Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Verse 20 Meaning
Resting in Brahman, with a steady intellect and undeluded, the knower of Brahman neither rejoices upon obtaining what is pleasant nor grieves upon obtaining what is unpleasant.
BG 5.20
न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम्। स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणि स्थितः
na prahṛiṣhyet priyaṁ prāpya nodvijet prāpya chāpriyam sthira-buddhir asammūḍho brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ
Meaning
Resting in Brahman, with a steady intellect and undeluded, the knower of Brahman neither rejoices upon obtaining what is pleasant nor grieves upon obtaining what is unpleasant.
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What Does Bhagavad Gita 5.20 Mean?
The Gita addresses liberation with characteristic directness here. Resting in Brahman, with a steady intellect and undeluded, the knower of Brahman neither rejoices upon obtaining what is pleasant nor grieves upon obtaining what is unpleasant. Within the broader arc of Chapter 5, this verse builds on Krishna's systematic exposition of renunciation in action. Ramanuja's commentary highlights how this verse reinforces the accessibility of the Gita's path.
The teaching on liberation is presented not as an elite attainment but as a practical orientation available to anyone willing to examine their motivations and actions honestly. In daily practice, this means bringing conscious awareness to moments where liberation is tested — not as an impossible ideal but as a direction of growth. Each small alignment with this teaching strengthens the capacity for the next.
— Explained by the Nitya Team
What Is the Context of Bhagavad Gita 5.20?
The comparison between renunciation of action and selfless action, showing both lead to liberation.
Key themes in this chapter include Renunciation, Inner peace, Equality.
How Can I Apply Bhagavad Gita 5.20 in Daily Life?
- •When you need steadiness while dealing with renunciation
- •When practicing inner peace amid uncertainty
- •When applying equality to real-life choices
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Related Verses
BG 5.10
He who does actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is not tainted by water.
BG 5.18
Sages look with an equal eye on a Brahmana endowed with learning and humility, on a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even an outcaste.
BG 1.1
Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"
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