Sankhya Yoga · Verse 63

Bhagavad Gita 2.63

Anger first distorts seeing, then destroys the mind that should guide action.

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

क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
विषयोंका चिन्तन करनेवाले मनुष्यकी उन विषयोंमें आसक्ति पैदा हो जाती है । आसक्तिसे कामना पैदा होती है । कामनासे क्रोध पैदा होता है । क्रोध होनेपर सम्मोह मूढ़भाव हो जाता है । सम्मोहसे स्मृति भ्रष्ट हो जाती है । स्मृति भ्रष्ट होनेपर बुद्धिका नाश हो जाता है । बुद्धिका नाश होनेपर मनुष्यका पतन हो जाता है ॥
English
From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, loss of discernment; from loss of discernment, ruin.

What this verse means

Anger starts a chain reaction: confusion, broken memory, lost judgment, and finally self-destruction.

Context & commentary

On Kurukshetra, Arjuna’s crisis is not only about battle but about what happens inside a mind under pressure. Krishna traces the inner collapse: anger leads to confusion, confusion erases memory, memory loss destroys discernment, and then a person falls.

Why this verse still matters

You read one hostile message and your chest tightens. Within minutes, you forget what mattered, misread everything, and say the thing you’ll regret later.

The takeaway

You can feel the warning inside anger before it turns into damage.

Word-by-word translation

क्रोधात् (from anger) / भवति (arises) / संमोहः (delusion) / संमोहात् (from delusion) / स्मृतिविभ्रमः (confusion of memory) / स्मृतिभ्रंशात् (from loss of memory) / बुद्धिनाशः (destruction of discernment) / बुद्धिनाशात् (from destruction of discernment) / प्रणश्यति (one is ruined)

Explore related themes: buddhi (26 verses), delusion (19 verses), krodha (11 verses)

Share this verse X WhatsApp

Related verses