Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16, Verse 13 (BG 16.13) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

This verse is self-evident. Ordinary people live in precisely this manner. In this world filled with competition, a person is considered successful if he possesses the maximum wealth. Thus, no matter how much wealth a man acquires, it does not bring him satisfaction. The ludicrous contradiction in this pursuit of wealth is that instead of contentment arising from the attainment of wealth, the desire for ever-greater riches continues to grow. To this day, no materialistic wealthy person has ever considered his wealth sufficient. In contrast, when describing the characteristics of one established in wisdom, the Bhagavad Gita declares that the perfection of the wise man is such that the objects of the world do not produce even the slightest disturbance in his mind, and it is he alone who attains true peace—not the man driven by desire. In this verse, the perspective of the asuri person regarding material objects is presented. In the next verse, we shall describe his perspective regarding his own self.