Chapter 16 · Verse 23 · Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 16.23
Sanskrit
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः।न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्।।16.23।।
Transliteration
yaḥ śhāstra-vidhim utsṛijya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim
In plain words
When you're lost—unsure what you're meant to do, chasing what feels good in the moment, following the voice of anger or craving instead of your conscience—you drift further from both peace and purpose. Krishna says: the map already exists in your own deepest wisdom, in the dharma that calls to you; when you ignore it to follow impulse, you don't punish the world, you punish yourself by cutting yourself off from the life you're actually meant to live.
Word by Word
When we cast aside the guidance of sacred wisdom and drift into the current of our own desires, we become like a boat without a rudder—moving, yet profoundly lost. The scriptures are not chains but maps drawn by those who have walked the path to truth; abandoning them means abandoning the very means of your own awakening.
Neither success in life, nor genuine happiness, nor the ultimate liberation you secretly seek can emerge from a life lived merely for impulse and craving. When you align your choices with dharma instead of desire, you step into the flow where grace itself becomes your companion.
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Bhagavad Gita 16.23 — BG 16.23
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