Chapter 18, Verse 35 (Bhagavad Gita 18.35)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
यया स्वप्नं भयं शोकं विषादं मदमेव च।न विमुञ्चति दुर्मेधा धृतिः सा पार्थ तामसी
Transliteration
yayā svapnaṁ bhayaṁ śhokaṁ viṣhādaṁ madam eva cha na vimuñchati durmedhā dhṛitiḥ sā pārtha tāmasī
Word Meanings
yayā—in which; svapnam—dreaming; bhayam—fearing; śhokam—grieving; viṣhādam—despair; madam—conceit; eva—indeed; cha—and; na—not; vimuñchati—give up; durmedhā—unintelligent; dhṛitiḥ—resolve; sā—that; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; tāmasī—in the mode of ignorance
Translation
O Arjuna, that determination by which a foolish person does not abandon sleep, fear, grief, despair, and arrogance, is declared to be Tamasic.
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Lord Krishna identifies the darkest form of human persistence—the attachment to negative mental states. Shri Krishna warns that when one stubbornly clings to base instincts like sloth, anxiety, and ego, they remain trapped in the cycle of ignorance, unable to transcend the lower modes of nature. By highlighting these specific traits, the Supreme Lord invites the soul to awaken from the slumber of delusion and release the self-destructive patterns that hinder spiritual growth. True liberation, as taught by Yogeshwar Krishna, begins when the devotee courageously relinquishes these Tamasic anchors to embrace the light of divine consciousness. Through this guidance, the Lord reveals that one's capacity for persistence must be purified and directed toward the realization of the Eternal Truth.