Bhagavad Gita Quotes

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one’s physical body without work.

Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.

It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.

By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now hear from Me how one can become perfect by engaging in his own work in devotion.

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy — fight.

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.

But a self-controlled person, who is free from attachment and aversion, can obtain the mercy of the Lord.

He is a perfect yogī who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all living beings, both in their happiness and distress, O Arjuna!

One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress — such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.

I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.

One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is very dear to Me.

One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.

As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent Self.

For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind. But the mind can be controlled by practice and detachment, through suitable means.

A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego — he alone can attain real peace.

From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self.

For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion — at that time I descend Myself.

Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. By My grace they are already put to death; you are but an instrument, O Savyasācī.

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

O son of Pṛthā, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.

The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.

Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

According to a person’s faith, one becomes faithful. A person is made by his beliefs — as a person’s faith is, so is the person.

By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now hear from Me how one can become perfect by engaging in his own work in devotion.

One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.

One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.

By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, a man can attain perfection through performing his own work.

As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones that are useless, similarly the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.

For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you, all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.

There are three gates leading to this hell — lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.

One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.

Before giving up the present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is well situated and is happy in this world.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

O Arjuna, I am the Self seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.