Bhagavad Gita Verse 27, Chapter 18

raagee karmaphalaprepsurlubdho himsaatmakoshuchihi |
harshashookaanvitaha kartaa raajasaha parikeertitaha || 27 ||
 
One with likes, coveting the reward of action, greedy, cruel, impure, prone to joy and sorrow, such a doer is said to be raajasic.
 
raagee : one with likes
karmaphalaprepsuhu : coveting reward of action
lubdhaha : greedy
himsaatmakaha : cruel
ashuchihi : impure
harshashookaanvitaha : prone to joy and sorrow
kartaa : doer
raajasaha : raajasic
parikeertitaha : is said
 
Having described the saattvic doer or kartaa, Shri Krishna now speaks about the raajasic doer. For most of us, this is our normal or default state of mind whenever we perform any action. Raaga refers to likes, and also to its opposite factors, dvesha or dislikes. Our mind rushes out into the world towards a certain set of objects, people and situations that it likes, and also, runs away from other objects that it dislikes. This creates additional friction while performing action. For instance, if we have to deal with people that our mind dislikes, we will not be able to get the job done efficiently.
 
A raajasic doer is always thinking - what is in it for me? This thought of coveting the reward of action shifts our attention away from the action, and consequently, losing focus from the action. Our motives are impure, since they are selfish. Once we get a personal reward, we want more like it, we become greedy. We sometimes do not hesitate to harm others who come in the way of our personal reward, we can become quite cruel towards them. We are also prone to elation and depression whenever there are temporary wins or setbacks in performing our actions.
 
Such a doer is termed raajasic. The raajasic doer is prompted to act by raajasic vision, which cuts up the world into pieces and attaches likes and dislikes to those pieces, as opposed to saattvic vision that presents a unified, harmonious view of the world. The foundation of a raajasic doer is the notion of attachment to the reward, the action, and to the sense of individuality or I. This stands in total contrast to the saattvic doer. The only way we can rise from our present state to a saattvic state, is by reducing our attachment to the world, and increasing our attachment to Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 18

niyatasya tu sannyaasaha karmano nopapadyate |
mohaattasya parityaagastaamasaha parikeertitaha || 7 ||
 
Indeed, the giving up of an obligatory action is not appropriate. Giving it up out of delusion is declared to be taamasic.
 
niyatasya : obligatory
tu : indeed
sannyaasaha : giving up
karmanaha : action
na : not
upapadyate : appropriate
mohaat : out of delusion
tasya : it
parityaagaha : to give up
taamasaha : taamasic
parikeertitaha : is declared
 
Shri Krishna moved the discussion on karma yoga ahead by categorizing the three types of tyaaga, which means giving up or renunciation. He says that when we give up an obligatory action, when we do not perform an obligatory action out of delusion, out of incorrect or error prone knowledge, such renunciation is known as taamasic tyaaga or taamasic renunciation. He says that such behaviour is inappropriate and is not in line with the teachings of karma yoga. Not doing one’s duty is forbidden in karma yoga.
 
Where do one's obligatory duties come from? They come from one’s stage in life or aashrama, and one's profession or varna. A householder is obliged to attend to the needs of his spouse, his parents and his children. If he does not attend to his sick parents, or does not help with his child's homework, it is termed as taamasic behaviour. A businessman should strive to generate healthy profits from his business, and donate a portion of his wealth to charity. Not doing so is also considered taamasic.
 
Moha or delusion can create all kinds of negative tendencies in us, as we have seen in prior chapters. It can cause heedlessness and carelessness where we do not pay proper attention to the task at hand. It can cause laziness and idleness where our body becomes inert and dull, where we do not want to get up from bed. It is hard to get oneself out of a state of moha. Unless someone who is not taamasic intervenes, we will remain in a state of tamas for a long time.