Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 22 (BG 5.22)

기타를 살다

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कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते

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कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते

You have the right to act...

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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 22 — Meaning & Commentary | Live Gita

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ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते |
आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः ||५-२२||

ye hi saṃsparśajā bhogā duḥkhayonaya eva te . ādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ ||5-22||

The enjoyments that are born of contacts are only generators of pain, for they have a beginning and an end, O Arjuna; the wise man does not rejoice in them.

In simple words

Krishna points out a truth most people miss: "Pleasures that come from contact with the outside world — a good meal, a compliment, a thrill — they all have a beginning and an end. They create pain, Arjuna. A wise person does not chase them."

Word-by-word meanings

येwhichहिverilyसंस्पर्शजाःcontactbornभोगाःenjoymentsदुःखयोनयःgenerators of painएवonlyतेtheyआद्यन्तवन्तःhaving beginning and endकौन्तेयO Kaunteyaनnotतेषुin thoseरमतेrejoicesबुधःthe wise

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Sivananda

5.22 ये which? हि verily? संस्पर्शजाः contactborn? भोगाः enjoyments? दुःखयोनयः generators of pain? एव only? ते they? आद्यन्तवन्तः having beginning and end? कौन्तेय O Kaunteya? न not? तेषु in those? रमते rejoices? बुधः the wise.Commentary Man goes in est of joy and searches in the external perishable objects for his happiness. He fails to get it but instead he carries a load of sorrow on his head.You should withdraw the senses from the senseobjects as there is no trace of happiness in them and fix the min on the immortal? blissful Self within. The senseobjects have a beginning and an end. Separation from the senseobjects gives you a lot of pain. During the interval between the origin and the end you experience a hollow? momentary? illusory pleasure. This fleeting pleasure is due to Avidya or ignorance. Even in the other world you will have the same experience. He who is endowed with discrimination or the knowledge of the Self will never rejoice in these sensual objects. Only ignorant persons who are passionate will rejoice in the senseobjects. (Cf.II.14?XVIII.38)

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

Swami Chinmayananda

# BG 5.22 We seekers also strive to free ourselves from attachment to sensory pleasures in order to experience the infinite bliss of the atman. Even an ordinarily intelligent person, if he reflects upon the experiences of life, can understand that the pursuit of happiness in transient objects is not a profitable enterprise. In all our experiences, the law of diminishing utility operates uniformly. The very object that brings pleasure at first becomes intensely painful after some time. One can directly verify this fundamental truth by observing the difference in experience between eating the first sweet when hungry and eating the twenty-fifth one—this will prove that sensory indulgence is always a source of suffering. Objects of sensory gratification can be no more beautiful and pleasurable than a diseased courtesan adorned with cosmetics, standing in a dark, narrow alley of a commercial city, attempting to entice strangers to her dwelling. Sri Krishna explains this truth eloquently, saying that sensory pleasures, being transient, cannot delude the discerning person. The wise person is satisfied only through the attainment of completeness. We exhaust ourselves running after limited material objects in the hope of finding greater satisfaction and joy, and in pursuit of this false hope, we commit many degrading acts. Yet true, pure, divine, and complete bliss can be obtained only through the realization of the atman. There is yet another adversary of the path of true welfare—one that is the cause of all misfortune and is difficult to overcome. Therefore, extraordinary effort is required to avoid it. The Blessed Lord says:

Swami Sivananda

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 22 (BG 5.22) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

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