Verses for when you feel
93 verses tagged for this mood
तत्रापश्यत्स्थितान्पार्थः पितॄनथ पितामहान् | आचार्यान्मातुलान्भ्रातॄन्पुत्रान्पौत्रान्सखींस्तथा ||१-२६||
As Arjuna looks across the battlefield, he does not see faceless opponents; he sees his own family, teachers, elders, children, grandchildren, and friends. The reality of fighting becomes deeply personal, setting the stage for his sorrow and inner conflict.
श्वशुरान्सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि | तान्समीक्ष्य स कौन्तेयः सर्वान्बन्धूनवस्थितान् ||१-२७||
Arjuna looks across both armies and sees not strangers, but people connected to him—his in-laws, friends, and relatives. The reality of having to fight those he knows fills him with deep compassion and sorrow, and his inner conflict begins to overwhelm him.
कृपया परयाविष्टो विषीदन्निदमब्रवीत् | अर्जुन उवाच दृष्ट्वेमं स्वजनं कृष्ण युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् ||१-२८||
Overwhelmed with deep compassion and sorrow, Arjuna looks at his own relatives gathered and ready to fight. The reality of having to face loved ones in battle shakes him, and he begins to voice the pain and conflict in his heart to Krishna.
निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव | न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे ||१-३१||
Overwhelmed by the thought of fighting those he loves, Arjuna sees only bad signs ahead. He cannot understand how any real good could come from a victory gained by killing his own relatives; his fear and grief are clouding his sense of what to do.
न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च | किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ||१-३२||
Overwhelmed by the thought of fighting his own loved ones, Arjuna says that victory, power, comfort, and even life itself no longer feel meaningful to him. He is questioning the value of success when it seems to come at the cost of the people for whom that success would matter.
येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च | त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च ||१-३३||
Arjuna looks at the people gathered for war and is struck by a painful truth: the kingdom, comforts, and happiness he wants are meant to be shared with these very loved ones. If they are willing to lose their lives and wealth in this battle, what value would victory have without them?
आचार्याः पितरः पुत्रास्तथैव च पितामहाः | मातुलाः श्वशुराः पौत्राः श्यालाः सम्बन्धिनस्तथा ||१-३४||
Arjuna looks across the battlefield and sees not strangers, but the people who make up his own world: teachers, elders, sons, in-laws, and relatives. The sight makes the coming conflict deeply personal, showing how painful a duty can feel when it seems to demand harm to those we love and respect.
एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन | अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतोः किं नु महीकृते ||१-३५||
Arjuna says that no reward—not even rulership over the three worlds—can make him willing to kill his own relatives and loved ones. His words show the deep moral pain of facing a choice where personal gain and victory seem meaningless compared with the cost of harming those he cares about.
तस्मान्नार्हा वयं हन्तुं धार्तराष्ट्रान्स्वबान्धवान् | स्वजनं हि कथं हत्वा सुखिनः स्याम माधव ||१-३७||
Arjuna feels that defeating the Kauravas would bring no real joy if it requires killing his own relatives. His heart is torn between the duty of battle and the painful human cost of fighting those he considers family.
सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च | पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः ||१-४२||
Arjuna fears that when families are destroyed by war, the traditions that hold generations together also disappear. In the beliefs of his time, this meant ancestors would no longer receive the rites offered in their memory, and the whole family line would suffer the consequences of broken values and responsibilities.
दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः | उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः ||१-४३||
Arjuna fears that when a family is destroyed by violence and wrongdoing, its enduring values, responsibilities, and sacred traditions may also collapse. He worries that the harm of war will not end on the battlefield; it can unsettle the moral foundation that holds families and society together.
उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन | नरके नियतं वासो भवतीत्यनुशुश्रुम (or नरकेऽनियतं) ||१-४४||
Arjuna fears that when a family’s guiding values and sacred responsibilities collapse, its members may lose their moral foundation and suffer painful consequences. His words show how deeply he is troubled by the thought that this war could damage not only lives, but the values that hold generations together.
यदि मामप्रतीकारमशस्त्रं शस्त्रपाणयः | धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे हन्युस्तन्मे क्षेमतरं भवेत् ||१-४६||
Overwhelmed by grief and inner conflict, Arjuna feels that he would rather be killed without defending himself than raise weapons against his own relatives. It shows how deeply he is shaken: the thought of causing harm feels worse to him than facing death himself.
न चैतद्विद्मः कतरन्नो गरीयो यद्वा जयेम यदि वा नो जयेयुः | यानेव हत्वा न जिजीविषामस्- तेऽवस्थिताः प्रमुखे धार्तराष्ट्राः ||२-६||
Arjuna is torn between two painful outcomes: winning by killing his own relatives, or being defeated by them. Standing before the battle, he feels so overwhelmed that he cannot even decide which outcome would be worse, because life itself seems meaningless after the death of those he loves.
श्रीभगवानुवाच | अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे | गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः ||२-११||
Krishna tells Arjuna that his grief comes from seeing death as the final end. A truly wise person understands that the deepest self is not destroyed when the body dies, and therefore does not become overwhelmed by sorrow for either the living or the dead. This is not a command to be heartless; it is an invitation to see life and loss with deeper understanding.
न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः | न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ||२-१२||
Krishna tells Arjuna that the true Self is not limited to the birth and death of the body. There was never a time when Krishna, Arjuna, or these kings did not exist, and their essential being will not cease in the future. This teaching begins to loosen the fear and sorrow that come from seeing death as a complete ending.
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा | तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ||२-१३||
The body keeps changing—from childhood to youth to old age—yet the conscious self within continues through these changes. Krishna says that death, too, is a transition into another body, so a person with steady understanding is not overwhelmed by grief or confusion about it.
नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः | उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ||२-१६||
What is truly real does not disappear, and what is unreal has no lasting existence. Wise people learn to distinguish the eternal Self from the changing body, emotions, situations, and appearances; this clarity loosens the grip of grief and fear.
अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् | विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य न कश्चित्कर्तुमर्हति ||२-१७||
Krishna says that the true Self—the conscious presence within every being—pervades all of existence and can never be destroyed. Bodies and circumstances may change, but this eternal reality remains untouched, giving us a deeper ground of courage beyond loss and fear.
अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः | अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ||२-१८||
The body is temporary and will one day end, but the Self within is eternal, cannot be destroyed, and is beyond full measurement or definition. Krishna therefore asks Arjuna not to let grief over mortal bodies make him abandon his rightful duty.
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् | उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ||२-१९||
Krishna says that the true Self—the deepest spiritual reality within us—does not kill and cannot be killed. Bodies may act, change, and perish, but the Self is beyond physical birth and death; mistaking it for the body is the root of this misunderstanding.
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन् नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः | अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ||२-२०||
Your true Self is not the body, so it is never born and never dies. Bodies change and eventually perish, but the conscious Self remains eternal, unchanged, and beyond destruction. Krishna offers this teaching to loosen the fear and grief that come from seeing death as the end of a person’s being.
वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम् | कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम् ||२-२१||
Krishna says that one who truly understands the Self as eternal, unborn, and incapable of being destroyed no longer sees death as the annihilation of a person’s real being. The body may perish, but the true Self neither kills nor can be killed; this wisdom helps Arjuna look beyond grief and act with clarity.
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि | तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा- न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही ||२-२२||
Just as we replace old clothes when they are worn out, the eternal Self leaves behind a body that has completed its time and takes on another. Krishna uses this image to remind Arjuna that death is not the end of the true Self, so grief should be softened by understanding the soul’s continuity.
नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः | न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ||२-२३||
Your true Self, the Atman, cannot be harmed by anything physical. No weapon can cut it, no fire can burn it, no water can soak it, and no wind can dry it. Krishna reminds Arjuna that the soul is beyond the changing conditions of the body and the material world.
अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च | नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः ||२-२४||
The true Self within you cannot be harmed by any physical force or changed by the passing conditions of life. It is eternal, steady, and present everywhere; recognizing this deeper reality helps us face loss, fear, and change with greater inner peace.
अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते | तस्मादेवं विदित्वैनं नानुशोचितुमर्हसि ||२-२५||
The true Self cannot be seen with the eyes, fully grasped by the mind, or changed by anything that happens to the body. Knowing that this inner reality is beyond birth and death, Krishna asks Arjuna not to be consumed by grief.
अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम् | तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैवं शोचितुमर्हसि ||२-२६||
Even if you see life only as a continuous cycle of birth and death, there is still no reason to be consumed by grief. Change and mortality are part of life’s natural order; accepting this truth with courage helps us face loss without losing our inner strength.
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च | तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ||२-२७||
Everyone who is born will one day die, and death is followed by another birth in the ongoing cycle of life. Krishna reminds Arjuna that this reality cannot be avoided; recognising it does not erase love or loss, but it can help us meet grief with greater steadiness and wisdom.
अव्यक्तादीनि भूतानि व्यक्तमध्यानि भारत | अव्यक्तनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना ||२-२८||
Krishna reminds Arjuna that every body and life-form appears for a time and then passes from view; before birth and after death, it is not seen in the same way. This natural cycle of coming and going can soften our grief and help us face loss with a wider, steadier understanding.
आश्चर्यवत्पश्यति कश्चिदेन- माश्चर्यवद्वदति तथैव चान्यः | आश्चर्यवच्चैनमन्यः शृणोति श्रुत्वाप्येनं वेद न चैव कश्चित् ||२-२९||
The true Self is so subtle and profound that people may speak about it, listen to teachings about it, or even glimpse it as something extraordinary—yet still not truly understand it. Realising who we are beyond the changing body and mind requires deeper reflection and inner experience, not merely hearing words.
देही नित्यमवध्योऽयं देहे सर्वस्य भारत | तस्मात्सर्वाणि भूतानि न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि ||२-३०||
Krishna reminds Arjuna that the true Self living within every body can never be destroyed. Bodies may perish, but the inner soul is eternal; seeing this deeper truth helps us meet death and loss with compassion and steadiness rather than helpless grief.
एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिः पार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति | स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ||२-७२||
Krishna says this is the state of a person rooted in the highest truth: they are no longer shaken by cravings, fear, or confusion. Even if someone becomes firmly established in this inner clarity at the very end of life, they attain lasting freedom and union with the Divine.
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः | त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ||४-९||
Krishna says that His birth and actions are not ordinary, driven by personal desire or karma like ours. When someone truly understands His divine purpose and lives with that understanding, they are freed from the cycle of repeated birth and death and ultimately reach Him.
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः | यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते ||६-२२||
When you discover the deep inner joy that comes from a steady, God-centred mind, no outer success or possession feels greater than it. Rooted in that peace, even serious hardships may bring pain, but they cannot shake you from within.
प्राप्य पुण्यकृतां लोकानुषित्वा शाश्वतीः समाः | शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे योगभ्रष्टोऽभिजायते ||६-४१||
No sincere spiritual effort is ever wasted. A person who has begun the path of Yoga but does not complete it in this life first enjoys the results of their good deeds, and is then born into a pure and prosperous family where they receive supportive conditions to continue their inner journey.
एतद्योनीनि भूतानि सर्वाणीत्युपधारय | अहं कृत्स्नस्य जगतः प्रभवः प्रलयस्तथा ||७-६||
Krishna says that all living beings arise from His divine and material energies, and that He is the ultimate origin of the entire universe. Everything that appears eventually returns to Him at dissolution; nothing exists independently of this supreme reality.
जरामरणमोक्षाय मामाश्रित्य यतन्ति ये | ते ब्रह्म तद्विदुः कृत्स्नमध्यात्मं कर्म चाखिलम् ||७-२९||
People who sincerely seek freedom from the cycle of ageing and death and take refuge in Krishna begin to understand the deepest truth of life. Through this devotion, they come to know Brahman, their own true spiritual nature, and how all actions fit into the larger reality.
साधिभूताधिदैवं मां साधियज्ञं च ये विदुः | प्रयाणकालेऽपि च मां ते विदुर्युक्तचेतसः ||७-३०||
Those who recognise Krishna as the reality within the changing world, the guiding divine forces, and every selfless offering develop a mind anchored in Him. Because their awareness has been trained through life, they can remember and know Him even at the final moment of death.
अधियज्ञः कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभिः ||८-२||
Arjuna asks Krishna to explain Adhiyajna—the divine presence connected with sacrifice and worship that lives within the body. He also wants to know how a person with a disciplined mind can remember and recognise God at the final moment of life. The question points to the value of building a steady spiritual practice now, rather than waiting for life’s last moment.
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम् | यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः ||८-५||
Krishna says that a person who leaves the body while remembering Him reaches His divine state. This final remembrance is not something to force at the last moment; it grows naturally from a life spent turning the mind toward God with love, faith, and devotion.
यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम् | तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः ||८-६||
The state of mind we carry at death is shaped by what we have repeatedly filled our mind with throughout life. Krishna’s point is not to panic about one final moment, but to build a steady habit of remembering the Divine and living with higher values every day, so that this remembrance becomes natural when it matters most.
कविं पुराणमनुशासितार- मणोरणीयंसमनुस्मरेद्यः | सर्वस्य धातारमचिन्त्यरूप- मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ||८-९||
Krishna asks us to remember the Divine as the timeless source and guide of all life—present even in the smallest detail, yet greater than anything we can imagine. This radiant presence lies beyond the darkness of ignorance; keeping the mind connected to it steadily brings clarity and freedom, especially in life’s final moment.
प्रयाणकाले मनसाऽचलेन भक्त्या युक्तो योगबलेन चैव | भ्रुवोर्मध्ये प्राणमावेश्य सम्यक् स तं परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ||८-१०||
A person who has trained the mind through steady yoga and loving devotion can remain inwardly focused even at the time of death. With awareness gathered and directed toward the Divine, they attain the radiant Supreme Being. The verse reminds us that such final remembrance is built through a lifetime of sincere practice, not created suddenly at the last moment.
सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च | मूध्न्यार्धायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् ||८-१२||
Krishna describes a deep yogic practice of turning the senses inward, steadying the mind in the heart, and gathering one’s vital energy in focused awareness. The point is not merely physical control; it is to become so inwardly absorbed and disciplined that the mind can remain fixed on the Divine, even at life’s final moment.
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् | यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ||८-१३||
Krishna says that one who leaves the body while chanting Om—the sacred sound that points to the Supreme Reality—and remembering Him reaches the highest spiritual destination. This is not only about the final moment of life; it teaches us to build a steady habit of remembrance, devotion, and inner focus throughout our lives.
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् | नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ||८-१५||
Those who truly realise and attain the Divine are no longer bound to the repeated cycle of birth and death in this temporary, suffering-filled world. Having reached the highest spiritual fulfilment, they find lasting freedom and peace in God.
आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन | मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ||८-१६||
Krishna says that even the highest realms of worldly existence are temporary; after their rewards are exhausted, one must return to the cycle of birth and death. But one who truly reaches and unites with the Divine is freed from this repeated coming and going, finding a lasting home beyond all temporary achievements.
सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः | रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ||८-१७||
Brahma’s day and night each stretch across a thousand great ages, showing how vast the cycles of creation and dissolution are. Those who truly understand this see that even the longest cosmic span is temporary, and that the Divine reality beyond these cycles is what deserves our deepest focus.
अव्यक्ताद् व्यक्तयः सर्वाः प्रभवन्त्यहरागमे | रात्र्यागमे प्रलीयन्ते तत्रैवाव्यक्तसंज्ञके ||८-१८||
Everything we see in the universe appears for a time and then returns to an unseen state. Just as day and night follow one another, creation repeatedly unfolds and dissolves in a vast cosmic cycle. This reminds us not to cling too tightly to temporary forms, but to seek the enduring reality beyond them.
भूतग्रामः स एवायं भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते | रात्र्यागमेऽवशः पार्थ प्रभवत्यहरागमे ||८-१९||
Krishna says that all living beings repeatedly appear and disappear with the cycles of creation, not by their own choice but under the force of nature. This reminds us that the material world is temporary, and encourages us to seek the lasting peace of connection with the Divine.
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्योऽव्यक्तोऽव्यक्तात्सनातनः | यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ||८-२०||
Beyond the changing universe lies an eternal reality that cannot be seen with ordinary eyes and cannot be destroyed. Bodies, worlds, and all created things may pass away, but this Supreme, timeless existence remains untouched; turning our awareness towards it frees us from the fear of loss and death.
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् | यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||८-२१||
Krishna speaks of the Supreme Reality as unseen, unchanging, and beyond the temporary world we experience. Reaching this highest state means freedom from the repeated cycle of birth and death; it is Krishna’s eternal abode, where the seeker finds lasting fulfilment and peace.
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ भक्त्या लभ्यस्त्वनन्यया | यस्यान्तःस्थानि भूतानि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ||८-२२||
Krishna says that the Supreme Reality, who holds all beings within Himself and pervades the whole universe, is reached through exclusive, wholehearted devotion. When the heart stops seeking ultimate support in temporary things and turns steadily toward the Divine, it moves closer to Him.
यत्र काले त्वनावृत्तिमावृत्तिं चैव योगिनः | प्रयाता यान्ति तं कालं वक्ष्यामि भरतर्षभ ||८-२३||
Krishna now introduces the different paths a yogi may take after death—one leading to freedom from rebirth, and another leading back into the cycle of return. He is preparing Arjuna to understand that steady spiritual practice and remembrance of the Divine shape the soul’s ultimate direction.
अग्निर्जोतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् | तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ||८-२४||
Krishna describes the luminous path taken by those who have realised Brahman and leave the body in full spiritual awareness. Fire, light, day, and the sun’s northward course symbolise a movement toward clarity and freedom; the deeper message is that a life steadily directed toward the Divine leads beyond the cycle of return.
धूमो रात्रिस्तथा कृष्णः षण्मासा दक्षिणायनम् | तत्र चान्द्रमसं ज्योतिर्योगी प्राप्य निवर्तते ||८-२५||
Krishna describes a path associated with ritual merit and worldly spirituality: the yogi reaches the lunar realm through it, but does not attain final liberation. After enjoying the results of their good deeds, they return to the cycle of rebirth. The verse reminds us to seek not only temporary rewards, but lasting union with the Divine.
शुक्लकृष्णे गती ह्येते जगतः शाश्वते मते | एकया यात्यनावृत्तिमन्ययावर्तते पुनः ||८-२६||
Krishna says there are two enduring courses after death: one leads to freedom from the cycle of rebirth, while the other leads back into it. In the wider teaching of this chapter, the point is not to create fear about death, but to encourage a life of steady remembrance, devotion, and inner direction toward the Divine.
नैते सृती पार्थ जानन्योगी मुह्यति कश्चन | तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन ||८-२७||
Krishna says that a person who understands the spiritual paths described here is no longer confused about life, death, and what lies beyond. So do not wait for a final moment to turn inward—stay connected to God and grounded in spiritual practice throughout your life.
वेदेषु यज्ञेषु तपःसु चैव दानेषु यत्पुण्यफलं प्रदिष्टम् | अत्येति तत्सर्वमिदं विदित्वा योगी परं स्थानमुपैति चाद्यम् ||८-२८||
Krishna says that one who understands and lives this path of steady devotion to the Divine rises beyond the limited rewards promised by rituals, austerity, charity, or even scriptural study. Such a yogi reaches the eternal, highest abode—the source from which everything begins. The verse does not dismiss good deeds; it points to a deeper goal: loving union with God rather than temporary spiritual rewards.
अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप | अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ||९-३||
Krishna says that without faith in this spiritual path, a person does not come to know or reach the Divine. They remain caught in the repeated cycle of worldly striving, death, and rebirth. This is not a call for blind belief, but an invitation to approach spiritual truth with sincerity and openness rather than rejecting it without trying to understand it.
सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम् | कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम् ||९-७||
Krishna says that all beings return to His divine nature when a cosmic cycle ends, and He brings them forth again when a new cycle begins. Life and creation are part of a vast divine rhythm, reminding us that nothing in this world is permanent and that the Supreme remains present through every beginning and ending.
प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः | भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् ||९-८||
Krishna says that through His divine power, the whole world of living beings comes into existence again and again. Bound by the laws of material nature, beings take birth and move through life’s cycles; this reminds us that creation is not random, but unfolds under a higher order.
गतिर्भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणं सुहृत् | प्रभवः प्रलयः स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम् ||९-१८||
Krishna says that the Divine is present in every essential support of life: the destination we seek, the strength that sustains us, the home we belong to, and the refuge we can turn to. God is also the silent witness within all experiences—the source from which life arises, the ground on which it exists, and the imperishable seed that remains even when everything changes or ends. Remembering this can bring deep trust: we are never truly without support or a true well-wisher.
तपाम्यहमहं वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च | अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सदसच्चाहमर्जुन ||९-१९||
Krishna says that the forces of nature and the whole cycle of life are expressions of the Divine: the sun’s heat, the coming and withholding of rain, life’s continuity, and death’s ending. He is present in what appears and what disappears, reminding us that no phase of life is outside His larger order.
ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति | एवं त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ||९-२१||
Those who seek heavenly pleasures through ritual and good deeds do enjoy their rewards, but only for as long as their accumulated merit lasts. When that merit is spent, they return to mortal life; chasing temporary desires keeps a person moving through this repeated cycle of coming and going rather than reaching lasting freedom.
किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः पुण्या भक्ता राजर्षयस्तथा | अनित्यमसुखं लोकमिमं प्राप्य भजस्व माम् ||९-३३||
Krishna says that those who are already virtuous and devoted can certainly reach Him. But His message is for everyone: this worldly life is temporary and cannot give lasting happiness, so use this precious human life to turn towards God with loving devotion.
बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः | सुखं दुःखं भवोऽभावो भयं चाभयमेव च ||१०-४||
Krishna says that every kind of human experience and quality—clear thinking, wisdom, forgiveness, self-control, joy, sorrow, fear, courage, birth, and death—ultimately arises from Him. This helps us see life’s changing states with humility: our strengths are gifts to use well, and our difficult emotions are part of a larger divine order that we can face with awareness and faith.
अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः | अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ||१०-२०||
Krishna says that the divine presence is not far away or limited to a temple—it lives within the heart of every being. He is the source from which all life begins, the power sustaining it through every stage, and the reality into which all beings ultimately return. Seeing this can bring humility, reverence, and a deeper sense of connection with everyone around us.
मृत्युः सर्वहरश्चाहमुद्भवश्च भविष्यताम् | कीर्तिः श्रीर्वाक्च नारीणां स्मृतिर्मेधा धृतिः क्षमा ||१०-३४||
Krishna says that even death, which takes everything away, is part of His power, and that He is also the source from which all future life and beginnings arise. He can be recognised in noble qualities such as honour, prosperity, graceful speech, memory, intelligence, courage, and forgiveness—qualities that bring strength and dignity to human life.
अमी च त्वां धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राः सर्वे सहैवावनिपालसङ्घैः | भीष्मो द्रोणः सूतपुत्रस्तथासौ सहास्मदीयैरपि योधमुख्यैः ||११-२६||
In Krishna’s vast cosmic form, Arjuna sees not only the opposing army but also revered elders and the finest warriors from his own side. The vision makes him realise that every person on the battlefield—friend, teacher, relative, or rival—is part of a larger divine order beyond individual control.
वक्त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति दंष्ट्राकरालानि भयानकानि | केचिद्विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु सन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गैः ||११-२७||
Arjuna sees the terrifying side of Krishna’s cosmic form: warriors rush helplessly into its fearsome mouths, and some appear trapped and crushed between its teeth. The vision reveals that time and death consume even the mighty, and that human power cannot ultimately stand against the vast force of destiny.
यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगाः समुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति | तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा विशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति ||११-२८||
Arjuna sees mighty warriors rushing into Krishna’s blazing mouths as naturally and irresistibly as rivers flow towards the sea. The vision reveals the unstoppable movement of time and destiny: even the greatest human strength ultimately returns to the Supreme.
यथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गा विशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगाः | तथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोकास्- तवापि वक्त्राणि समृद्धवेगाः ||११-२९||
Arjuna sees warriors rushing into Krishna’s blazing mouths like moths flying straight into a flame. The vision reveals the unstoppable force of time and destiny: all beings move toward death, and even great human power cannot finally resist the cosmic order.
लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमानः समन्ताल्- लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भिः | तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं भासस्तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो ||११-३०||
Arjuna sees the overwhelming power of Krishna’s cosmic form: blazing mouths seem to consume all worlds, while its fierce radiance fills and scorches everything. The vision reveals that the Divine is not only gentle and sustaining, but also the immense force through which all creation changes, ends, and is renewed.
श्रीभगवानुवाच | कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः | ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ||११-३२||
Krishna reveals Himself as Time—the immense force through which all things eventually change and pass away. The warriors’ fate is already moving within this larger order; Arjuna is not being asked to imagine that he alone controls life and death, but to act responsibly in the duty before him without the ego of believing everything depends on him.
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् | भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ||१२-७||
Krishna assures Arjuna that those who place their heart and mind in Him are not left to struggle alone in the endless cycle of fear, suffering, and death. He personally guides them across this vast ocean of worldly existence and brings them to freedom without delay.
इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहंकार एव च | जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम् ||१३-९||
True wisdom includes stepping back from constant craving for sensory pleasures and letting go of the ego that says, “I am the centre of everything.” It also means honestly recognising that birth, ageing, illness, death, and pain are unavoidable parts of bodily life. This reflection is not meant to make us hopeless; it helps us seek a deeper, lasting truth beyond temporary comforts.
ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते | अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ||१३-१३||
Krishna now speaks of the highest truth worth knowing: the beginningless Supreme Reality, Brahman. Realising this truth frees us from the fear of mortality and brings the experience of the eternal. It cannot be fully described as simply existing or not existing, because it is beyond all the limited categories through which our mind understands the world.
अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् | भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ||१३-१७||
The Supreme Reality is one and whole, yet it appears to be present separately in every living being. It sustains all life, and through the cycles of nature it is seen as that which absorbs beings at dissolution and brings them forth again in creation.
य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह | सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते ||१३-२४||
When you truly understand yourself as the conscious soul, distinct from the body and its changing qualities, you stop being trapped by every situation life brings. This wisdom frees you from the cycle of repeated birth and death, even while you continue to live and act in the world.
अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तः श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते | तेऽपि चातितरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ||१३-२६||
Not everyone reaches spiritual understanding through deep study or meditation. Some simply listen with faith to the guidance of wise people and sincerely live by it. Krishna says that such wholehearted trust and devotion can also lead a person beyond the fear and bondage of death.
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् | विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति ||१३-२८||
True understanding is to recognise the same Supreme Presence in every living being. Bodies and outer forms perish, but the Divine reality within them does not; seeing this helps us look beyond differences and treat all life with deeper respect.
अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात्परमात्मायमव्ययः | शरीरस्थोऽपि कौन्तेय न करोति न लिप्यते ||१३-३२||
Your deepest Self, the Supreme Self, has no beginning or end and is untouched by the changing qualities of nature. Although it is present within the body, it does not become the doer of the body’s actions or carry the stain of its experiences; it remains pure and unchanged.
यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते | सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते ||१३-३३||
Just as space remains untouched by the smoke, dust, and activity within it, the true Self remains pure and unaffected while living in the body. The body and mind go through change, pain, and action, but your deepest spiritual nature is not stained by them.
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा | भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ||१३-३५||
Those who learn to see clearly understand that the body and mind are changing fields of experience, while the soul is the conscious witness within them. Realising this difference—and how the soul can rise beyond nature’s binding forces—leads a person towards the Supreme reality.
इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागताः | सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च ||१४-२||
Krishna says that those who take shelter in this spiritual wisdom rise beyond the changing forces of material nature and come to share in His divine state. They are no longer shaken by the cycle of creation and dissolution, because their identity is rooted in the eternal, not in what is born and passes away.
यदा सत्त्वे प्रवृद्धे तु प्रलयं याति देहभृत् | तदोत्तमविदां लोकानमलान्प्रतिपद्यते ||१४-१४||
Krishna says that when a person leaves the body while the quality of sattva—clarity, harmony, and goodness—is strong within them, they move towards pure and elevated realms associated with those who know the Highest Truth. The verse encourages us to shape our inner life through wisdom, kindness, self-control, and a sincere search for what is true.
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते | तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते ||१४-१५||
Krishna says that the state of mind we cultivate shapes the direction of our journey after death. A life dominated by restless ambition and attachment to constant activity leads one again among people driven by action, while a life sunk in ignorance leads toward confused and unthinking conditions. The message is to become aware of the qualities guiding us now, rather than living blindly under their influence.
गुणानेतानतीत्य त्रीन्देही देहसमुद्भवान् | जन्ममृत्युजरादुःखैर्विमुक्तोऽमृतमश्नुते ||१४-२०||
When we rise above the pull of the three gunas—calm goodness, restless desire, and dull inertia—we stop being trapped by the changing conditions of the body and mind. Freed from the suffering tied to birth, ageing and death, the soul realizes its immortal nature.
न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः | यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||१५-६||
Krishna describes His highest abode as a reality beyond all material light—the sun, moon, and fire are not needed there. Reaching that divine state means freedom from the repeated cycle of birth and death, and lasting union with the Supreme.
शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः | गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ||१५-८||
The soul does not end when the body dies. As it leaves one body and enters another, it carries the mind and senses’ tendencies with it—just as the wind carries a fragrance away from a flower. This reminds us that our inner habits and attachments shape our journey beyond this present life.
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च | क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ||१५-१६||
Krishna says that life has two dimensions: the changing world of bodies and beings, which is perishable, and the unchanging inner reality, which is imperishable. Recognising this helps us not cling too tightly to temporary circumstances and to seek steadiness in what remains constant within us.
