स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥
From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, loss of discernment; from loss of discernment, ruin.
A core teaching · reflective in mood · a little context helps
“Anger first distorts seeing, then destroys the mind that should guide action.”
From anger comes delusion; from delusion, confusion of memory; from confusion of memory, loss of discernment; from loss of discernment, ruin.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyfrom anger · arises · delusion · from delusion · confusion of memory · from loss of memory · destruction of discernment · from destruction of discernment · one is ruined
Anger starts a chain reaction: confusion, broken memory, lost judgment, and finally self-destruction.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Sankhya Yoga" (The Yoga of Knowledge).
Verse 63 sits in Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita — Sankhya Yoga, "The Yoga of Knowledge". The chapter has 72 verses in total.
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.
Did you like this verse?
It teaches you to interrupt anger early, before it hijacks memory and judgment.
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.
“You can feel the warning inside anger before it turns into damage.”
Explore related themes: buddhi (26 verses), delusion (19 verses), krodha (11 verses)