Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 58

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

मच्चित्तः सर्वदुर्गाणि मत्प्रसादात्तरिष्यसि ।
अथ चेत्त्वमहंकारान्न श्रोष्यसि विनङ्क्ष्यसि ॥

Transliteration

maccittaḥ sarvadurgāṇi matprasādāttariṣyasi .
atha cettvamahaṃkārānna śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi ॥

Meaning

Fixing your mind on me, you will cross over all obstacles by my grace; but if out of ego you will not listen, you will perish.

Word meanings

मच्चित्तः – with mind fixed on me
सर्वदुर्गाणि – all difficulties, obstacles
मत्प्रसादात् – by my grace
तरिष्यसि – you will cross over
अथ – but
चेत् – if
त्वम् – you
अहंकारात् – out of ego
न श्रोष्यसि – will not listen
विनङ्क्ष्यसि – you will perish

Anvaya (word order)

मच्चित्तः (त्वं) मत्प्रसादात् सर्वदुर्गाणि तरिष्यसि; अथ चेत् त्वम् अहंकारात् न श्रोष्यसि, (तर्हि) विनङ्क्ष्यसि ।

Explanation

In this verse Krishna places before Arjuna the results of both paths — a loving assurance and a solemn warning. The first path: mach-chittah sarva-durgani mat-prasadat tarishyasi — if you fix your mind on me, you will cross every durga by my grace. Durga means that which is hard to pass — a fortress, a forbidding road, a danger. Here it means all the difficulties of life and the world — the crisis of war, the fear of sin, the cycle of birth and death.

Note that here too the word mat-prasadat, 'by my grace', appears. Arjuna does not need to overcome everything by his own strength. His task is to fix his mind on the Lord; the Lord's grace will carry him across. This is one of the Gita's fundamental assurances.

The second path: atha chet tvam ahankaran na shroshyasi vinankshyasi — but if out of ego you will not listen, you will perish. The word ahankarat is crucial. Krishna points out that the root cause of rejecting sound counsel is ego — 'I know better; I will decide for myself.' In the first chapter Arjuna had decided by his own reasoning not to fight; Krishna says that if he persists in those ego-born arguments, he will be ruined both spiritually and in the world.

Vinankshyasi, 'you will perish', means not only physical death but falling from one's svadharma, disgrace and spiritual decline. In Chapter 2 (2.33–36) Krishna had said that by refusing righteous battle Arjuna would lose his dharma and his honour and incur sin. The warning sounds stern, but it is given in love — as parents sternly warn a child to stay away from fire.

Context

In the previous verse Krishna instructed Arjuna to offer all actions mentally to him and keep his mind constantly on him. This verse states the fruit of that path and the consequence of rejecting it. In the next verse (18.59) Krishna says that an ego-driven resolve not to fight is futile, for nature will compel him to fight anyway.

Life lesson

When the mind is joined to God, even the greatest difficulty can be crossed. Do not reject good counsel simply because it wounds your ego. Ego shuts down the capacity to listen, and that is where downfall begins.

Key terms

Durga: Formidable difficulties and dangers
Mat-prasada: The Lord's grace
Ahankara: The pride of 'I know better'
Vinasha: Ruin — falling from duty, honour and spiritual growth