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषत: कृतम् |
अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यतत्सात्त्विकमुच्यते || 23||
यत्तुकामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुन: |
क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् || 24||
अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् |
मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते || 25||

Translation

Prescribed activity that is performed without attachment, without
arrogance, without aversion, and performed without expectation on the
outcome is sattvic.

Activity performed with ego and with expectation of the outcome,
even when performed with great physical effort is rajasic.

Activities performed without realizing the consequences, not having
lasting rewards, with no regard to one’s abilities, with potential violent
impact on others, and performed with ignorance are tamasic.

Unfiltered First Take

Satvik action is one that is time tested, and the doer performs it to meet the final goal, without expecting any immediate outcome. It is not done with passion or attachment, but with a holistic approach.

Rajasik actions are those driven by immediate benefits, selfish desires, and materialistic possessions. These actions cause enormous stress, as the doer gets addicted to a certain lifestyle and struggles to maintain it irrespective of the natural ups and downs of business. The pride that comes from such actions distances him from people, making him mostly a lone fighter in his battles.

Tamasik actions are those that are not time tested and involve high risk with low return, carried out without considering the painful and damaging consequences on oneself and on others.

UdyamGita Interpretation

Krishna now classifies action itself—not intention, not knowledge, but execution—through the lens of the three guṇas. He shows that the same activity can elevate, exhaust, or destroy, depending on why it is done, how it is done, and what is ignored while doing it.

Action is never neutral. It always carries the imprint of the doer’s inner state.

Business Insight

In entrepreneurship, actions clearly fall into these three modes:

Sāttvik Action (Sustainable Execution): These are time-tested actions, taken because they are necessary for the long-term goal. The entrepreneur performs them without craving immediate results, without emotional attachment, and without aversion. Decisions are holistic, measured, and aligned with purpose—not driven by urgency or impulse.
Rājasik Action (Stress-Driven Hustle):These actions are fueled by immediate benefits, selfish desires, status, and material gains. The entrepreneur becomes attached to a certain lifestyle and then must continuously chase outcomes to sustain it. Execution is intense, stressful, and pride-driven. Over time, this pride isolates the founder, turning him into a lone fighter, disconnected from people and perspective.
Tāmasik Action (Reckless Activity): These actions are neither time-tested nor well thought through. They are high-risk, low-return, initiated without assessing capability, consequences, or collateral damage. Personal burnout, organizational harm, and ethical erosion are ignored in the rush to act.

Leadership Lesson

Krishna’s insight is uncompromising:

Action divorced from awareness is dangerous.

Sāttvik leaders think beyond immediacy. They ask:

Is this sustainable?
Is this aligned with the final goal?
What are the long-term consequences?

Rājasik leaders act to maintain image and rewards. Tāmasik leaders act to escape thought itself.

Over time, only sāttvik action compounds positively—on the business, the people, and the leader himself.

Key Takeaways

Action quality matters more than action intensity
Sāttvik action is patient, purposeful, and sustainable
Rājasik action creates stress through attachment to rewards and lifestyle
Tāmasik action ignores capability, consequences, and human cost
The mode of action silently shapes long-term outcomes

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