कर्षयन्तः शरीरस्थं भूतग्राममचेतसः ।
मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ॥
मां चैवान्तःशरीरस्थं तान्विद्ध्यासुरनिश्चयान् ॥
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 ॥
English
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.
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 is still answering 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 not true discipline.
Why this verse still matters
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.
Word-by-word translation
कर्षयन्तः (wasting away) / शरीरस्थम् (dwelling in the body) / भूतग्रामम् (the group of elements / body) / अचेतसः (the unthinking) / माम् (Me) / च (and) / एव (also) / अन्तःशरीरस्थम् (dwelling within the body) / तान् (them) / विद्धि (know) / आसुरनिश्चयान् (having demonic resolve)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — The Three Kinds of Faith, which contains 28 verses.
Explore related themes: tapas (22 verses), ahankara (10 verses)