ब्राह्मण उवाच रजोऽहं वः प्रवक्ष्यामि याथातथ्येन सत्तमाः। निबोधत महाभागा गुणवृत्तं च राजसम्॥
You best of beings, I shall now declare to you accurately what (the quality of) Darkness is. You highly blessed ones, do you understand what those qualities are that belong to Darkness.
सन्तापो रूपमायास: सुखदुःखे हिमातपौ। ऐश्वर्ये विग्रहः संधिर्हेतुवादोऽरतिः क्षमा॥ बलं शौर्यं मदो रोषो व्यायामकलहावपि। ईयेप्सा पिशुनं युद्धं ममत्वं परिपालनम्॥ वधबन्धपरिक्लेशाः क्रयो विक्रय एव च। निकृन्त छिन्धि भिन्धीति परवर्मावकर्तनम्॥ उग्रं दारुणमाक्रोशः परच्छिद्रानुशासनम्। लोकचिन्तानुचिन्ता च मत्सरः परिपालनम्॥ मृषा वादो मृषा दानं विकल्पः परिभाषणम्। निन्दा स्तुतिः प्रशंसा च प्रतापः परिधर्षणम्॥ परिचर्यानुशुश्रूषा सेवा तृष्णा व्यापाश्रयः। व्यूहो नयः प्रमादश्च परिवादः परिग्रहः॥ संस्कारा ये च लोकेषु प्रवर्तन्ते पृथक्पृथक्। नृषु नारीषु भूतेषु द्रव्येषु शरणेषु च।॥ संतापोऽप्रत्ययश्चैव व्रतानि नियमाश्च ये। आशीर्युक्तानि कर्माणि पौर्तानि विविधानि च॥ स्वाहाकारो नमस्कारः स्वधाकारो वषक्रिया। याजनाध्य.पने चोभे यजनाध्ययने अपि॥ दानं प्रतिग्रहश्चैव प्रायश्चित्तानि मङ्गलम्। इदं मे स्यादिदं मे स्यात्स्नेहो गुणसमुद्भवः॥ अभिद्रोहस्तथा माया निकृतिर्मान एव च। स्तैन्यं हिंसा जुगुप्सा च परितापः प्रजागरः॥ दम्भो दर्पोऽथ रागश्च भक्तिः प्रीतिः प्रमोदनम्। द्यूतं च जनवादश्च सम्बन्धाः स्त्रीकृताश्च ये॥ ये च च केचन। नृत्यवादित्रगीतानां प्रसङ्गा सर्व एते गुणा विप्रा राजसाः सम्प्रकीर्तिताः॥
Injuring (others), beauty, toil, pleasure and pain, cold and heat, lordship (or power), war, peace, argument, dissatisfaction, endurance, power, valour, pride, anger, exertion, quarrel (or collision), jealousy, desire, malice, battle, the sense of mineness, protection (of others), destruction fetters and affliction, buying and selling, lopping off, cutting, piercing, and cutting off the coat of mail that another has worn, fierceness, cruelty, vilifying, pointing out the faults of others, thoughts entirely devoted to worldly affairs, anxiety, animosity, vilification of others, false speech, false or vain gifts, hesitancy and doubt, boastfulness of speech dispraise and praise, laudation, prowess, defiance, attendance, obedience, servicc or ministrations, harbouring of thirst or desire, cleverness or dexterity of conduct, policy, carelessness, contumely, possessions, and various decorations which prevail in the world among men, women, animals, inanimate things, bouses, gricf, incredulousness, Vows and regulations, actions with expectation (of good results) various acts of public charity, the rites of Svaha salutations, rites of Svadha and Vashat, officiating at the sacrifices of others, imparting of instruction, performance of sacrifices, study, making of gifts, acceptance of giſts, riles of expiation, auspicious acts, the wish to have this and that, affection caused by the merits of the object for which or whom it is felt, treachery deception, disrespect and respect, theft, killing, desire of concealment, vexation, wakefulness, ostentation, pride, attachment, devotion, contentment, exultation, gambling, indulgence in scandal, all relations arising out of women, attachment to dancing, instrumental music, and songs, all these qualities, you learned Brahmanas, have been said to belong to Rajas or Darkness.
भूतभव्यभविष्याणां भावानां भुवि भावनाः। त्रिवर्गनिरता नित्यं धर्मोऽर्थः काम इत्यपि॥ कामवृत्ताः प्रमोदन्ते सर्वकामसमृद्धिभिः। अर्वाक्स्रोतस इत्येते मनुष्या रजसा वृताः॥
These men on Earth who meditate on the past, present, and the future, who are devoted to the threefold objects of life, viz., Religion, Profit, and Pleasure, who, acting from the impulse of desire, exult on acquiring riches in respect of every desire, are said to be covered by Darkness. These men have downward courses.
अस्मिँल्लोके प्रमोदन्ते जायमानाः पुनः पुनः। प्रेत्य भाविकमीहन्ते ऐहलौकिकमेव च। ददति प्रतिगृह्णन्ति तर्पयन्त्यथ जुह्वति॥
Repeatedly reborn in this world, they addict theinselves to pleasure. They covet what belongs to this world as also all those fruits of the world to come. They make gifts, accept gifts, offer oblations to the departed manes, and pour libations on the sacrificial fire.
रजोगुणा वो बहुधानुकीर्तिता यथावदुक्तं गुणवृत्तमेव च। नरोऽपि यो वेद गुणानिमान् सदा स राजसैः सर्वगुणर्विमुच्यते॥
The qualities of Darkness have (thus) been declared to you in their manifold aspects. The course of conduct also to which it leads has been properly described to you. The man who always understands these qualities, succeeds in always liberating himself from all of them which belong to Darkness.