Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 18: Freedom through Renunciation
Bhagavad Gita 18.28
अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः ।
विषादी दीर्घसूत्री च कर्ता तामस उच्यते ॥
ayuktaḥ prākṛtaḥ stabdhaḥ śaṭho naiṣkṛtiko'lasaḥ | viṣādī dīrghasūtrī ca kartā tāmasa ucyate ||
A doer who is undisciplined, crude, stubborn, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and always putting things off is said to be of inertia.
Modern context
The tamasic doer is undisciplined, crude, stubborn, deceitful, malicious, lazy, gloomy and a procrastinator. The last word, dirghasutri, means literally 'one who draws out a long thread': someone who keeps postponing. It is worth noticing that procrastination appears here alongside deceit and malice. It is not a minor flaw; it lets down everyone who is depending on us.