Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 2 › Verse 62
Bhagavad Gītā 2.62: How wanting grows
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।
सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥
dhyāyato viṣayānpuṃsaḥ saṅgasteṣūpajāyate
saṅgātsañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmātkrodho'bhijāyate
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
For one who dwells on sense objects, attachment to them arises; from attachment desire is born; from desire, anger arises. With 2.63 it describes a step-by-step decline, and Kṛṣṇa follows it (2.64) with the remedy of self-restraint.
For children
Krishna says: “If you keep thinking and thinking about something, you start to really want it. And when you can’t have it, you get angry!”
Kṛṣṇa is still describing the person of steady wisdom. Here and in the next verse he shows how a mind loses its steadiness.
Word by word
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः — When a person keeps thinking about things,
- dhyāyataḥ: of one who dwells on, keeps thinking about
- viṣaya: objects of the senses, things we enjoy
- puṃs: person
सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते — they get attached to them
- saṅga: attachment
- teṣu: to them
- upajāyate: arises, is born
सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः — from attachment, wanting is born
- sañjāyate: is born, comes about
- kāma: desire, wanting
कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते — from wanting, anger arises
- krodha: anger
- abhijāyate: arises
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.