Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 23 (BG 5.23) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

5.23 शक्नोति is able? इह here (in this world)? एव even? यः who? सोढुम् to withstand? प्राक् before? शरीरविमोक्षणात् liberation from the body? कामक्रोधोद्भवम् born out of desire and anger? वेगम् the impulse? सः he? युक्तः united? सः he? सुखी happy? नरः man.Commentary Yukta means harmonised or steadfast in Yoga or selfabiding.Desire and anger are powerful enemies of peace. It is very difficult to annihilate them. You will have to make very strong efforts to destroy these enemies.When the word Kama (desire) is used in a general sense it includes all sorts of desires. It means lust in a special sense.While still here means while yet living. The impulse of desire is the agitation of the mind which is indicated by hairs standing on end and cheerful face. The impulse of anger is agitation of the mind which is indicated by fiery eyes? perspiration? biting of the lips and trembling of the body. In this verse you will clearly understand that he who has controlled desire and anger is the most happy man in this world? nor he who has immense wealth? a beautiful wife and beautiful children. Therefore you must try your level best to eradicate desire and anger? the dreadful enemies of eternal bliss.Kama (desire) is longing for a pleasant and agreeable object which gives pleasure and which is seen? heard of? or remembered. Anger is aversion towards an unpleasant and disagreeable object which gives pain and which is seen? heard or? or remembered.A Yogi controls the impulse born of desire and anger? destroyes the currents of likes and dislikes,and attains to eanimity of the mind? by resting in the innermost Self? and so he is very happy.(Cf.VI.18)

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

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.

Modern

The Blessed Lord recognizes that His enthusiastic description of the wise person might seem impossible to ordinary seekers. The reason is that human life in its present condition is so filled with suffering and dependence that the common person cannot even imagine a life of complete joy. If a philosophy is so idealistic that it bears no relation to our practical world, it may serve as pleasant fantasy, but it will lack the power to elevate humanity. To dispel such flawed thinking, Sri Krishna assures all seekers that through sincere effort, this joyful life can be lived here and now in this very world. My grandfather was a great veena player. His veena remains safely preserved in our home to this day. Because I had early exposure to music through him, one day the thought suddenly arose in my mind: why not use my grandfather's veena to become a great musician overnight? If I were to attempt playing that veena in its current condition based on this thought alone, no pure music would emerge from it, and excessive handling might even break it. Before using that instrument, it must first be cleaned, its strings replaced, and it must be tuned to the proper pitch. Only when all these preparations are complete can sweet music be produced from that same veena. In exactly the same way, our inner faculty, neglected since time immemorial, has become unfit to sing the song of perfection. Now we must purify and properly arrange it through spiritual practice, so that it may experience complete joy and express that joy through itself. The Blessed Lord is describing here, briefly yet beautifully, the method of reorganizing the inner faculty. Sometimes the very brevity and simplicity of His words become obstacles to understanding His profound intention. His teachings appear simple on the surface, yet their meaning runs deep. Endure the force of desire and anger, and then that person becomes a yogi and is happy in this very world and life. Modern students of Sigmund Freud and others might find the Lord's words unscientific and the mark of crude enthusiasm. The only reason is that from superficial knowledge of human behavior and psychology, many preconceptions have formed in their minds and prejudices have hardened. Yet if we examine these teachings carefully, we shall find that they contain most useful suggestions for making life happy and fulfilled. From the mountain peak of intellect, sliding swiftly downward, there is an avalanche of thoughts called desire, which passes through the valleys of the heart and moves toward beloved objects in the external world. When a powerful barrier is placed on the slippery path of this avalanche of thoughts, it quickly reaches that barrier, shatters, and takes the form of self-destruction, which is called anger. Desire and anger are these two tendencies that ordinarily create great disturbance and agitation in our minds. The greater the intensity of desire, the more terrible the form of anger that arises when obstacles appear. Human beings desire objects only for the sake of obtaining happiness. The person who has understood that happiness does not lie in objects, and that joy is the very nature of the Self itself, will become detached from these enjoyments and strive to abide in his true nature. Such a person will have no desires for objects, and naturally, without these desires, there will be no cause for anger to arise. The person who has brought these two powerful and formidable tendencies under his control is the one who can remain freely unaffected by the temptations of this world. He alone is truly a happy person. Through Arjuna, the Blessed Lord's teaching to all of us is that we must strive to conquer desire and anger. His assurance is that upon gaining victory over these, we can experience supreme bliss here and now in this very world and life. What qualities must a person possess to be established in Brahman? The Blessed Lord says—