Chapter 5 · Verse 23 · Karma Sanyasa Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 5.23
Sanskrit
शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात्। कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः।।5.23।।
Transliteration
śhaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ prāk śharīra-vimokṣhaṇāt kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegaṁ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ
In plain words
When rage or craving rises in you—whether it's anger at your spouse, obsessive thoughts about someone you've lost, or anxiety that won't let go—you don't have to be swept away by it. Krishna says: the person who can pause and witness that surge without instantly acting on it, even once, has found their way back to peace. That one moment of choice is where change starts.
Word by Word
The Gita teaches that mastery over desire and anger is not achieved through suppression or denial, but through the steady inner strength that recognizes these forces as temporary waves in consciousness. When you can witness the surge of craving and rage *before* the body falls away at death, you have already discovered the unshakeable ground of your true Self.
In modern life, this means pausing when impulse strikes—asking yourself: Am I reacting from ego, or responding from wisdom? That single moment of conscious choice rewires your nervous system and returns you to peace.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 5.23 — BG 5.23
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