The verse

Bhagavad Gita 1.32BG 1.32 · Chapter 1, Verse 32

Arjuna Vishada Yoga

A declaration · reflective in mood · easy to enter

“Victory means nothing when the price is the destruction of what you love.”

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

The verse

न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च ।
किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ॥

I do not desire victory, Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. What use is kingdom to us, Govinda? What use are pleasures or even life?

— Arjuna

Bhagavad Gita · 1.32

Hindi · हिन्दी

हे कृष्ण मैं न तो विजय चाहता हूँ, न राज्य चाहता हूँ और न सुखों को ही चाहता हूँ । हे गोविन्द हमलोगों को राज्य से क्या लाभ भोगों से क्या लाभ अथवा जीने से भी क्या लाभ ॥

Themes:Arjuna Vishada Vairagya Kurukshetra

Word by word

The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.

न काङ्क्षेI do not desireविजयम्victoryकृष्णKrishnaनnorचandराज्यम्kingdomसुखानिpleasuresचandकिम्whatनःto usराज्येनwith kingdomगोविन्दGovindaकिम्whatभोगैःwith pleasuresजीवितेनwith lifeवाor

Read literallyI do not desire · victory · Krishna · nor · and · kingdom · pleasures · and · what · to us · with kingdom · Govinda · what · with pleasures · with life · or

Understanding the verse

Arjuna asks Govinda what use a kingdom, pleasures or even life could be to him now.

In plain words

What this verse means

Arjuna says he no longer wants victory, a kingdom, pleasure, or even life itself. The fight has lost its meaning for him.

On the battlefield

Context & commentary

Arjuna stands collapsed before Krishna. After seeing his own relatives as enemies, he rejects victory, rule, pleasure, and even survival itself. This verse deepens his crisis and shows how completely his desire to fight has broken.

In your life

What it looks like today

A man offered a big promotion that means leaving his ageing parents alone may find the salary suddenly means nothing. Arjuna feels the same about victory, kingdom and pleasure when he looks at what they would cost.

The takeaway

“When the goal feels hollow, even success stops mattering.”