A declaration · reflective in mood · a little context helps
“Craving turns action into a chase for reward and emotional swing.”
The doer ruled by craving, chasing results, greedy, violent in nature, impure, and tossed by joy and sorrow is called passionate.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallydominated by craving · seeking the fruit of action · greedy · of violent nature · impure · joined with joy and sorrow · doer · passionate · is called
A person driven by craving, greed, and attachment to results acts in a restless, passionate way and stays pulled between pleasure and disappointment.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Moksha Sanyasa Yoga" (Liberation through Renunciation).
Verse 27 sits in Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga, "Liberation through Renunciation". The chapter has 78 verses in total.
You hit refresh after sending the message, hoping for praise, then sink when it is ignored. That swing reveals a mind acting for reward, not from steadiness.
Did you like this verse?
It teaches you to notice when desire for payoff is contaminating your action.
What this verse means
A person driven by craving, greed, and attachment to results acts in a restless, passionate way and stays pulled between pleasure and disappointment.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is still frozen while Krishna explains the three kinds of action and the three kinds of doer. After describing the clear and the confused, Krishna names the middle state: action driven by craving, reward-hunger, and emotional swings.
Why this verse still matters
You hit refresh after sending the message, hoping for praise, then sink when it is ignored. That swing reveals a mind acting for reward, not from steadiness.
“You can see how craving makes action noisy, unstable, and exhausting.”
Explore related themes: rajas (21 verses), attachment (20 verses)