Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 21

Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम् ।
स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ॥

Transliteration

bāhyasparśeṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yatsukham .
sa brahmayogayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnute ॥

Meaning

One whose mind is unattached to external contacts finds happiness in the Self; he, with mind united with Brahman, enjoys imperishable happiness.

Word meanings

बाह्यस्पर्शेषु – in external contacts
असक्तात्मा – one whose mind is unattached
विन्दति – finds
आत्मनि – in the Self
यत् – which
सुखम् – happiness
सः – he
ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा – one whose mind is united with Brahman
सुखम् – happiness
अक्षयम् – imperishable
अश्नुते – enjoys

Anvaya (word order)

बाह्यस्पर्शेषु असक्तात्मा आत्मनि यत् सुखं विन्दति; सः ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा अक्षयं सुखम् अश्नुते ।

Explanation

This verse tells us where lasting happiness is found and how it is reached. "One whose self is unattached to contacts with outer things finds the happiness that is in the Self; united with Brahman through yoga, he enjoys undying happiness." Two kinds of happiness are set side by side: the happiness that comes from touching external objects, and the happiness that is the Self's own.

The pleasure of outer contacts is real but has a pattern. It begins when a desire meets its object, rises briefly, and fades, leaving a wish for more. Verse 5.22 will describe such pleasures as having a beginning and an end, wombs of sorrow. The happiness found in the Self, atmani yat sukham, does not depend on a visitor; it is the quiet joy that remains when the mind is not leaning outward. Most of us have tasted a hint of it: the peace after a prayer, the contentment of a task done well, a still evening without any want.

Shankara explains "bahya-sparsheshu" as the contacts of the senses with objects such as sound and touch, and says that one who is unattached to them finds the happiness within, the bliss of the Self; being absorbed in meditation on Brahman, he enjoys imperishable bliss. Ramanuja reads it as the joy of realising the Self as distinct from the body and senses, which ripens into the joy of the Lord. Madhva also stresses that the bliss is that of union with and service to the Supreme.

The word "akshayam", undying, is the point. Sensory delight depends on objects that decay and on a body that tires. Self-bliss depends on nothing that can be taken away. A person who has once found even a trace of it, in sincere prayer or meditation, no longer feels poor when external pleasures are missing. This is also why the Gita can ask for restraint without gloom: the aim is to exchange a smaller joy for a larger one, not to live without joy.

A practical way to test this is to notice how your mood depends on circumstances. If every good day relies on good news, the foundation is outside. Training the mind to rest in quiet, even for ten minutes daily, builds an inner reserve. See also 2.64 to 2.65 on serenity, 6.20 to 6.23 for the happiness beyond the senses, and 6.28 for the blissful touch of Brahman.

Context

Verse 5.20 gave the mark of evenness in the pleasant and unpleasant. Verse 5.21 tells of the inner happiness of that seeker. In 5.22 the nature of external enjoyments as sources of suffering is explained.

Life lesson

Make a daily practice of withdrawing from outer sense objects and sitting in inner peace. No object can match the happiness found there.

Key terms

Bahya-sparsha: contact with external sense objects
Atma-sukha: happiness experienced in the Self
Akshaya sukha: imperishable happiness