Bhagavad Gita Chapter 13, Verse 10 (BG 13.10) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

Attachment to acquired possessions and the ordinary affection arising from them is called attachment, or bondage. Its absence is called non-attachment. Our suffering does not arise from objects themselves, but from our mental bondage to them. Just as fire cannot burn anyone by itself unless they touch it. In one's children, spouse, and household, excessive affection is called attachment. Therefore, its absence is called non-attachment. When ordinary affection toward an object or person grows and takes the form of clinging desire, it is then called attachment. The characteristic of such attachment is that a person becomes so identified with their beloved object or person that their joys and sorrows become their own experience. A clear example of this is a mother's attachment to her child. Due to such attachment, a person's mind remains constantly disturbed, and they become inefficient in their work. We must build around our inner personality such a wall of discernment that all these disturbances remain far from us and the mind's equilibrium is always maintained—without which no progress or prosperity is ever possible. Equanimity of mind in both pleasant and unpleasant circumstances can be attained through continuous practice. If a person becomes free from the bonds of foolish affection and attachment, they gain access to an additional reservoir of power within themselves, which they must use wisely and in the right direction. Otherwise, that very power can become self-destructive. What is that right direction? This is explained in the next verse.