Chapter 16, Verse 23 (Bhagavad Gita 16.23)
Chapter 16: Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Discerning the Divine and Demoniac Natures
Sanskrit Shloka
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः।न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्
Transliteration
yaḥ śhāstra-vidhim utsṛijya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim
Word Meanings
yaḥ—who; śhāstra-vidhim—scriptural injunctions; utsṛijya—discarding; vartate—act; kāma-kārataḥ—under the impulse of desire; na—neither; saḥ—they; siddhim—perfection; avāpnoti—attain; na—nor; sukham—happiness; na—nor; parām—the supreme; gatim—goal
Translation
He who, having cast aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire, does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Goal.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, reveals that the path to liberation requires surrendering one's personal whims to the divine order established in the scriptures. By setting aside the eternal guidelines provided by Bhagwan Shri Krishna, the soul remains trapped in the cycle of selfish desire, which inevitably leads to frustration rather than fulfillment. True perfection and the Supreme Goal are attained only when a devotee aligns their will with the wisdom of the Vedas, as spoken by the Lord Himself. When one abandons ego-driven actions, they begin to transcend mundane material existence and move toward the eternal light of the Supreme. Thus, Shri Krishna emphasizes that obedience to divine law is the bedrock of spiritual maturity and the necessary precursor to attaining His blissful abode.