18.24 Action with great strain Krishna speaks

यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः
क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम्

yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhankāreṇa vā punaḥ
kriyate bahulāyāsaṁ tad rājasam udāhṛitam

But action done by one who seeks to satisfy desire, or with the sense of self, and with great strain, is said to be of restlessness.

Explanation

Action with great strain.

Seeking to satisfy desire, or with the sense of self — and bahulāyāsam, with much effort.

Effort is a symptom here rather than a virtue. It is the same diagnosis 14.12 gave of busyness: the strain is the tell, not the achievement.