यया स्वप्नं भयं शोकं विषादं मदमेव च ।
न विमुञ्चति दुर्मेधा धृतिः सा पार्थ तामसी ॥
न विमुञ्चति दुर्मेधा धृतिः सा पार्थ तामसी ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे पार्थ दुष्ट बुद्धिवाला मनुष्य जिस धृतिके द्वारा निद्रा, भय, चिन्ता, दुःख और घमण्डको भी नहीं छोड़ता, वह धृति तामसी है ॥
English
The dull-minded one does not let go of sleep, fear, grief, sorrow, and pride. That steadfastness is tamasic, Arjuna.
What this verse means
Some people hold on to sleepiness, fear, grief, despair, and pride instead of releasing them. That kind of stubbornness is dull and tamasic.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield at Kurukshetra, Krishna is classifying the kinds of resolve that drive action. After describing sattvic and rajasic steadfastness, he names the lowest form: the mind that cannot release fear, grief, sorrow, sleep, or pride.
Why this verse still matters
You keep replaying the same failure in bed at 2 a.m., feeding the fear instead of setting it down. Krishna calls that not strength, but heaviness.
The takeaway
Not every kind of firmness is strength; some of it is just clinging to what keeps you heavy.
Word-by-word translation
यया (by which) / स्वप्नम् (sleep) / भयम् (fear) / शोकम् (grief) / विषादम् (sorrow) / मदम् (pride) / एव (even) / च (and) / न विमुञ्चति (does not let go) / दुर्मेधाः (the dull-minded one) / धृतिः (steadfastness) / सा (that) / पार्थ (Arjuna) / तामसी (tamasic)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18: Moksha Sanyasa Yoga — Liberation through Renunciation, which contains 78 verses.
Explore related themes: gunas (47 verses), grief (10 verses)