तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥
Attachment and aversion sit in every sense-object. Do not come under their power, for they are your enemies on the path.
A core teaching · grounding in mood · easy to enter
“Freedom begins when attraction and aversion stop steering action.”
Attachment and aversion sit in every sense-object. Do not come under their power, for they are your enemies on the path.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyin each sense's object · attachment and aversion · are established · of those two · not · under the power · one should come · those two · indeed · for this one · the two enemies on the path
Craving and dislike appear in every sense experience. Do not let either one control your choices, because both block the path forward.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Karma Yoga" (The Yoga of Action).
Verse 34 sits in Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita — Karma Yoga, "The Yoga of Action". The chapter has 43 verses in total.
You open a message and feel the instant urge to defend yourself, or to ignore it completely. That split-second pull is exactly what this verse warns against.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts attention from impulse-driven reaction to conscious choice before action.
What this verse means
Craving and dislike appear in every sense experience. Do not let either one control your choices, because both block the path forward.
Context & commentary
On the battlefield, Arjuna is being taught how to act without being dragged around by inner reactions. Krishna names the two forces that distort judgment: attraction and aversion. Both can sabotage duty before a weapon is even lifted.
Why this verse still matters
You open a message and feel the instant urge to defend yourself, or to ignore it completely. That split-second pull is exactly what this verse warns against.
“You are not required to obey every pull and push inside you.”
Explore related themes: karma yoga (55 verses), indriya (19 verses), self mastery (16 verses)