Those who are ignorant and perform terrible austerities without scriptural guidance, wasting away the body’s elements and Me dwelling within the body, should be known as having demonic resolve.
— Krishna
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Bhagavad Gita · 17.6
Hindi · हिन्दी
जो मनुष्य शास्त्रविधिसे रहित घोर तप करते हैं जो दम्भ और अहङ्कारसे अच्छी तरह युक्त हैं जो भोगपदार्थ, आसक्ति और हठसे युक्त हैं जो शरीरमें स्थित पाँच भूतोंको अर्थात् पाञ्चभौतिक शरीरको तथा अन्तःकरणमें स्थित मुझ परमात्माको भी कृश करनेवाले हैं उन अज्ञानियोंको तू आसुर निश्चयवाले आसुरी सम्पदावाले समझ ॥
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.
कर्षयन्तःwasting awayशरीरस्थम्dwelling in the bodyअचेतसःthe unthinkingमाम्Meचandएवalsoअन्तःशरीरस्थम्dwelling within the bodyतान्themविद्धिknowआसुरनिश्चयान्having demonic resolve
Read literallywasting away · dwelling in the body · the unthinking · Me · and · also · dwelling within the body · them · know · having demonic resolve
Understanding the verse
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Starving the body in fierce austerities, Krishna says, also torments him, the one dwelling within it.
Blind, self-willed austerity can damage the body and ignore the divine presence within it. Such harsh practice is not purity; it comes from confused, destructive resolve.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
Krishna answers Arjuna on the battlefield, where every choice feels life-and-death. After describing misguided worship and harsh austerity, he sharpens the warning: some people even weaken their own body and ignore the divine presence within it. That is false discipline.
03
In your life
What it looks like today
Someone brags about fasting through exhaustion, sleeping three hours, and calling it commitment. The body is breaking, the mind is proud, and the practice is feeding ego instead of clarity.
The takeaway
“Not every hard practice is noble. Discipline without wisdom can become self-harm.”
Explore related themes: tapas(22 verses), ahankara(10 verses)
Common questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 17.6 mean?
Blind, self-willed austerity can damage the body and ignore the divine presence within it. Such harsh practice is not purity; it comes from confused, destructive resolve.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 17.6?
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga" (The Three Kinds of Faith).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 17.6?
Verse 6 sits in Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita — Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga, "The Three Kinds of Faith". The chapter has 28 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 17.6 matter today?
Someone brags about fasting through exhaustion, sleeping three hours, and calling it commitment. The body is breaking, the mind is proud, and the practice is feeding ego instead of clarity.
Starving the body in fierce austerities, Krishna says, also torments him, the one dwelling within it.
What this verse means
Blind, self-willed austerity can damage the body and ignore the divine presence within it. Such harsh practice is not purity; it comes from confused, destructive resolve.
Context & commentary
Krishna answers Arjuna on the battlefield, where every choice feels life-and-death. After describing misguided worship and harsh austerity, he sharpens the warning: some people even weaken their own body and ignore the divine presence within it. That is false discipline.
What it looks like today
Someone brags about fasting through exhaustion, sleeping three hours, and calling it commitment. The body is breaking, the mind is proud, and the practice is feeding ego instead of clarity.
“Not every hard practice is noble. Discipline without wisdom can become self-harm.”
Explore related themes: tapas (22 verses), ahankara (10 verses)