What the scriptures say about anger

What do the scriptures say about anger?

The texts call it krodha (क्रोध). The fire that rises when wanting is blocked (kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate) and then clouds judgement. They set steadiness, forgiveness and equanimity against it.

106 verses
24 stories
Weighs on the mind

Read the verses Find it on the map

Krishna

क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः । स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥

krodhādbhavati saṃmohaḥ saṃmohātsmṛtivibhramaḥ | smṛtibhraṃśād buddhināśo buddhināśātpraṇaśyati ||

From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, the ruin of understanding; and with understanding ruined, a person is lost.

Bhagavad Gita 2.63

Anger in the texts' own words

Someone in the verse is in it, or the text names it outright. Many readers find their own day here.

Yudhishthira
वाच्यावाच्ये हि कुपितो न प्रजानाति कर्हिचित् / नाकार्यमस्ति क्रुद्धस्य नावाच्यं विद्यते तथा
vācyāvācye hi kupito na prajānāti karhicit / nākāryamasti kruddhasya nāvācyaṃ vidyate tathā
An angry person never knows what should be said and what should not. For the angry there is nothing they won't do, and nothing they won't say.
Mahabharata · Vana Parva · Vana: Draupadi and Yudhishthira
Pictures the angry mind for which nothing is off limits. our reading
Krishna
क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः । स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥
krodhādbhavati saṃmohaḥ saṃmohātsmṛtivibhramaḥ | smṛtibhraṃśād buddhināśo buddhināśātpraṇaśyati ||
From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, the ruin of understanding; and with understanding ruined, a person is lost.
Bhagavad Gita 2.63
Krishna
श्री भगवानुवाच काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः । महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥
śrī bhagavānuvāca kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ | mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenamiha vairiṇam ||
The Blessed Lord said: It is desire, it is anger, born of the quality of passion; all-devouring and greatly harmful. Know this to be the enemy here.
Bhagavad Gita 3.37
Hanuman
वाच्यावाच्यं प्रकुपितो न विजानाति कर्हिचित्। नाकार्यमस्ति क्रुद्धस्य नावाच्यं विद्यते क्वचित्॥
vācyāvācyaṃ prakupito na vijānāti karhicit| nākāryamasti kruddhasya nāvācyaṃ vidyate kvacit||
An angry person never knows what should and should not be said. For the angry, nothing is off limits to do or to say.
Valmiki Ramayana · Sundara Kanda

What feeds it, step by step

Sequences the texts state outright, in their own order.

What drives us against our will

Bhagavad Gita 3.36-39

passion or activity
Craving
Anger
Confusion

Arjuna asks what pushes a person to do wrong against their own wish. Krishna says it is desire and anger born of rajas, and this covers knowing as smoke covers fire and dust covers a mirror.

Arjuna
अर्जुन उवाच अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः । अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥
arjuna uvāca atha kena prayukto’yaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ | anicchannapi vārṣṇeya balādiva niyojitaḥ ||
Arjuna said: Then what drives a person to do wrong, Krishna, even against his will, as if pushed by force?
Bhagavad Gita 3.36
Krishna
श्री भगवानुवाच काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः । महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥
śrī bhagavānuvāca kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ | mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenamiha vairiṇam ||
The Blessed Lord said: It is desire, it is anger, born of the quality of passion; all-devouring and greatly harmful. Know this to be the enemy here.
Bhagavad Gita 3.37
Krishna
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन च । यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥
dhūmenāvriyate vahniryathā’’darśo malena ca | yatholbenāvṛto garbhastathā tenedamāvṛtam ||
As fire is covered by smoke, a mirror by dust, and an embryo by the womb, so is this wisdom covered by desire.
Bhagavad Gita 3.38

The ladder of fall

Bhagavad Gita 2.62-63

dwelling on objects
Attachment
Craving
Anger
Confusion
loss of memory
ruin of judgement
loss of memory

Dwelling on an object breeds attachment. Attachment breeds desire. Desire breeds anger. Anger breeds delusion. Delusion causes loss of memory. Loss of memory ruins judgement. With judgement gone, one is lost.

Krishna
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते । सङ्गात् संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥
dhyāyato viṣayānpuṃsaḥ saṅgasteṣūpajāyate | saṅgāt saṃjāyate kāmaḥ kāmātkrodho’bhijāyate ||
When a person dwells on objects, attachment to them is born. From attachment comes desire, and from desire, anger.
Bhagavad Gita 2.62
Krishna
क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः । स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥
krodhādbhavati saṃmohaḥ saṃmohātsmṛtivibhramaḥ | smṛtibhraṃśād buddhināśo buddhināśātpraṇaśyati ||
From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, the ruin of understanding; and with understanding ruined, a person is lost.
Bhagavad Gita 2.63

The three gates

Bhagavad Gita 16.21-22

Craving
Anger
Greed
ruin of the self
highest good

Desire, anger and greed are the threefold gate that ruins the self. A person gives up these three. Freed from them, that person does what is good for the self and reaches the highest.

Krishna
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः । कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥
trividhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāraṃ nāśanamātmanaḥ | kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetattrayaṃ tyajet ||
Threefold is the gate of hell that destroys the self: desire, anger and greed. Therefore one should give up these three.
Bhagavad Gita 16.21
Krishna
एतैर्विमुक्तः कौन्तेय तमोद्वारैस्त्रिभिर्नरः । आचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥
etairvimuktaḥ kaunteya tamodvāraistribhirnaraḥ | ācaratyātmanaḥ śreyastato yāti parāṃ gatim ||
Released from these three gates of darkness, Kaunteya, a person does what is good for the self and so reaches the highest goal.
Bhagavad Gita 16.22

With patience, who needs armour

Bhartrihari, Niti Shataka 21

Forgiveness
Anger

If you have patience, you do not need armor. If you have anger, you do not need enemies.

Bhartrihari
क्षान्तिश्चेत् कवचेन किं किमरिभिः क्रोधोऽस्ति चेद्देहिनां ज्ञातिश्चेदनलेन किं यदि सुहृद् दिव्यौषधैः किं फलम् । किं सर्पैर्यदि दुर्जनाः किमु धनैर्विद्या न वन्द्या यदि व्रीडा चेत्किमु भूषणैः सुकविता यद्यस्ति राज्येन किम् ॥
kṣāntiścet kavacena kiṃ kimaribhiḥ krodho’sti ceddehināṃ jñātiścedanalena kiṃ yadi suhṛd divyauṣadhaiḥ kiṃ phalam | kiṃ sarpairyadi durjanāḥ kimu dhanairvidyā na vandyā yadi vrīḍā cetkimu bhūṣaṇaiḥ sukavitā yadyasti rājyena kim ||
If you have forbearance, what need of armour? If you have anger, what need of enemies? If you have kinsmen, what need of fire? If a friend, what need of magic medicines? If the wicked are around, what need of snakes? If spotless learning, what need of riches? If modesty, what need of ornaments? If fine poetry, what need of a kingdom?
Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam

What heals it

What the texts set against it, and the verses that give footing.

Forgivenesskṣamā
Forgiveness cures anger by setting patience against reactive anger only, never against the wronged first. stated in the text
Bhartrihari Niti 21; Vidura; MBh Vana 29
Discernmentviveka
Put out anger with good sense as fire with water; do not decide when angry. stated in the text
Valmiki Sundara 55; Vidura 33
Steadinessdhṛti
Steadiness makes whoever can withstand the surge of desire and anger here happy. stated in the text
Gita 5.23
Speech austerityvak tapas
Words that do not wound; answer fire with water. stated in the text
Gita 17.15; Hamsa Gita
Equanimitysamatva
Free of clinging, fear and anger: the steady one. stated in the text
Gita 2.56; 12.15

Krishna
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः । हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥
yasmānnodvijate loko lokānnodvijate ca yaḥ | harṣāmarṣabhayodvegairmukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ ||
One from whom the world does not shrink and who does not shrink from the world, who is free from elation, impatience, fear and agitation, is dear to me.
Bhagavad Gita 12.15
Krishna
अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत् । स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते ॥
anudvegakaraṃ vākyaṃ satyaṃ priyahitaṃ ca yat | svādhyāyābhyasanaṃ caiva vāṅmayaṃ tapa ucyate ||
Speech that causes no distress, that is truthful, pleasant and beneficial, and the regular study of sacred texts: this is called austerity of speech.
Bhagavad Gita 17.15
Gives a four part test to run before speaking in heat. our reading
Krishna
दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः । वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ॥
duḥkheṣvanudvignamanāḥ sukheṣu vigataspṛhaḥ | vītarāgabhayakrodhaḥ sthitadhīrmunirucyate ||
One whose mind is not shaken by sorrow, who has no craving for pleasures, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.
Bhagavad Gita 2.56
Shows the steady mind pictured as free of anger. our reading
Bhartrihari
क्षान्तिश्चेत् कवचेन किं किमरिभिः क्रोधोऽस्ति चेद्देहिनां ज्ञातिश्चेदनलेन किं यदि सुहृद् दिव्यौषधैः किं फलम् । किं सर्पैर्यदि दुर्जनाः किमु धनैर्विद्या न वन्द्या यदि व्रीडा चेत्किमु भूषणैः सुकविता यद्यस्ति राज्येन किम् ॥
kṣāntiścet kavacena kiṃ kimaribhiḥ krodho’sti ceddehināṃ jñātiścedanalena kiṃ yadi suhṛd divyauṣadhaiḥ kiṃ phalam | kiṃ sarpairyadi durjanāḥ kimu dhanairvidyā na vandyā yadi vrīḍā cetkimu bhūṣaṇaiḥ sukavitā yadyasti rājyena kim ||
If you have forbearance, what need of armour? If you have anger, what need of enemies? If you have kinsmen, what need of fire? If a friend, what need of magic medicines? If the wicked are around, what need of snakes? If spotless learning, what need of riches? If modesty, what need of ornaments? If fine poetry, what need of a kingdom?
Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam
Names anger as enemy enough. our reading
Narrator
लखन उतर आहुति सरिस भृगुबर कोपु कृसानु। बढ़त देखि जल सम बचन बोले रघुकुलभानु ॥
lakhan utar āhuti saris bhṛgubar kopu kṛsānu| baṛhat dekhi jal sam bacan bole raghukulabhānu ||
Seeing Parashurama's fire of anger rise with each of Lakshman's replies, which fell on it like offerings of ghee, Ram, sun of the Raghu line, spoke words like water.
Ramcharitmanas · Bal Kand
Shows anger in a room growing by what is fed to it. our reading
Vidura
दश धर्मं न जानन्ति धृतराष्ट्र निबोध तान् / मत्तः प्रमत्त उन्मत्तः श्रान्तः क्रुद्धो बुभुक्षितः त्वरमाणश्च लुब्धश्च भीतः कामी च ते दश / तस्मादेतेषु भावेषु न प्रसञ्जेत पण्डितः
daśa dharmaṃ na jānanti dhṛtarāṣṭra nibodha tān / mattaḥ pramatta unmattaḥ śrāntaḥ kruddho bubhukṣitaḥ tvaramāṇaśca lubdhaśca bhītaḥ kāmī ca te daśa / tasmādeteṣu bhāveṣu na prasañjeta paṇḍitaḥ
Ten people do not know what is right, Dhritarashtra; hear who they are: the drunk, the careless, the deranged, the exhausted, the angry, the starving, the hurried, the greedy, the frightened and the lustful. So a wise person does not let himself be caught in these states.
Mahabharata · Udyoga Parva · Vidura Niti
Lists anger as a state where right and wrong cannot be seen. our reading
Ashtavakra
रागद्वेषौ मनोधर्मौ न मनस्ते कदाचन । निर्विकल्पोऽसि बोधात्मा निर्विकारः सुखं चर ॥
rāgadveṣau manodharmau na manaste kadācana | nirvikalpo’si bodhātmā nirvikāraḥ sukhaṃ cara ||
Liking and disliking belong to the mind, and you are never the mind. You are awareness itself, free of thought-forms and unchanging. Live happily.
Ashtavakra Gita 15.5
Names the heat of dislike as seen, not self. our reading
Ashtavakra
तदा बन्धो यदा चित्तं किञ्चिद् वाञ्छति शोचति । किञ्चिन् मुञ्चति गृण्हाति किञ्चिद् दृष्यति कुप्यति ॥ तदा मुक्तिर्यदा चित्तं न वाञ्छति न शोचति । न मुञ्चति न गृण्हाति न हृष्यति न कुप्यति ॥
tadā bandho yadā cittaṃ kiñcid vāñchati śocati | kiñcin muñcati gṛṇhāti kiñcid dṛṣyati kupyati || tadā muktiryadā cittaṃ na vāñchati na śocati | na muñcati na gṛṇhāti na hṛṣyati na kupyati ||
It is bondage when the mind wants something, grieves over something, drops or grabs something, is pleased or angered by something. It is freedom when the mind does not want, grieve, drop, grab, delight or rage.
Ashtavakra Gita 8.1
Shows raging as bondage. our reading

Practices that grow forgiveness, discernment and steadiness

Verses that give something to do, today or in the hard moment.

Krishna
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः । आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥
mātrāsparśāstu kaunteya śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ | āgamāpāyino’nityāstāṃstitikṣasva bhārata ||
Contact of the senses with their objects brings cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go and do not last. Bear them patiently, Arjuna.
Bhagavad Gita 2.14
Titiksha, forbearance toward passing discomfort. our reading
Krishna
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥
yadā saṃharate cāyaṃ kūrmo’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ | indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyastasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā ||
When, like a tortoise drawing in its limbs on every side, a person withdraws the senses from their objects, his wisdom is firmly set.
Bhagavad Gita 2.58
Shows wisdom staying set when the senses are gathered. our reading
Krishna
शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् । कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ॥
śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṃ prākśarīravimokṣaṇāt | kāmakrodhodbhavaṃ vegaṃ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ ||
One who is able, here in this life, before leaving the body, to withstand the surge born of desire and anger, is disciplined; he is a happy person.
Bhagavad Gita 5.23
Cultivates the capacity to hold steady while the surge passes. our reading
Bhartrihari
गुणवदगुणवद्वा कुर्वता कार्यजातं परिणतिरवधार्या यत्नतः पण्डितेन । अतिरभसकृतानां कर्मणामाविपत्ते- र्भवति हृदयदाही शल्यतुल्यो विपाकः ॥
guṇavadaguṇavadvā kurvatā kāryajātaṃ pariṇatiravadhāryā yatnataḥ paṇḍitena | atirabhasakṛtānāṃ karmaṇāmāvipatte- rbhavati hṛdayadāhī śalyatulyo vipākaḥ ||
Whether a task is good or bad, a wise person should first carefully weigh its outcome. The result of deeds done in great haste burns the heart like a thorn until one's dying day.
Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam
Bhartrihari
जाड्यं धियो हरति सिञ्चति वाचि सत्यं मानोन्नतिं दिशति पापमपाकरोति । चेतः प्रसादयति दिक्षु तनोति कीर्तिं सत्सङ्गतिः कथय किं न करोति पुंसाम् ॥
jāḍyaṃ dhiyo harati siñcati vāci satyaṃ mānonnatiṃ diśati pāpamapākaroti | cetaḥ prasādayati dikṣu tanoti kīrtiṃ satsaṅgatiḥ kathaya kiṃ na karoti puṃsām ||
Good company takes dullness from the mind, sprinkles truth into speech, raises one's dignity, removes wrongdoing, clears the heart and spreads one's good name in every direction. Tell me, what does good company not do for a person?
Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam
Shows removal of dullness of mind. our reading
Bhartrihari
प्रारभ्यते न खलु विघ्नभयेन नीचैः प्रारभ्य विघ्नविहता विरमन्ति मध्याः ॥ विघ्नैः पुनः पुनरपि प्रतिहन्यमानाः प्रारब्धमुत्तमगुणा न परित्यजन्ति ॥
prārabhyate na khalu vighnabhayena nīcaiḥ prārabhya vighnavihatā viramanti madhyāḥ || vighnaiḥ punaḥ punarapi pratihanyamānāḥ prārabdhamuttamaguṇā na parityajanti ||
The lowest do not begin at all, for fear of obstacles. The middling begin, but stop when obstacles strike. The best, struck by obstacles again and again, do not give up what they have begun.
Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam
Shows persisting through repeated setbacks. our reading
Gautama (retold by Bhishma)
चिरेण मित्रं बध्नीयाच्चिरेण च कृतं त्यजेत् / चिरेण हि कृतं मित्रं चिरं धारणमर्हति
cireṇa mitraṃ badhnīyāccireṇa ca kṛtaṃ tyajet / cireṇa hi kṛtaṃ mitraṃ ciraṃ dhāraṇamarhati
Make a friend slowly, and give one up slowly. A friendship made slowly is one that lasts long.
Mahabharata · Shanti Parva · Bhishma: Mokshadharma
Take time before binding or breaking a bond. our reading
The Swan (Prajapati)
अक्रोधनः क्रुध्यतां वै विशिष्ट / स्तथा तितिक्षुरतितिक्षोर्विशिष्टः / अमानुषान्मानुषो वै विशिष्ट / स्तथाऽज्ञानाज्ज्ञानवान्वै विशिष्टः
akrodhanaḥ krudhyatāṃ vai viśiṣṭa / stathā titikṣuratitikṣorviśiṣṭaḥ / amānuṣānmānuṣo vai viśiṣṭa / stathā’jñānājjñānavānvai viśiṣṭaḥ
One who does not get angry is better than those who do; the patient are better than the impatient; the humane better than the inhuman; the knowing better than the ignorant.
Mahabharata · Shanti Parva · Bhishma, Mokshadharma
Names Titiksha the higher quality. our reading

People who lived it

Someone in the scriptures went through this, and the story shows what turned.

From the Gita
Restraining desire
Arjuna asks why we do wrong as if forced. Krishna names desire, which turns into anger, as the enemy that clouds wisdom like smoke over fire, and tells him to master it.
Desire unmet becomes anger; see it clearly and you can master it.
From the Mahabharata
Uttanka confronts Krishna
Returning home after the war, Krishna meets the sage Uttanka, who is furious that Krishna let the cousins destroy each other and threatens to curse him. Krishna explains that he tried hard for peace and was refused, and calms him.
You can try your best for peace and still fail. Others' choices are not your guilt.
From the Ramayana
Lakshman assumes the worst about Bharat
Forest dwellers report that Bharat is coming with an army. Lakshman, sure it is an attack, climbs a tree and swears to destroy him. A voice from the sky warns against acting in haste, and Ram explains that Bharat could never turn against him; power could not corrupt him.
Think before you act on an assumption; haste turns misunderstandings into wars.
From the Ramayana
Parashurama's rage, Lakshman's taunts, Ram's calm
Parashurama storms into the wedding hall furious that Shiva's bow is broken. Lakshman answers every threat with a joke, and each reply feeds the fire. Ram steps in with soft words, takes the blame on himself, and calmly points out that an old bow broke at a touch; the sage's anger finally turns to recognition.
Clever replies feed anger; calm, humble words put it out.

Is this where you are?

Write a line about today. Your words find their place on the map, with a verse for each.

Nearby on the map

See anger on the whole map

Questions people ask

What is the Sanskrit word for anger?

Krodha (क्रोध). Anger.

Which Bhagavad Gita verse speaks about anger?

Bhagavad Gita 2.63: From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, the ruin of understanding; and with understanding ruined, a person is lost.

How do the scriptures say to overcome anger?

They set steadiness, forgiveness and equanimity against it. Forgiveness cures anger by setting patience against reactive anger only, never against the wronged first. (Bhartrihari Niti 21; Vidura; MBh Vana 29) Put out anger with good sense as fire with water; do not decide when angry. (Valmiki Sundara 55; Vidura 33)

Verses, translations and stories come from the Wisdom library, read with the traditional commentaries. A line marked stated in the text is a link the verse or a named commentator makes; our reading is Wisdom's own reading of the verse.