Bhagavad Gita Verses for Life's Problems

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥

Meaning: Contacts of the senses with their objects bring cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go and do not last. Bear them patiently, Arjuna.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥

Meaning: You have a right to action alone, never to its fruits. Do not make the fruit of action your motive, and do not be attached to inaction.

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनंजय ।सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ॥

Meaning: Established in yoga, perform your actions, Arjuna, giving up attachment and staying even-minded in success and failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।सङ्गात्संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥

Meaning: Dwelling on the objects of the senses, a person grows attached to them. From attachment comes desire, and from desire anger is born.

क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥

Meaning: From anger comes delusion, from delusion loss of memory, from loss of memory the ruin of discernment, and with discernment lost, a person is destroyed.

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥

Meaning: One's own duty, even if imperfect, is better than another's duty well performed. Dying in one's own duty is better; another's duty brings fear.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥

Meaning: Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness rises, Arjuna, I bring myself into being.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥

Meaning: Lift yourself by your own effort and do not let yourself sink, for the self alone is one's friend, and the self alone is one's enemy.

बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः ।अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ॥

Meaning: For one who has conquered the self, the self is a friend. For one who has not, the self behaves like an enemy.

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् ।अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥

Meaning: Without doubt, mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is restless and hard to control. But it can be held by practice and detachment.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥

Meaning: Abandoning all other duties, take refuge in me alone. I will free you from all sins; do not grieve.