Skip to content
Live Gita
HomeExploreChatWisdomCoursesCommunityBookmarksSettings
Live Gita
HomeExploreChatWisdomCommunity
BG 16.23 — 16.23 He who, having cast aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not perfection, nor happiness nor the Supreme G
← Ch. 16
BG 16.23Sign in to save

यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः |
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ||१६-२३||

yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ . na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim ||16-23||


16.23 He who, having cast aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not perfection, nor happiness nor the Supreme Goal.

Word-by-word meanings

16.23 यः who? शास्त्रविधिम् the ordinance of the scriptures? उत्सृज्य having cast aside? वर्तते acts? कामकारतः under the impulse of desire? न not? सः he? सिद्धिम् perfection? अवाप्नोति attains? न not? सुखम् happiness? न not? पराम् Supreme? गतिम् Goal.Commentary He who does not care for the Self? who gives free rein to these three sins? is a traitor to the Self. He who has renounced the authority of the Vedas which? like a mother? is eally disposed and kind to all? and which? like a beaconlight?

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

16.23 Utsrjiya, ignoring, setting aside; sastra-vidhim, the precept of the scriptures, which is th source of the knoweldge of what is duty and what is not-called injunction and prohibition; yah, he who; vartate, acts; kama-karatah, under the impulsion of passion; sah, he; na, does not; avapnoti, attain; siddhim, perfection, fitness for Liberation; nor even sukham, happiness in this world; nor even the param, supreme best; gatim, Goal-heaven or Liberation.

Swami Gambirananda

16.23 Ignoring the precept of the scriptures, he who acts under the impulsion of passion,-he does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme Goal.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Want to explore this verse deeper?

Discuss with AI companion →
← 16.22
16.24→