A core teaching · grounding in mood · easy to enter
“The body itself can become a disciplined offering.”
Worship of the radiant beings, the wise, the teacher, and the enlightened; purity, simplicity, celibacy, and non-violence — these are called bodily austerity.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyradiant beings · twice-born · teacher · wise · worship · purity · simplicity · celibacy · non-violence · and · bodily · austerity · is called
True bodily discipline includes honoring wise teachers, staying clean, living simply, practicing self-restraint, and avoiding harm.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga" (The Three Kinds of Faith).
Verse 14 sits in Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita — Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga, "The Three Kinds of Faith". The chapter has 28 verses in total.
You scroll past a cruel comment, then feel the urge to add one more. The verse asks for a different kind of strength: keep your body, habits, and actions clean enough to deserve your own respect.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts discipline from private intention to visible conduct: what you do with the body reveals the quality of your practice.
What this verse means
True bodily discipline includes honoring wise teachers, staying clean, living simply, practicing self-restraint, and avoiding harm.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is frozen between duty and grief. Krishna now explains that real discipline is not only inner resolve; it also shows up in bodily conduct — respect, cleanliness, simplicity, restraint, and non-harm.
Why this verse still matters
You scroll past a cruel comment, then feel the urge to add one more. The verse asks for a different kind of strength: keep your body, habits, and actions clean enough to deserve your own respect.
“Spiritual discipline is not abstract. It begins with how you treat your body and other people.”
Explore related themes: tapas (22 verses)