rajasi pralayam gatvaa karmasangishu jaayate |
tathaa praleenastamasi moodhayonishu jaayate || 15 ||
One who has reached his end in rajas is born among those attached to action, and one who is dying in tamas is born in the wombs of the ignorant.
rajasi : rajas
pralayam : end
gatvaa : one who has reached
karmasangishu : those who are attached to action
jaayate : born
tathaa : and
praleenaha : one who is dying
tamasi : tamas
moodhayonishu : ignorant wombs
jaayate : born
Previously, Shri Krishna explained the fate of one whose mental state is sattvic at the end of his life. Here, he says that one whose mental state is rajasic while dying is reborn in a family of action oriented individuals. Also, one whose mental state is tamasic while dying is reborn in the wombs of the ignorant and the inert. This includes plants, trees, creepers, birds, insects and other animals.
It is not just the mental state that determines one’s fate in the next life. Every action we perform leaves impressions in our mind, which also impacts our fate. One who has performed selfless actions throughout their life is born in a virtuous family. One who has performed selfish actions is born with a tendency to get attached to material objects. And one who has performed harmful actions is born with devilish tendencies. Such a person will not stop at anything to get their way, including physically harming others. In their current life and in their next life, it is totally up to each individual to cultivate their discrimination through selfless service, devotion and company of devotees so that they can counteract the effect of excessive rajas.
The Srimad Bhagavatam tells the story of the illustrious king Bharata who was one of the most sattvic individuals of his time. Through extreme attachment to his pet deer, he became steeped in tamas, and was born as a deer in his next life. But due to the selfless actions performed in his life as a king, he developed a degree of renunciation not even found in humans. He was finally born as a highly sattvic human who ultimately achieved liberation. Shri Krishna repeatedly urges us to employ rajas to perform selfless service, and cultivate sattva through reducing selfish activities.
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