Bhagavad Gita 18.25

anubandhaṁ kṣayaṁ hiṁsām

anapekṣya ca pauruṣam

mohād ārabhyate karma

yat tat tāmasam ucyate

 

Action begun in delusion’s night,

Without concern for wrong or right;

Ignoring harm, loss, or others’ pain,

Know this as action born of darkness’ chain.

 

My dear Lord, my work often leaves me torn between peace and purpose. Consequently, I often oscillate. Sometimes, I prioritize peace to the extent of succumbing to apathy, lethargy, or monotony in whatever I do. Conversely, I sometimes prioritize purpose to the extent of succumbing to hyperactivity, anxiety, and insecurity.

O omniscient Lord, these approaches to work, which arise from the modes of tamas and rajas, reflect my fragmented conception of life. Please help me elevate how I view myself, my role, and my responsibilities in the larger scheme of things. For such elevation, train me to look first not at my work, but at you—who are the master of all work, the shelter of all those who work, and the source of all things that bring worth to work.

O merciful Lord, help me see beyond the limiting vision of my own plans and priorities, be they for peace or for purpose. May I strive first and foremost to act in a mood of service to you. Let me thus find both peace and purpose. May a sublime peace come from my knowing that you are always upholding and unfolding the fabric of being. May a deep purpose come from my knowing that I can place the needle of my agency in your hands and become a thread in that fabric—a thread that, by your benevolence, becomes tangible, substantial, and valuable.

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18.25 That action performed in illusion, in disregard of scriptural injunctions, and without concern for future bondage or for violence or distress caused to others is said to be in the mode of ignorance.