Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 Verse 33 — Meaning & Life Application
Sanskrit Shloka (Original)
येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च | त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च ||१-३३||
Transliteration
yeṣāmarthe kāṅkṣitaṃ no rājyaṃ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca . ta ime.avasthitā yuddhe prāṇāṃstyaktvā dhanāni ca ||1-33||
Word-by-Word Meaning
📖 Translation
1.33. Those for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures, stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth.
।।1.33।।हमें जिनके लिये राज्य, भोग और सुखादि की इच्छा है, वे ही लोग धन और जीवन की आशा को त्यागकर युद्ध में खड़े हैं।
How to Apply This Verse in Modern Life
💼 At Work & Career
In professional life, we often strive for success, promotions, or specific goals ('kingdom, enjoyments, pleasures'). This verse prompts reflection when the path to these aspirations involves competing against respected colleagues, making ethically challenging decisions, or sacrificing personal values that could harm those we genuinely value. It highlights the potential moral dilemma when our professional ambitions clash with our relational or ethical commitments, questioning whether the 'kingdom' is worth the 'battle' against those for whom we normally wish well.
🧘 For Stress & Anxiety
This verse encapsulates the profound emotional and mental stress that arises from situations where one's deeply held values, affections, or sense of duty are in direct conflict. Like Arjuna, we experience anguish when forced to make choices or engage in actions that will inevitably cause harm or suffering to people we care about. It addresses the burden of internal conflict and moral dilemma, leading to significant mental distress and a feeling of being 'torn' between competing loyalties or outcomes.
❤️ In Relationships
Directly applicable to interpersonal relationships, this verse speaks to the pain of conflicts or unavoidable disagreements with family, friends, or loved ones. When the 'kingdom' we desire is mutual happiness, harmony, or shared well-being, the 'battle' represents a situation where we must oppose or cause distress to those very individuals. It highlights the profound emotional cost of such conflicts, where the means to an end (even if a 'desired' end) involves hurting those for whom we deeply care, creating a poignant and often heartbreaking dilemma.
When to Chant/Recall This Verse
Solves These Life Problems
Key Message in One Line
“Profound anguish arises when the pursuit of desired outcomes necessitates inflicting suffering upon the very people for whom we desire happiness, revealing the bitter irony and high emotional cost of such conflicts.”
🕉️ Council of Sages
Compare interpretations from revered Acharyas and scholars
🌍 English Interpretations
Swami Sivananda
1.33 येषाम् of whose? अर्थे sake? काङ्क्षितम् (is) desired? नः by us? राज्यम् kingdom? भोगाः enjoyment? सुखानि pleasures? च and? ते they? इमे these? अवस्थिताः stand? युद्धे in battle? प्राणान् life? त्यक्त्वा having abandoned? धनानि wealth? च and.No Commentary.
Shri Purohit Swami
1.33 When those for whose sake I desire these things stand here about to sacrifice their property and their lives:
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
1.33. [These are our] teachers, fathers, sons and also paternal grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, son's sons, wives' brothers, and (other) relatives.
Swami Adidevananda
1.33 Those for whose sake we do desire empire, enjoyment and pleasures, stand here in war renouncing life and wealth----
Swami Gambirananda
1.32 1.34 O Govinda! What need do we have of a kingdom, or what (need) of enjoyments and livelihood? Those for whom kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures ae desired by us, viz teachers, uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law as also relatives-those very ones stand arrayed for battle risking their lives and wealth.
🇮🇳 Hindi Interpretations
Swami Chinmayananda
।।1.33।। No commentary.
Swami Ramsukhdas
।।1.33।। व्याख्या--'येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च'--हम राज्य, सुख, भोग आदि जो कुछ चाहते हैं, उनको अपने व्यक्तिगत सुखके लिये नहीं चाहते, प्रत्युत इन कुटुम्बियों, प्रेमियों, मित्रों आदिके लिये ही चाहते हैं। आचार्यों, पिताओं, पितामहों, पुत्रों आदिको सुख-आराम पहुँचे, इनकी सेवा हो जाय, ये प्रसन्न रहें--इसके लिये ही हम युद्ध करके राज्य लेना चाहते हैं, भोग-सामग्री इकट्ठी करना चाहते हैं। 'त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च'--पर वे ही ये सब-के-सब अपने प्राणोंकी और धनकी आशाको छोड़कर युद्ध करनेके लिये हमारे सामने इस रणभूमिमें खड़े हैं। इन्होंने ऐसा विचार कर लिया है कि हमें न प्राणोंका मोह है और न धनकी तृष्णा है; हम मर बेशक जायँ, पर युद्धसे नहीं हटेंगे। अगर ये सब मर ही जायँगे, हमें राज्य किसके लिये चाहिये? सुख किसके लिये चाहिये धन किसके लिये चाहिये? अर्थात् इन सबकी इच्छा हम किसके लिये करें? 'प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च' का तात्पर्य है कि वे प्राणोंकी और धनकी आशाका त्याग करके खड़े हैं अर्थात् हम जीवित रहेंगे और हमें धन मिलेगा--इस इच्छाको छोड़कर वे खड़े हैं। अगर उनमें प्राणोंकी और धनकी इच्छा होती, तो वे मरनेके लिये युद्धमें क्यों खड़े होते? अतः यहाँ प्राण और धनका त्याग करनेका तात्पर्य उनकी आशाका त्याग करनेमें ही है।सम्बन्ध-- जिनके लिये हम राज्य, भोग और सुख चाहते हैं, वे लोग कौन हैं--इसका वर्णन अर्जुन आगेके दो श्लोकोंमें करते हैं।
Swami Tejomayananda
।।1.33।।हमें जिनके लिये राज्य, भोग और सुखादि की इच्छा है, वे ही लोग धन और जीवन की आशा को त्यागकर युद्ध में खड़े हैं।
📜 Sanskrit Commentaries
Sri Madhavacharya
।।1.33।।Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka. The commentary starts from 2.11.
Sri Anandgiri
।।1.33।।तानेव विशिनष्टि आचार्या इति।
Sri Vallabhacharya
।।1.31 1.33।।Sri Vallabhacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Sridhara Swami
।। 1.33 विजयादिकं फलं किं न पश्यसीति चेत्तत्राह न काङ्क्ष इति। एतदेव प्रपञ्चयति किं न इति सार्धाभ्याम्। यदर्थमस्माकं राज्यादिकमपेक्षितं त एते प्राणधनानि त्यक्त्वा त्यागमङ्गीकृत्य युद्धार्थमवस्थिताः। अतः किमस्माकं राज्यादिभिः कृत्यमित्यर्थः।