Bhagavad Gita 18.58
Spoken by Krishna · Verse 58 of 78
मच्चितस् सर्वदुर्गाणि मत्प्रसादात् तरिष्यसि । अथ चेत् त्वम् अहंकारान् न श्रोष्यसि विनङ्क्ष्यसि ॥
mac-citas sarva-durgāṇi mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi | atha cet tvam ahaṃkārān na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi ||
With mind in Me, by My grace you will cross all obstacles; but from egotism if you will not hear, you will perish.
Word by word (3)
- mac-citas sarva-durgāṇi mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi
- — with mind fixed in Me (mac-citas = My-minded), you will cross over (tariṣyasi = shall-cross, future of tṝ = to cross/overcome) all difficulties/obstacles (sarva-durgāṇi = sarva + durga = all-difficult-passages, all forts = all obstacles) by My grace (mat-prasādāt) — the positive promise: mac-citta + mat-prasāda = overcoming all
- atha cet tvam ahaṃkārān na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi
- — but (atha cet = but if) you (tvam), from egotism (ahaṃkārāt = from ahaṃkāra = from ego-sense), will not hear (na śroṣyasi = shall-not-hear, future; not-listening/not-attending-to), you will perish (vinaṅkṣyasi = shall-be-destroyed, from vi + naś = completely-perish) — the stark alternative: ahaṃkāra blocks mat-prasāda → destruction
- ahaṃkārān na śroṣyasi
- — from egotism will not hear; na śroṣyasi means not-hearing Krishna's teaching out of ahaṃkāra (ego-sense of being the autonomous doer); the same ahaṃkāra released in V53 is now identified as the obstacle to receiving mat-prasāda; ahaṃkāra blocks surrender → blocks mat-prasāda → blocks liberation → vinaṅkṣyasi (perish/destruction)
With your mind in Me, by My grace you will cross all obstacles; but if from egotism you will not hear Me, you will perish.
A modern analogy
This verse presents two paths in stark contrast: (1) mac-citas (mind-in-Me) + mat-prasāda (My grace) → every obstacle (sarva-durgāṇi) crossed; (2) ahaṃkāra (egotism) → refusing to hear Krishna → you will perish (vinaṅkṣyasi). The contrast is a direct address to Arjuna's situation in Ch.1-2: his ahaṃkāra (I know better, I will not fight) vs. mac-citta (surrender to Krishna's teaching). The teaching is: the same egotism that blocked Arjuna at the start will destroy him if it persists.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
Fixing thy heart in Me, thou shalt, by My Grace, cross over all difficulties; but if from egotism thou wilt not hear Me, thou shalt perish. [1]
Fixing thy mind on Me, thou shalt, by My grace, overcome all obstacles; but if from self-conceit thou wilt not hear Me, thou shalt perish. [4]
MISSING from index. [9]
Fixing thy thoughts on Me, thou wilt surmount all difficulties through my grace. But if from self-conceit thou wilt not listen, thou wilt then utterly perish. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Ever-content, ever-yoked, self-controlled, firm in resolve, mind-intellect offered to Me — he is My dear devotee!
Peaceful, fearless, vowed to brahmacharya, mind on Krishna — yoked in practice, with the Supreme as the final goal.
Not hating, friendly, compassionate, without 'mine' or 'I', equal in pain and joy, forgiving — the dear devotee!
Krishna declares: 'I am the ground of Brahman — the Immortal, the Immutable, eternal Dharma, and perfect Bliss.'
Mind-in-Me, devotee, worshiper, bow to Me — you will come to Me; truly I promise, you are dear to Me.
Destroyed is my delusion, memory restored by Your grace — I stand firm, free of doubt, and will do Your word.
Verse 58 of 78 · back to Chapter 18