20 Most Important Quotes from Bhagavad Gita – TemplePurohit – Your Spiritual Destination

Bhagavad Gita means “Song of the Spirit,” the divine communion of truth-realization between man and his Creator, the teachings of Spirit through the soul, that should be sung unceasingly. The underlying essential truths of all great world scriptures can find common amity in the infinite wisdom of the Gita’s mere 700 concise verses. The entire knowledge of the cosmos is packed into the Gita. Supremely profound, yet couched in revelatory language of solacing beauty and simplicity, the Gita has been understood and applied on all levels of human endeavor and spiritual striving—sheltering a vast spectrum of human beings with their disparate natures and needs. Wherever one is on the way back to God, the Gita will shed its light on that segment of the journey. This sacred book throws light upon the righteous path to the ones’ who seem lost, it provides a crystal-clear overview to the ones’ who seem confused, and ultimately provides humungous wisdom to one and all, irrespective of their ages. Here are a few of the greatest teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to mankind.

1. Lord Krishna is everywhere. He is the only refuge, the one true friend; he is the beginning, the staying, and the end of creation; he is immortality and he is death; he is what is and what is not.”

सर्वत: पाणिपादंतत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् |
सर्वत: श्रुतिमल्लोकेसर्वमावृत्यतिष्ठति||

sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat sarvato ’kṣhi-śhiro-mukham
sarvataḥ śhrutimal loke sarvam āvṛitya tiṣhṭhati

Sarva—all, Indriya—senses, Guṇa—sense-objects; Abhāsam—the perciever;Vivarjitam—devoid of; Asaktam—unattached; Sarva-bhṛit—the sustainer of all; Cha—yet; Eva—indeed;Nirguṇam—beyond the three modes of material nature; Guṇa-bhoktṛi—the enjoyer of the three modes of material nature; Cha—although

Translation: Everywhere are His hands and feet, eyes, heads, and faces. His ears too are in all places, for He pervades everything in the universe.

People are often seen arguing that God cannot have hands, feet, eyes, ears, etc.  But Shree Krishna says that God has all these, and to an innumerable extent. This quote shows how Lord Krishna is the supreme being in the world. He is considered to be the supreme personality of the greatest of greatest.  He is said to be the original cause of all the causes. He starts everything and ends everything too. He is said to be there everywhere. He is omnipresent and omnipotent. We as humans, are just puppets whom he controls. He is divine.

 

Lord Krishna is always there for those in need. Sri Krishna is said to be the ultimate support of any human being. At times, even the dearest of our fellow humans may not help us, or may even leave us in our bad times, but Lord Sri Krishna is always there for us. The person who knows this truth is never really troubled by sadness or grief.

2. One has the rightto work on anything they wish for, but one can never have the right to the fruits of work. One should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should one long for inaction.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्तेमाफलेषुकदाचन |
माकर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मातेसङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||

karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi

Karmaṇi—in prescribed duties;Eva—only; Adhikāraḥ—right; Te—your; Mā—not; Phaleṣhu—in the fruits; Kadāchana—at any time; Mā—never; Karma-phala—results of the activities; Hetuḥ—cause; Bhūḥ—be;Saṅgaḥ—attachment;

 Astu—must be; Akarmaṇi—in inaction

Translation: You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.

This teaching offers deep insight into the proper spirit of work. The verse gives four instructions regarding the science of work:

1) Do your duty, but do not concern yourself with the results.

2) The fruits of your actions are not for your enjoyment.

3) Even while working, give up the pride of doership.

4) Do not be attached to inaction.

3. Doing our work without really thinking about the result should be the main motive. Finding contentment in the journey one is on, regardless of the outcome leads to the right path.

योगस्थ: कुरुकर्माणिसङ्गंत्यक्त्वाधनञ्जय |
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समोभूत्वासमत्वंयोगउच्यते |

yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga uchyate

Yoga-sthaḥ—being steadfast in yog; Kuru—perform; Karmāṇi—duties; Saṅgam—attachment; Tyaktvā—having abandoned; Dhanañjaya—Arjun; Siddhi-asiddhyoḥ—in success and failure; Samaḥ—equipoised; Bhūtvā—becoming; samatvam—equanimity ; Yogaḥ—Yog; Uchyate—is called

Translation: Be steadfast in the performance of your duty, O Arjun, abandoning attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity is called Yog.

The equanimity that enables us to accept all circumstances with serenity is so praiseworthy that Shree Krishna calls it Yog, or union with the Supreme. When we understand that the effort is in our hands, not the results, we then concern ourselves only with doing our duty. The results are for the pleasure of God, and so we dedicate them to him. Further, if the results are not to our expectations, we calmly accept them as the will of God.

 

4. “The impermanent has no reality; reality lies in the eternal. The body is mortal, but he who dwells in the body is immortal and immeasurable; for the soul will never die.

वासांसिजीर्णानियथाविहायनवानिगृह्णातिनरोऽपराणि।

तथाशरीराणिविहायजीर्णान्यन्यानिसंयातिनवानिदेही।।

vāsānsi jīrNāni yathā vihāya navāni grihNāti naro.aparāNi.

tathā śarīrāNi vihāya jīrNānyanyāni sanyāti navāni dehī.

Translation: One’s soul or aatman casts off its worn-out physical body and takes residence in a newer physical body at regular intervals in time. The state of our physical body (which deteriorates over time and is hence impermanent) does not represent the truly unchangeable and permanent nature of the soul that resides within it.The eternal does not move from place to place but the embodied soul moves from one abode to another.

Feeling sad about your losses will only way you down. Accept your desire without coveting or needing that which you want. Our soul never dies. Even after our death, it continues to exist. It is immortal. It just changes bodies after the death of a person. For we all have to die one day, as this world is not immortal. One who takes birth, has to die one day; this is the ultimate truth of this world.

 

5. It is the desire evoked by a sense of attachment, that leads to the birth of anger. This anger is in turn the impelling force—full of unappeasable craving and great evil: know this, two-sided passion, to be the foulest enemy here on earth. The constant enemy of wise men is the unslakable flame of desire, by which wisdom is concealed.”

 

ध्यायतोविषयान्पुंस: सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |
सङ्गात्सञ्जायतेकाम: कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ||

dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

Translation:While contemplating on the objects of the senses, one develops attachment to them. Attachment leads to desire, and from desire arises anger.

Desire in any form – lust, anger and greed, is of no use. It says that desires come and go, but one should remain a dispassionate witness, filled with wisdom.  They tend to disturb the balance of our soul and mind. Lord Krishna explains that lust, anger and greed are the three doors leading directly to hell. Unreasonable craving for any such physical pleasure will certainly destroy the peace and purity of one’s mind. As humans, one may sometimes undertake really evil actions because of their desires. One should simply not get caught in the chains of desire.

6. Sri Krishna says in this verse that for the doubting person there is no happiness either in this world or in the next.

अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्चसंशयात्माविनश्यति |
नायंलोकोऽस्तिनपरोनसुखंसंशयात्मन: ||

ajñaśh chāśhraddadhānaśh cha sanśhayātmā vinaśhyati
nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro na sukhaṁ sanśhayātmanaḥ

Translation:  But persons who possess neither faith nor knowledge, and who are of a doubting nature, suffer a downfall. For the skeptical souls, there is no happiness either in this world or the next.

The highest sādhak (spiritual aspirant) is the one who possesses knowledge of the scriptures and is also endowed with firm faith. For the one, who neither has scriptural knowledge nor is endowed with faith, Shree Krishna says that such persons cannot attain peace either in this life or hereafter.Even worldly activities require the exercise of faith.

 

7. The ones who have mastered yog (meditation) have a natural tendency to flare up, and a desire that is a seed today can become an inferno tomorrow. Thus, one who desires success in meditation should renounce the affinity for material objects.

 

सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वासर्वानशेषत: |
मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामंविनियम्यसमन्तत: ||
शनै: शनैरुपरमेद्बुद्ध्याधृतिगृहीतया |
आत्मसंस्थंमन: कृत्वानकिञ्चिदपिचिन्तयेत् ||

saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāns tyaktvā sarvān aśheṣhataḥ
manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ viniyamya samantataḥ
śhanaiḥ śhanair uparamed buddhyā dhṛiti-gṛihītayā
ātma-sansthaṁ manaḥ kṛitvā na kiñchid api chintayet

Saṅkalpa—a resolve; Prabhavān—born of; Kāmān—desires; Tyaktvā—having abandoned; Sarvān—all; Aśheṣhataḥ—completely; Manasā—through the mind; Eva—certainly;Indriya-grāmam—the group of senses; Viniyamya—restraining; Samantataḥ—from all sides; Shanaiḥ—gradually; Uparamet—attain peace; Buddhyā—by intellect; Dhṛiti-gṛihītayā—achieved through determination of resolve that is in accordance with scriptures; Atma-sanstham—fixed in God; Manaḥ—mind; Kṛitvā—having made; Na—not; Kiñchit—anything; Api—even; Chintayet—should think of

Translation:  Completely renouncing all desires arising from thoughts of the world, one should restrain the senses from all sides with the mind. Slowly and steadily, with conviction in the intellect, the mind will become fixed in God alone, and will think of nothing else.

Meditation often requires the dual process of removing the mind from the world and fixing it on God. Here, Lord Krishna begins by describing the first part of the process—taking the mind away from the world.Thoughts of worldly things, people, events, etc. come to the mind when it is attached to the world. The seed of pursuit and revulsion grows into the plant of desire, which should happen.

8. Neither of them is in knowledge—the one who thinks the soul can slay and the one who thinks the soul can be slain. For truly, the soul neither kills nor can it be killed.

 

यएनंवेत्तिहन्तारंयश्चैनंमन्यतेहतम्।
उभौतौनविजानीतोनायंहन्तिनहन्यते॥

ya enaṃ vetti hantāraṃ yaścainaṃ manyate hatam।
ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṃ hanti na hanyate॥

yaḥ—one who; enam—this; vetti—knows; hantāram—the slayer; yaḥ—one who; cha—and; enam—this; manyate—thinks; hatam—slain; ubhau—both; tau—they; na—not; vijānītaḥ—in knowledge; na—neither; ayam—this; hanti—slays; na—nor; hanyate—is killed.He who thinks that the soul kills, and he who thinks of it as killed, are both ignorant. The soul kills not, nor is it killed.

Translation:The illusion of death is created because we identify ourselves with the body. in the illusion that we are the body, we fear the experience of death. For the enlightened soul whose illusion has been dispelled, this fear of death vanishes.

 

9. Fight for the sake of duty, treating alike happiness and distress, loss and gain, victory and defeat. Fulfilling your responsibility in this way, you will never incur sin.

 

सुखदुःखेसमेकृत्वालाभालाभौजयाजयौ।
ततोयुद्धाययुज्यस्वनैवंपापमवाप्स्यसि॥

sukhaduḥkhe same kṛtvā lābhālābhau jayājayau।
tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṃ pāpamavāpsyasi॥

sukha—happiness; duḥkhe—in distress; same kṛitvā—treating alike; lābha-alābhau—gain and loss; jaya-ajayau—victory and defeat; tataḥ—thereafter; yuddhāya—for fighting; yujyasva—engage; na—never; evam—thus; pāpam—sin; avāpsyasi—shall incur

 

Translation:Holding pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat as alike, gird yourself up for the battle.
Thus, you shall not incur any sin.Shree Krishna advises Arjun to do his duty, without attachment to the fruits of his actions. Such an attitude to work will release him from any sinful reactions. When we work with selfish motives, we create karmas, which bring about their subsequent karmic reactions.

 

10. Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of the memory. When the memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.

 

क्रोधाद्भवतिसम्मोहःसम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशोबुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति॥

krodhādbhavati sammohaḥ sammohātsmṛtivibhramaḥ।
smṛtibhraṃśād buddhināśo buddhināśātpraṇaśyati॥

krodhāt—from anger; bhavati—comes; sammohaḥ—clouding of judgement; sammohāt—from clouding of judgement; smṛiti—memory; vibhramaḥ—bewilderment; smṛiti-bhranśhāt—from bewilderment of memory; buddhi-nāśhaḥ—destruction of intellect; buddhi-nāśhāt—from destruction of intellect; praṇaśhyati—one is ruined

Translation:From anger there comes delusion; from delusion, the loss of memory; from the loss of memory,the destruction of discrimination; and with the destruction of discrimination, he is lost.Anger impairs judgment, just as the morning mist creates a hazy covering on the sunlight. In anger, people commit mistakes that they later regret, because the intellect gets clouded by the haze of emotions. The path of descent from divinity to impiety has been described beginning with contemplation on the sense objects to the destruction of the intellect.

 

 

11. To protect the righteous – God is seated in the hearts of his devotees, and always protects them from within. To annihilate the wicked – God is all-powerful, and can kill the wicked merely by wishing it. To establish dharma – God can establish it through a Saint; so, He does not need to descend himself, in his personal form, to accomplish this.

 

परित्राणायसाधूनांविनाशायचदुष्कृताम्|
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थायसम्भवामियुगेयुगे|| 8||

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām
dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

paritrāṇāya—to protect; sādhūnām—the righteous; vināśhāya—to annihilate; cha—and; duṣhkṛitām—the wicked; dharma—the eternal religion; sansthāpana-arthāya—to reestablish; sambhavāmi—I appear; yuge yuge—age after age

Translation: For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the evil and for the establishment of dharma (righteousness), I (the Lord) am born from age to age.Having stated in the last verse that God descends in the world, he now states the three reasons for doing so: 1) To annihilate the wicked. 2) To protect the pious. 3) To establish dharma. However, if we closely study these three points, none of the three reasons seem very convincing

 

12. One is alone responsible for his own degradation or rise. In other words, we must use the intellect to control the mind.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानंनात्मानमवसादयेत्|
आत्मैवह्यात्मनोबन्धुरात्मैवरिपुरात्मन: || 5||

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

 

uddharet—elevate; ātmanā—through the mind; ātmānam—the self; na—not; ātmānam—the self; avasādayet—degrade; ātmā—the mind; eva—certainly; hi—indeed; ātmanaḥ—of the self; bandhuḥ—friend; ātmā—the mind; eva—certainly; ripuḥ—enemy; ātmanaḥ—of the self

 

Translation: Let a man raise himself by his own efforts. Let him not degrade himself.Because a person’s best friend or his worst enemy is none other than his own self.We are responsible for our own elevation or degradation. Nobody can traverse the path of God-realization for us. Saints and Gurus show us the way, but we have to travel it ourselves. When Shree Krishna says that we must use the mind to elevate the self, he means we must use the higher mind to elevate the lower mind.

 

13. God accepts anything that is offered with a loving heart – be it a tiny tulsi leaf, or a flower or a fruit; offered with the utmost devotion.

 

पत्रंपुष्पंफलंतोयंयोमेभक्त्याप्रयच्छति|
तदहंभक्त्युपहृतमश्नामिप्रयतात्मन: || 26||

patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

patram—a leaf; puṣhpam—a flower; phalam—a fruit; toyam—water; yaḥ—who; me—to Me; bhaktyā—with devotion; prayachchhati—offers; tat—that; aham—I; bhakti-upahṛitam—offered with devotion; aśhnāmi—partake; prayata-ātmanaḥ—one in pure consciousness

 

Translation:If one offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I delightfully partake of that article offered with love by My devotee in pure consciousness.If you have only a fruit, offer it to God, and He will be pleased.  If there is no fruit available, offer Him a flower.  If it is not the season for flowers, offer God a mere leaf; even that will suffice, provided it is a gift of love.  If leaves are also scarce, make an offering of water, which is available everywhere, but ensure again that you do it with devotion.

 

14. He who departs from the body, thinking of the Lord, Sri Krishna, alone, even at the time of his own death, will definitely reach Him.

 

अन्तकालेचमामेवस्मरन्मुक्त्वाकलेवरम्|
य: प्रयातिसमद्भावंयातिनास्त्यत्रसंशय: || 5||

anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaḥ

anta-kāle—at the time of death; cha—and; mām—Me; eva—alone; smaran—remembering; muktvā—relinquish; kalevaram—the body; yaḥ—who; prayāti—goes; saḥ—he; mat-bhāvam—Godlike nature; yāti—achieves; na—no; asti—there is; atra—here; sanśhayaḥ—doubt

 

Translation:Those who relinquish the body while remembering Me at the moment of death will come to Me. There is certainly no doubt about this.At the time of death, one is absorbed in the transcendental Names, Forms, Virtues, Pastimes, and Abodes of God, one will attain the cherished goal of God-realization. Thus, if one’s consciousness is absorbed in God at the moment of death, one attains Him, and becomes God-like in character.

 

 

15. Whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, and intellect, in accordance with one’s individual nature, should be offered to the Supreme Lord. However, this act of offering is not to be done at the end of the work by merely reciting mantras, but by maintaining the consciousness that we are working for the pleasure of the Lord.

 

यत्करोषियदश्नासियज्जुहोषिददासियत्|
यत्तपस्यसिकौन्तेयतत्कुरुष्वमदर्पणम्|| 27||

yat karoṣhi yad aśhnāsi yaj juhoṣhi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣhva mad-arpaṇam

yat—whatever; karoṣhi—you do; yat—whatever; aśhnāsi—you eat; yat—whatever; juhoṣhi—offer to the sacred fire; dadāsi—bestow as a gift; yat—whatever; yat—whatever; tapasyasi—austerities you perform; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; tat—them; kuruṣhva—do; mad arpaṇam—as an offering to Me

 

Translation: Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer as oblation to the sacred fire, whatever you bestow as a gift, and whatever austerities you perform, O son of Kunti, do them as an offering to Me.He says that all actions should also be offered to Him. Whatever social duties one may be engaged in, whatever vegetarian food one may be eating, whatever non-alcoholic beverages one may be drinking, whatever Vedic rites one may perform, whatever vows and austerities one may observe, should all be offered mentally to the Supreme Lord. Devotion is not to be restricted to the periphery of the temple room; it is to be engaged in at every moment of our life.

 

16. The material bodies we live in, are mortal. For one who is born in this body will die one day. It is certain, then one should not feel sorrow on the death of a beloved.

 

जातस्यहिध्रुवोमृत्युर्ध्रुवंजन्ममृतस्यच|
तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थेनत्वंशोचितुमर्हसि|| 27||

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛityur dhruvaṁ janma mṛitasya cha
tasmād aparihārye ’rthe na tvaṁ śhochitum arhasi

jātasya—for one who has been born; hi—for; dhruvaḥ—certain; mṛityuḥ—death; dhruvam—certain; janma—birth; mṛitasya—for the dead; cha—and; tasmāt—therefore; aparihārye arthe—in this inevitable situation; na—not; tvam—you; śhochitum—lament; arhasi—befitting

 

Translation: Death is certain for one who has been born, and rebirth is inevitable for one who has died. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable.

 

17. In this world all actions become causes of bondage, unless they are performed as an offering to God. Therefore, work for the sake of God, without personal attachments.

 

यज्ञार्थात्कर्मणोऽन्यत्रलोकोऽयंकर्मबन्धन: |
तदर्थंकर्मकौन्तेयमुक्तसङ्ग: समाचर|| 9||

yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samāchara

yajña-arthāt—for the sake of sacrifice; karmaṇaḥ—than action; anyatra—else; lokaḥ—material world; ayam—this; karma-bandhanaḥ—bondage through one’s work; tat—that; artham—for the sake of; karma—action; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; mukta-saṅgaḥ—free from attachment; samāchara—perform properly

 

Translation: Work must be done as a yajña (sacrifice) to the Supreme Lord; otherwise, work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties, without being attached to the results, for the satisfaction of God.If we do not perform actions as a sacrifice to God, we will be forced to work to gratify our mind and senses. Instead, when we perform work as a sacrifice, we then look upon the whole world and everything in it as belonging to God, and therefore, meant for utilization in his service.

 

18. Even a confirmed sinner in this material world, worships the Lord, with unwavering faith and devotion, will be considered righteous, because, he has decided to reform himself.

 

अपिचेत्सुदुराचारोभजतेमामनन्यभाक्|
साधुरेवसमन्तव्य: सम्यग्व्यवसितोहिस: || 30||

api chet su-durāchāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

api—even; chet—if; su-durāchāraḥ—the vilest sinners; bhajate—worship; mām—Me; ananya-bhāk—exclusive devotion; sādhuḥ—righteous; eva—certainly; saḥ—that person; mantavyaḥ—is to be considered; samyak—properly; vyavasitaḥ—resolve; hi—certainly; saḥ—that person

Translation: Even if the vilest sinners worship Me with exclusive devotion, they are to be considered righteous, for they have made the proper resolve.Shree Krishna declares that even if the vilest sinners begin worshipping God exclusively, they should no longer be designated as sinners.  They have made a pure resolve and should thus be considered righteous due to their sublime spiritual intention.

19. Understand the term dharma, which comes from the root word dhṛi, which means dhāraṇ karane yogya, or “responsibilities, duties, thoughts, and actions that are appropriate for us. Having a deeper understanding of the two kinds of dharmas—material dharmaand spiritual dharma answers all your moral dilemmas.

 

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्यमामेकंशरणंव्रज|
अहंत्वांसर्वपापेभ्योमोक्षयिष्यामिमाशुच: || 66||

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śharaṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣhayiṣhyāmi mā śhuchaḥ

sarva-dharmān—all varieties of dharmas; parityajya—abandoning; mām—unto me; ekam—only; śharaṇam—take refuge; vraja—take; aham—I; tvām—you; sarva—all; pāpebhyaḥ—from sinful reactions; mokṣhayiṣhyāmi—shall liberate; mā—do not; śhuchaḥ—fear

 

Translation: Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear Initially, he instructed Arjun to do karm, i.e. his material dharma as a warrior (verse 2.31). But material dharma does not result in God-realization; it leads to the celestial abodes, and once the pious merits are depleted one has to come back. Hence, Shree Krishna next instructed Arjun to do karm yog, i.e. his material dharma with the body and spiritual dharma with the mind. In the very end, Shree Krishna instructs Arjun to practice karm sanyās, i.e. renounce all material dharma and simply adopt spiritual dharma

 

20. One is entitled to emotions like Buddhi, Jñānam, Asammoham, Kṣhamā, Satyam, Dam, Śham, Sukham, Duḥkham, Bhavaḥ, Abhāvaḥ, Bhaya, Abhaya, Ahinsā, Samatā, Tuṣhṭi, Tapa , Yaśh, Ayaśh. All these emotions are solely given through the powers of Lord Sri Krishna.

 

बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोह: क्षमासत्यंदम: शम: |
सुखंदु:खंभवोऽभावोभयंचाभयमेवच || 4
अहिंसासमतातुष्टिस्तपोदानंयशोऽयश: |
भवन्तिभावाभूतानांमत्तएवपृथग्विधा: ||

buddhir jñānam asammohaḥ kṣhamā satyaṁ damaḥ śhamaḥ
sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhavo ’bhāvo bhayaṁ chābhayameva cha
ahinsā samatā tuṣhṭis tapo dānaṁ yaśho ’yaśhaḥ
bhavanti bhāvā bhūtānāṁ matta eva pṛithag-vidhāḥ

 

Translation:  From me alone arise the varieties in the qualities amongst humans, such as intellect, knowledge, clarity of thought, forgiveness, truthfulness, control over the senses and mind, joy and sorrow, birth and death, fear and courage, non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, and infamy.In these two verses, Lord Krishna continues to confirm his Supreme Lordship and absolute dominion over all that exists in creation. Here, he mentions twenty emotions that manifest in a variety of degrees and combinations in different people to form the individual fabric of human nature. He declares that the various moods, temperaments, and dispositions of humankind all emanate from him.

Buddhi is the ability to analyze things in their proper perspective.

Jñānam is the ability to discriminate spiritual from material.

Asammoham is the absence of confusion.

Kṣhamā is the ability to forgive those who have harmed us.

Satyam is the veracity to declare the truth for the benefit of all.

Dam means restraining the senses from the sense objects.

Śham is restraint and control of the mind.

Sukham is the emotion of joy and delight.

Duḥkham is the emotion of sorrow and affliction.

Bhavaḥ is the perception of one’s existence “I am.”

Abhāvaḥ is the experience of death.

Bhaya is the fear of oncoming difficulties.

Abhaya is freedom from fear.

Ahinsā is abstinence from harming any being through word, deed, or thought.

Samatā is equanimity in good and bad situations.

Tuṣhṭi is feeling content in whatever comes by one’s karma.

Tapa is voluntary austerities for spiritual benefit, in accordance with the Vedas.

Dān is giving in charity to one who is worthy.

Yaśh is fame arising from possessing good qualities.

Ayaśh is infamy for possessing bad qualities.

 

Shree Krishna states that all these qualities manifest in individuals to the extent sanctioned by him alone. Hence, he is the source of all good and bad natures in living beings. This can be likened to the electric power supplied by the power house being used by various gadgets. The same electric power passing through different gadgets creates different effects. It creates sound in one, light in the other, and heat in the third. Although the manifestations are different, their source is the same electric supply from the powerhouse. Similarly, the energy of God manifests in us positively or negatively according to our puruṣhārth (the actions we perform by exercising our freedom of choice) in the present and past lives