Chapter 17 · Verse 6 · Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 17.6
Sanskrit
कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः।मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान्।।17.6।।
Transliteration
karṣhayantaḥ śharīra-sthaṁ bhūta-grāmam achetasaḥ māṁ chaivāntaḥ śharīra-sthaṁ tān viddhy āsura-niśhchayān
In plain words
You may be punishing yourself right now—starving something, hating something, believing you deserve the pain. Krishna says: when you war against your own body and mind, you're actually rejecting the divine spark that lives in you. The harshness you're turning inward isn't discipline; it's a form of blindness. You are worthy of gentleness, especially from yourself.
Word by Word
Those who torment their bodies and the life-force within them, denying the Divine presence that dwells in every cell, reveal the assuric nature of their consciousness. They war against existence itself, treating the body as an enemy rather than a sacred temple.
This verse shows us that self-destruction masquerading as discipline is actually a form of spiritual blindness—a rejection of the God who lives within. When we shame our bodies or punish ourselves through extreme asceticism without wisdom, we are projecting our own inner violence outward, creating suffering both within and around us.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 17.6 — BG 17.6
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