Krishna’s Best 21 Quotes From the Bhagavad Gita
A treasure trove of timeless wisdom, the Bhagavad Gita continues to be an invaluable source of power, inspiration, and motivation for people across the globe. Every single word of this enduring scripture has a deeper meaning that can teach us how to live our lives to the fullest and find true inner peace.
The following Bhagavad Gita Krishna quotes are a collection of some of the most important teachings that can help you on your spiritual journey.
1. “Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana”
This is one of the most famous verses from the Bhagavad Gita and offers deep insight into the proper spirit of work. It emphasizes the importance of performing your duties with a clear mind and a pure purpose without worrying about the results. It is also important to remember that the fruits of your actions are not for your enjoyment and you should not take pride in your work.
2. “Anandam nadiyonam sarvatra jnanam”
This verse emphasizes the need for selfless action and devotion as the key to attaining spiritual knowledge and liberation. This translates to the need to strive for the welfare of others, not for personal gain, and to cultivate love and compassion. The ultimate goal is a direct experience of the divine, which can only be achieved through a life of devotion and selfless service.
3. “Vinaya nadi pratidinta sampada”
This is a quote from the seventh chapter of the Gita that talks about the virtues of a yogi. It highlights the need for a still mind that is undisturbed by external desires, and recommends meditation as the best tool to achieve this state. The wise understand that a balanced and controlled mind is an essential ingredient for spiritual growth, and the ability to be centered in inner peace can lead to success in any situation.
4. “Satyameva buddhi-nivartante”
In this verse, the Gita compares the changeable nature of life to the changing seasons. The wise understand that both happiness and suffering are temporary, and if we embrace them with a sense of trust that everything happens for a reason, then we can live our lives with equanimity.
5. “Atmana bhava nivartante”
This is another powerful quote that describes the eternal nature of the soul, known as Atman in Hindu philosophy. It is immortal and is able to transcend death and move from one body to the next through reincarnation. This understanding can reduce fear of death and encourage a life led with greater spiritual awareness.
6. “Atmana sampada”
This is another famous quote from the Gita that refers to the need to live with a sense of reverence and devotion for the divine. It translates to the need to develop a close relationship with the divine and to cultivate a state of selflessness and love. This leads to a higher level of consciousness and ultimately spiritual liberation. This is the goal of all spiritual practice. Awakening to this truth is the key to a fulfilling and meaningful life.
The Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta contains profound teachings on duty, action, detachment, and the nature of the self. Here are some of the most influential quotes in English:
On Action, Duty, and Detachment (Karma Yoga):
Perform your obligatory duty because action is indeed better than inaction.
Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.
Therefore, without being attached to the results of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.
Krishna’s Best 21 Quotes From the Bhagavad Gita
On the Mind and Self-Control:
For one who has conquered his mind, a mind is best of friends, but for one who has failed to do so, a mind is the greatest enemy.
A person can rise through the efforts of his own mind; or draw himself down in the same manner. Because each person is his own friend or enemy.
When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place.
Attachment breeds desire, desire breeds anger, anger breeds delusion, delusion breeds loss of memory, and loss of memory leads to the destruction of discernment.
On Wisdom and the Nature of Reality:
The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die; nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be. The soul is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.
The truly wise mourn neither for the living nor for the dead.
Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.
He who sees me everywhere and sees everything in me will not be lost to me, and I will not be lost to him.
