Quotes on Emotions from Bhagavad Gita
Stop emotional chaos forever. Find emotion mastery quotes hidden in the Bhagavad Gita's most calming verses.
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When emotions overwhelm us - anger, fear, desire, grief - we often feel like we're drowning in our own mind. The Bhagavad Gita offers profound wisdom on understanding and mastering our emotional landscape. Not by suppressing feelings, but by understanding their true nature.
In this collection of quotes on emotions from the Bhagavad Gita, we explore how Lord Krishna guides Arjuna through his emotional turmoil on the battlefield. These teachings reveal how emotions arise, why they control us, and most importantly - how we can find peace within the storm. Each quote opens a doorway to deeper self-understanding.
From the roots of anger to the nature of desire, from conquering fear to finding lasting joy - these verses illuminate the path to emotional freedom. Let's discover what the Bhagavad Gita teaches about the emotions that shape our daily lives.
"While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises." - Lord Krishna
This quote reveals the domino effect of unchecked emotions.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ||**English Translation:**
While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.
Found in Chapter 2, Verse 62, this teaching comes as Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna how the mind becomes entangled.
Think about the last time you got angry. Really angry.
Did it start with anger? Or did it begin when you saw something you wanted? Lord Krishna shows us that emotions don't appear randomly. They follow a predictable pattern. First, we think about something. Then we get attached. That attachment turns into desire. When desire is blocked, anger explodes.
It's like watching a small spark become a forest fire. The spark is just thinking about something. But if we keep feeding it with attention, it grows into attachment, then desire, then rage.
Anger never stands alone.
This quote teaches us that anger is actually the child of frustrated desire. When we want something and can't have it, anger is born. Understanding this changes everything. Instead of fighting anger directly, we can trace it back to its source - those first moments when we started dwelling on something.
Lord Krishna isn't saying don't feel. He's showing us the mechanics of how feelings escalate. Once we see the pattern, we can interrupt it. We can catch ourselves in that first stage - just thinking about something - before it spirals into emotional chaos.
"One whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom." - Lord Krishna
Here, Lord Krishna paints a picture of emotional mastery.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः |वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ||**English Translation:**
One whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.
This wisdom appears in Chapter 2, Verse 56, as Lord Krishna describes the qualities of an enlightened person.
Imagine standing in the middle of a storm, completely calm.
That's what this quote describes. Not someone who doesn't feel, but someone who isn't controlled by feelings. When sadness comes, they don't drown. When happiness arrives, they don't cling. They experience emotions without becoming their slave.
Lord Krishna calls this person a "sage of steady wisdom." Notice He doesn't say they have no emotions. They're free from attachment to emotions. There's a huge difference. They feel joy but don't desperately chase it. They feel sorrow but don't get lost in it.
Stability doesn't mean being emotionless.
This quote shows us that real stability means experiencing life fully while maintaining inner balance. Like a tree that bends with the wind but doesn't break. The sage feels everything - they just don't let feelings become their master. Fear comes, but doesn't paralyze. Anger rises, but doesn't control.
Most of us swing between extremes. Ecstatic one moment, devastated the next. Lord Krishna points to a different way - feeling deeply while staying centered. This isn't suppression. It's freedom.
"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." - Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna reveals the true enemy within.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः |महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ||**English Translation:**
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.
This powerful teaching comes from Chapter 3, Verse 37, when Arjuna asks what compels people to do wrong.
Lust isn't just about physical desire.
In this quote, Lord Krishna uses "lust" to mean any intense craving - for power, money, recognition, or pleasure. He calls it "all-devouring" because it's never satisfied. Feed it, and it grows hungrier. Like fire that consumes everything and still wants more.
What's fascinating is how He links lust and anger. They're the same energy in different forms. When we can't get what we crave, lust transforms into rage. Understanding this connection helps us see why some people seem constantly angry - they're burning with unfulfilled desires.
The real war isn't outside. It's within.
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna - and us - that our true enemy isn't other people. It's this force of uncontrolled desire that lives inside us. It promises happiness but delivers misery. It whispers that just one more achievement, one more possession, one more experience will satisfy us. But it lies.
This quote shifts our perspective completely. Instead of blaming circumstances or others for our anger and frustration, we see the real culprit - our own unchecked desires. Once we recognize this enemy, we can start the real battle for inner freedom.
"Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future." - Lord Krishna
Freedom from emotional bondage leads to ultimate liberation.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् |अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् ||**English Translation:**
Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.
This promise appears in Chapter 5, Verse 26, where Lord Krishna describes the path to liberation.
Liberation isn't some distant dream.
Lord Krishna makes a bold promise here - those who free themselves from anger and material desires find liberation "in the very near future." Not in some far-off lifetime. Soon. But notice the conditions. It's not about suppressing emotions. It's about understanding ourselves so deeply that anger and craving lose their grip.
Self-realization comes first. When we truly know who we are beyond our emotions and desires, everything changes. We stop identifying with every feeling that passes through us. We see them as temporary visitors, not permanent residents.
Our emotions are directly tied to our spiritual journey.
This quote reveals that mastering anger and desire isn't just about having a peaceful life. It's the doorway to liberation itself. Every time we choose awareness over anger, every time we see through the illusion of material craving, we step closer to freedom.
Lord Krishna emphasizes "constantly endeavoring." This isn't a one-time achievement. It's a continuous practice. Each day, each moment, we choose whether to feed our anger and desires or to cultivate understanding and peace. The promise is clear - persist in this effort, and liberation is assured.
"There are three gates leading to hell - lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul." - Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna warns about three destructive emotions.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः |कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||**English Translation:**
There are three gates leading to hell - lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.
This stark warning comes from Chapter 16, Verse 21, where Lord Krishna describes divine and demoniac qualities.
These aren't random emotions. They're connected.
Lord Krishna identifies lust, anger, and greed as the triple threat to our well-being. Think about it. Lust says "I must have." Greed says "I need more." Anger says "How dare you block me." Together, they create a cycle of perpetual suffering. Each feeds the others.
He calls them "gates to hell" not to scare us, but to wake us up. Hell isn't some future punishment. It's the present reality when these emotions rule our lives. The person consumed by lust, anger, and greed lives in hell right now - always wanting, always angry, never satisfied.
Our soul doesn't need saving. It needs protecting from ourselves.
This quote shows how these three emotions degrade the soul. Not destroy - degrade. Like rust slowly eating metal. Each time we act from lust, anger, or greed, we move further from our true nature. We forget who we really are.
Lord Krishna addresses "every sane man" - implying that holding onto these emotions is actually a form of insanity. The sane response is to recognize these gates and consciously turn away. Not through force, but through understanding their destructive nature.
"O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." - Lord Krishna
Emotions are as temporary as seasons.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः |आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ||**English Translation:**
O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
This teaching appears in Chapter 2, Verse 14, as Lord Krishna helps Arjuna understand the nature of experience.
Winter always ends. So does sadness.
Lord Krishna uses the perfect metaphor - seasons. Just as we don't panic when winter comes because we know spring will follow, we shouldn't despair when sorrow arrives. It will pass. Similarly, when happiness comes, we shouldn't cling desperately. It too will change.
This isn't pessimism. It's freedom. When we truly understand that all emotions are temporary visitors, we stop being their victim. We experience them fully but hold them lightly. Like watching clouds pass across the sky.
Tolerance doesn't mean numbness.
When Lord Krishna says "tolerate," He's not asking us to become stones. He's teaching us to experience emotions without being disturbed by them. Like standing in rain - you feel wet, but you don't dissolve. You know the rain will stop.
The key insight is that emotions "arise from sense perception." Our senses contact the world, and emotions arise. It's a mechanical process, not a personal attack from the universe. Understanding this helps us step back and observe rather than drown.
"A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well." - Lord Krishna
We are our own best friend or worst enemy.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ||**English Translation:**
A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
This profound insight comes from Chapter 6, Verse 5, where Lord Krishna discusses meditation and self-control.
No one else can lift you up. Or pull you down.
This quote places complete responsibility in our hands. We often blame others for making us angry, sad, or frustrated. But Lord Krishna says we elevate or degrade ourselves through our own mind. Our emotional state is our choice, our responsibility.
This is both terrifying and liberating. Terrifying because we can't blame anyone else. Liberating because it means we have the power to change. We don't need anyone's permission to find peace. We don't need perfect circumstances to be happy.
Your mind - friend or foe?
The same mind that creates anxiety can create peace. The same mind that generates anger can generate compassion. It all depends on how we use it. When we let emotions run wild, the mind becomes our enemy, creating endless suffering. When we guide it wisely, it becomes our greatest ally.
This isn't about suppressing the mind or emotions. It's about partnership. Like training a wild horse - not breaking its spirit, but channeling its power. The mind's energy remains the same. We just learn to direct it toward elevation rather than degradation.
"Before giving up this 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." - Lord Krishna
True happiness comes from mastering our impulses.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् |कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ||**English Translation:**
Before giving up this 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.
This practical wisdom appears in Chapter 5, Verse 23, showing the path to happiness here and now.
Happiness isn't waiting in the afterlife. It's available now.
Lord Krishna makes it clear - master your desires and anger, and you'll be happy "in this world." Not in some future heaven. Right here, right now. The recipe is simple but not easy: learn to tolerate sensory urges and check the force of emotions.
Notice He says "tolerate," not eliminate. The urges will come. Desires will arise. Anger will knock. But we can learn to experience them without being controlled by them. Like waves hitting a rock - they come with force, but the rock remains unmoved.
Well-being isn't about perfect circumstances.
This quote reveals that being "well situated" has nothing to do with external conditions. It's an internal achievement. The person who can face desire without being enslaved, who can feel anger without exploding - this person has found true stability.
Lord Krishna emphasizes doing this "before giving up this present body." Why wait? Why postpone peace? The tools for happiness are within us right now. Every moment we check our anger, every time we don't act on blind desire, we build the foundation for lasting joy.
"He by whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me." - Lord Krishna
Our emotional state affects everyone around us.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः |हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ||**English Translation:**
He by whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.
This beautiful description comes from Chapter 12, Verse 15, where Lord Krishna describes the qualities of His devotees.
Your peace creates ripples of peace.
This quote shows how deeply our emotional state impacts others. When we're anxious, we spread anxiety. When we're angry, we create disturbance. But when we're equipoised, we become a source of peace for everyone around us. We stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution.
Lord Krishna values this quality so highly that He calls such people "very dear to Me." Why? Because they've mastered something profound - they've learned to process their emotions without making them everyone else's problem.
True maturity means containing our own storms.
Being "equipoised in happiness and distress" doesn't mean feeling nothing. It means feeling everything without losing balance. When happiness comes, we don't become so excited that we disturb others. When fear arrives, we don't panic and spread chaos.
This is emotional adulthood. Children throw their emotions at everyone. Adults learn to experience feelings without weaponizing them. They create a safe space around themselves where others can relax, knowing they won't be hit by emotional shrapnel.
"A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires." - Lord Krishna
Be like the ocean, not the river.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् |तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ||**English Translation:**
A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.
This profound metaphor appears in Chapter 2, Verse 70, teaching us about inner stability.
Rivers rush. Oceans remain still.
What a perfect image Lord Krishna gives us. Desires and emotions flow into us constantly, like rivers into the ocean. But watch the ocean - no matter how many rivers pour in, it remains vast, still, unmoved. It accepts everything without being disturbed.
Most of us are like small ponds. One emotional river floods us completely. We overflow with anger, dry up with sadness, get churned by every desire. But we can learn to be like the ocean - vast enough to receive all emotions without losing our essential stillness.
Chasing satisfaction guarantees no peace.
This quote destroys a common illusion - that peace comes from satisfying desires. Lord Krishna says the opposite. The person who chases every desire, trying to satisfy them all, never finds peace. Why? Because desires are endless. Satisfy one, and ten more appear.
Real peace comes from a different approach. Not from stopping the flow of desires - that's impossible. But from becoming so vast, so centered, that desires can flow through us without disturbing our core. Like the ocean that remains itself no matter what enters.
"Being one with Brahman, serene, he neither grieves nor desires; being the same to all beings, he attains supreme devotion to Me." - Lord Krishna
Beyond emotions lies supreme devotion.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति |समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ||**English Translation:**
Being one with Brahman, serene, he neither grieves nor desires; being the same to all beings, he attains supreme devotion to Me.
This ultimate state is described in Chapter 18, Verse 54, showing the pinnacle of spiritual realization.
Imagine living without the push and pull of wanting and avoiding.
This quote describes the ultimate emotional freedom - neither grieving for what's lost nor desiring what we don't have. This isn't numbness or indifference. It's complete fullness. When you realize your true nature as one with Brahman, what is there to grieve? What is there to desire? You are complete.
Lord Krishna calls this state "serene." Not empty, but full of peace. The person who reaches this understanding doesn't suppress emotions - they transcend them. They see through the illusion that creates grief and desire in the first place.
True devotion blooms in emotional freedom.
Notice the progression - first comes realization and serenity, then "supreme devotion." Why? Because when we're caught in our emotions, our devotion is colored by need. We pray when afraid, worship when wanting. But when we transcend grief and desire, devotion becomes pure love.
Being "same to all beings" means our emotional reactions don't create barriers. We don't love some and hate others based on how they make us feel. This equality of vision, born from emotional transcendence, opens the door to the highest devotion.
The Bhagavad Gita's teachings on emotions offer profound insights for daily life. Here are the essential lessons we've explored:
These teachings show us that emotional mastery isn't about suppression or indifference. It's about understanding the nature of emotions, seeing through their temporary appearance, and finding our center in the midst of life's inevitable ups and downs. The Bhagavad Gita offers not just philosophy but practical wisdom for anyone seeking emotional freedom and lasting peace.
When emotions overwhelm us - anger, fear, desire, grief - we often feel like we're drowning in our own mind. The Bhagavad Gita offers profound wisdom on understanding and mastering our emotional landscape. Not by suppressing feelings, but by understanding their true nature.
In this collection of quotes on emotions from the Bhagavad Gita, we explore how Lord Krishna guides Arjuna through his emotional turmoil on the battlefield. These teachings reveal how emotions arise, why they control us, and most importantly - how we can find peace within the storm. Each quote opens a doorway to deeper self-understanding.
From the roots of anger to the nature of desire, from conquering fear to finding lasting joy - these verses illuminate the path to emotional freedom. Let's discover what the Bhagavad Gita teaches about the emotions that shape our daily lives.
"While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises." - Lord Krishna
This quote reveals the domino effect of unchecked emotions.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ||**English Translation:**
While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.
Found in Chapter 2, Verse 62, this teaching comes as Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna how the mind becomes entangled.
Think about the last time you got angry. Really angry.
Did it start with anger? Or did it begin when you saw something you wanted? Lord Krishna shows us that emotions don't appear randomly. They follow a predictable pattern. First, we think about something. Then we get attached. That attachment turns into desire. When desire is blocked, anger explodes.
It's like watching a small spark become a forest fire. The spark is just thinking about something. But if we keep feeding it with attention, it grows into attachment, then desire, then rage.
Anger never stands alone.
This quote teaches us that anger is actually the child of frustrated desire. When we want something and can't have it, anger is born. Understanding this changes everything. Instead of fighting anger directly, we can trace it back to its source - those first moments when we started dwelling on something.
Lord Krishna isn't saying don't feel. He's showing us the mechanics of how feelings escalate. Once we see the pattern, we can interrupt it. We can catch ourselves in that first stage - just thinking about something - before it spirals into emotional chaos.
"One whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom." - Lord Krishna
Here, Lord Krishna paints a picture of emotional mastery.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः |वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ||**English Translation:**
One whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.
This wisdom appears in Chapter 2, Verse 56, as Lord Krishna describes the qualities of an enlightened person.
Imagine standing in the middle of a storm, completely calm.
That's what this quote describes. Not someone who doesn't feel, but someone who isn't controlled by feelings. When sadness comes, they don't drown. When happiness arrives, they don't cling. They experience emotions without becoming their slave.
Lord Krishna calls this person a "sage of steady wisdom." Notice He doesn't say they have no emotions. They're free from attachment to emotions. There's a huge difference. They feel joy but don't desperately chase it. They feel sorrow but don't get lost in it.
Stability doesn't mean being emotionless.
This quote shows us that real stability means experiencing life fully while maintaining inner balance. Like a tree that bends with the wind but doesn't break. The sage feels everything - they just don't let feelings become their master. Fear comes, but doesn't paralyze. Anger rises, but doesn't control.
Most of us swing between extremes. Ecstatic one moment, devastated the next. Lord Krishna points to a different way - feeling deeply while staying centered. This isn't suppression. It's freedom.
"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." - Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna reveals the true enemy within.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः |महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ||**English Translation:**
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.
This powerful teaching comes from Chapter 3, Verse 37, when Arjuna asks what compels people to do wrong.
Lust isn't just about physical desire.
In this quote, Lord Krishna uses "lust" to mean any intense craving - for power, money, recognition, or pleasure. He calls it "all-devouring" because it's never satisfied. Feed it, and it grows hungrier. Like fire that consumes everything and still wants more.
What's fascinating is how He links lust and anger. They're the same energy in different forms. When we can't get what we crave, lust transforms into rage. Understanding this connection helps us see why some people seem constantly angry - they're burning with unfulfilled desires.
The real war isn't outside. It's within.
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna - and us - that our true enemy isn't other people. It's this force of uncontrolled desire that lives inside us. It promises happiness but delivers misery. It whispers that just one more achievement, one more possession, one more experience will satisfy us. But it lies.
This quote shifts our perspective completely. Instead of blaming circumstances or others for our anger and frustration, we see the real culprit - our own unchecked desires. Once we recognize this enemy, we can start the real battle for inner freedom.
"Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future." - Lord Krishna
Freedom from emotional bondage leads to ultimate liberation.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् |अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् ||**English Translation:**
Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.
This promise appears in Chapter 5, Verse 26, where Lord Krishna describes the path to liberation.
Liberation isn't some distant dream.
Lord Krishna makes a bold promise here - those who free themselves from anger and material desires find liberation "in the very near future." Not in some far-off lifetime. Soon. But notice the conditions. It's not about suppressing emotions. It's about understanding ourselves so deeply that anger and craving lose their grip.
Self-realization comes first. When we truly know who we are beyond our emotions and desires, everything changes. We stop identifying with every feeling that passes through us. We see them as temporary visitors, not permanent residents.
Our emotions are directly tied to our spiritual journey.
This quote reveals that mastering anger and desire isn't just about having a peaceful life. It's the doorway to liberation itself. Every time we choose awareness over anger, every time we see through the illusion of material craving, we step closer to freedom.
Lord Krishna emphasizes "constantly endeavoring." This isn't a one-time achievement. It's a continuous practice. Each day, each moment, we choose whether to feed our anger and desires or to cultivate understanding and peace. The promise is clear - persist in this effort, and liberation is assured.
"There are three gates leading to hell - lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul." - Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna warns about three destructive emotions.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः |कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||**English Translation:**
There are three gates leading to hell - lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.
This stark warning comes from Chapter 16, Verse 21, where Lord Krishna describes divine and demoniac qualities.
These aren't random emotions. They're connected.
Lord Krishna identifies lust, anger, and greed as the triple threat to our well-being. Think about it. Lust says "I must have." Greed says "I need more." Anger says "How dare you block me." Together, they create a cycle of perpetual suffering. Each feeds the others.
He calls them "gates to hell" not to scare us, but to wake us up. Hell isn't some future punishment. It's the present reality when these emotions rule our lives. The person consumed by lust, anger, and greed lives in hell right now - always wanting, always angry, never satisfied.
Our soul doesn't need saving. It needs protecting from ourselves.
This quote shows how these three emotions degrade the soul. Not destroy - degrade. Like rust slowly eating metal. Each time we act from lust, anger, or greed, we move further from our true nature. We forget who we really are.
Lord Krishna addresses "every sane man" - implying that holding onto these emotions is actually a form of insanity. The sane response is to recognize these gates and consciously turn away. Not through force, but through understanding their destructive nature.
"O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." - Lord Krishna
Emotions are as temporary as seasons.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः |आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ||**English Translation:**
O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
This teaching appears in Chapter 2, Verse 14, as Lord Krishna helps Arjuna understand the nature of experience.
Winter always ends. So does sadness.
Lord Krishna uses the perfect metaphor - seasons. Just as we don't panic when winter comes because we know spring will follow, we shouldn't despair when sorrow arrives. It will pass. Similarly, when happiness comes, we shouldn't cling desperately. It too will change.
This isn't pessimism. It's freedom. When we truly understand that all emotions are temporary visitors, we stop being their victim. We experience them fully but hold them lightly. Like watching clouds pass across the sky.
Tolerance doesn't mean numbness.
When Lord Krishna says "tolerate," He's not asking us to become stones. He's teaching us to experience emotions without being disturbed by them. Like standing in rain - you feel wet, but you don't dissolve. You know the rain will stop.
The key insight is that emotions "arise from sense perception." Our senses contact the world, and emotions arise. It's a mechanical process, not a personal attack from the universe. Understanding this helps us step back and observe rather than drown.
"A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well." - Lord Krishna
We are our own best friend or worst enemy.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ||**English Translation:**
A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
This profound insight comes from Chapter 6, Verse 5, where Lord Krishna discusses meditation and self-control.
No one else can lift you up. Or pull you down.
This quote places complete responsibility in our hands. We often blame others for making us angry, sad, or frustrated. But Lord Krishna says we elevate or degrade ourselves through our own mind. Our emotional state is our choice, our responsibility.
This is both terrifying and liberating. Terrifying because we can't blame anyone else. Liberating because it means we have the power to change. We don't need anyone's permission to find peace. We don't need perfect circumstances to be happy.
Your mind - friend or foe?
The same mind that creates anxiety can create peace. The same mind that generates anger can generate compassion. It all depends on how we use it. When we let emotions run wild, the mind becomes our enemy, creating endless suffering. When we guide it wisely, it becomes our greatest ally.
This isn't about suppressing the mind or emotions. It's about partnership. Like training a wild horse - not breaking its spirit, but channeling its power. The mind's energy remains the same. We just learn to direct it toward elevation rather than degradation.
"Before giving up this 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." - Lord Krishna
True happiness comes from mastering our impulses.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् |कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ||**English Translation:**
Before giving up this 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.
This practical wisdom appears in Chapter 5, Verse 23, showing the path to happiness here and now.
Happiness isn't waiting in the afterlife. It's available now.
Lord Krishna makes it clear - master your desires and anger, and you'll be happy "in this world." Not in some future heaven. Right here, right now. The recipe is simple but not easy: learn to tolerate sensory urges and check the force of emotions.
Notice He says "tolerate," not eliminate. The urges will come. Desires will arise. Anger will knock. But we can learn to experience them without being controlled by them. Like waves hitting a rock - they come with force, but the rock remains unmoved.
Well-being isn't about perfect circumstances.
This quote reveals that being "well situated" has nothing to do with external conditions. It's an internal achievement. The person who can face desire without being enslaved, who can feel anger without exploding - this person has found true stability.
Lord Krishna emphasizes doing this "before giving up this present body." Why wait? Why postpone peace? The tools for happiness are within us right now. Every moment we check our anger, every time we don't act on blind desire, we build the foundation for lasting joy.
"He by whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me." - Lord Krishna
Our emotional state affects everyone around us.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः |हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ||**English Translation:**
He by whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.
This beautiful description comes from Chapter 12, Verse 15, where Lord Krishna describes the qualities of His devotees.
Your peace creates ripples of peace.
This quote shows how deeply our emotional state impacts others. When we're anxious, we spread anxiety. When we're angry, we create disturbance. But when we're equipoised, we become a source of peace for everyone around us. We stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution.
Lord Krishna values this quality so highly that He calls such people "very dear to Me." Why? Because they've mastered something profound - they've learned to process their emotions without making them everyone else's problem.
True maturity means containing our own storms.
Being "equipoised in happiness and distress" doesn't mean feeling nothing. It means feeling everything without losing balance. When happiness comes, we don't become so excited that we disturb others. When fear arrives, we don't panic and spread chaos.
This is emotional adulthood. Children throw their emotions at everyone. Adults learn to experience feelings without weaponizing them. They create a safe space around themselves where others can relax, knowing they won't be hit by emotional shrapnel.
"A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires." - Lord Krishna
Be like the ocean, not the river.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् |तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ||**English Translation:**
A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.
This profound metaphor appears in Chapter 2, Verse 70, teaching us about inner stability.
Rivers rush. Oceans remain still.
What a perfect image Lord Krishna gives us. Desires and emotions flow into us constantly, like rivers into the ocean. But watch the ocean - no matter how many rivers pour in, it remains vast, still, unmoved. It accepts everything without being disturbed.
Most of us are like small ponds. One emotional river floods us completely. We overflow with anger, dry up with sadness, get churned by every desire. But we can learn to be like the ocean - vast enough to receive all emotions without losing our essential stillness.
Chasing satisfaction guarantees no peace.
This quote destroys a common illusion - that peace comes from satisfying desires. Lord Krishna says the opposite. The person who chases every desire, trying to satisfy them all, never finds peace. Why? Because desires are endless. Satisfy one, and ten more appear.
Real peace comes from a different approach. Not from stopping the flow of desires - that's impossible. But from becoming so vast, so centered, that desires can flow through us without disturbing our core. Like the ocean that remains itself no matter what enters.
"Being one with Brahman, serene, he neither grieves nor desires; being the same to all beings, he attains supreme devotion to Me." - Lord Krishna
Beyond emotions lies supreme devotion.
**Full Verse in Sanskrit:**
ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति |समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ||**English Translation:**
Being one with Brahman, serene, he neither grieves nor desires; being the same to all beings, he attains supreme devotion to Me.
This ultimate state is described in Chapter 18, Verse 54, showing the pinnacle of spiritual realization.
Imagine living without the push and pull of wanting and avoiding.
This quote describes the ultimate emotional freedom - neither grieving for what's lost nor desiring what we don't have. This isn't numbness or indifference. It's complete fullness. When you realize your true nature as one with Brahman, what is there to grieve? What is there to desire? You are complete.
Lord Krishna calls this state "serene." Not empty, but full of peace. The person who reaches this understanding doesn't suppress emotions - they transcend them. They see through the illusion that creates grief and desire in the first place.
True devotion blooms in emotional freedom.
Notice the progression - first comes realization and serenity, then "supreme devotion." Why? Because when we're caught in our emotions, our devotion is colored by need. We pray when afraid, worship when wanting. But when we transcend grief and desire, devotion becomes pure love.
Being "same to all beings" means our emotional reactions don't create barriers. We don't love some and hate others based on how they make us feel. This equality of vision, born from emotional transcendence, opens the door to the highest devotion.
The Bhagavad Gita's teachings on emotions offer profound insights for daily life. Here are the essential lessons we've explored:
These teachings show us that emotional mastery isn't about suppression or indifference. It's about understanding the nature of emotions, seeing through their temporary appearance, and finding our center in the midst of life's inevitable ups and downs. The Bhagavad Gita offers not just philosophy but practical wisdom for anyone seeking emotional freedom and lasting peace.