A core teaching · grounding in mood · a little context helps
“Desire loses power when the mind stops feeding it.”
Abandon every desire born of resolve, and restrain the whole field of the senses on all sides with the mind alone.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyborn from resolve · desires · having abandoned · all · completely · by the mind · alone · the group of senses · restraining · on all sides
Let go of every desire that rises from planning and craving. Use the mind to pull the senses back from every direction.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Dhyana Yoga" (The Yoga of Meditation).
Verse 24 sits in Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita — Dhyana Yoga, "The Yoga of Meditation". The chapter has 47 verses in total.
You open your phone to check one thing, and twenty minutes vanish. The mind has to pull the senses back before they pull you apart.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts attention from chasing impulses to actively gathering the senses under one steady mind.
What this verse means
Let go of every desire that rises from planning and craving. Use the mind to pull the senses back from every direction.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is being taught how to steady the mind. Krishna now gives the practical method: drop desires born from thought, and gather the senses back before they scatter the inner life.
Why this verse still matters
You open your phone to check one thing, and twenty minutes vanish. The mind has to pull the senses back before they pull you apart.
“Freedom starts when wanting stops dragging the senses outward.”
Explore related themes: manas (49 verses), dhyana (31 verses), kama (23 verses)