Desire alone is not a reliable guide.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः |न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ||१६-२३||
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ . na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim ||16-23||
Use this verse when desire is overriding wisdom.
Meaning
One who rejects scriptural guidance and acts according to personal desire does not attain perfection, happiness, or the supreme goal.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Ignoring dharmic guidance and following desire blocks true success.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna warns against self-made ethics driven by desire. Freedom does not mean doing whatever the mind wants; it means acting through wisdom, discipline, and dharma.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna draws the practical conclusion of the whole chapter. The person who discards shastra-vidhi (the guidance of scripture) and instead lives kama-karatah — acting purely on the impulse of desire — gains none of life's real prizes. Three are denied in a single sweeping line: siddhi (spiritual perfection), sukha (true happiness), and para gati (the Supreme Goal).
The teaching here is about the value of tested guidance. Whim, however confident, is a poor compass; the scriptures represent the distilled wisdom of countless seekers who mapped this terrain before us. To abandon that map and follow appetite alone is not freedom but recklessness, leaving us to repeat avoidable errors.
Notice that even ordinary happiness is forfeited, not merely the highest attainment — for desire-driven living, as the whole chapter has shown, is restless by its very nature. Right guidance is not a cage but a railing along a steep path.
In daily life
When confused, return to scripture, wisdom, and dharmic counsel.
A person making a relationship or money decision can check whether desire is overriding dharma.
Try this today
Consult one dharmic principle before a major decision.
I let wisdom guide my desires.Reflect
Am I acting from scripture-guided wisdom or desire?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘कामकारतः’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on guidance, in other chapters
- Verse 3.2 · ArjunaWhen a teaching overwhelms you, ask sincerely for the one clear next step instead of drowning in every possibility.
- Verse 6.39 · ArjunaWhen a doubt is too deep to resolve alone, bring it openly and humbly to a trusted source of wisdom.
- Verse 2.42Do not be satisfied with beautiful spiritual language that does not challenge and transform your actual way of living — truth is always more demanding than its ornate descriptions.
- Verse 13.5Trustworthy spiritual truth is confirmed by both inspired vision and careful reasoning across the ages.
Swipe left for 16.24 · Let shastra guide action.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 16.23
Who says Bhagavad Gita 16.23, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 16.23, in Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga (Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 16.23 mean?
One who rejects scriptural guidance and acts according to personal desire does not attain perfection, happiness, or the supreme goal. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 16.23 for daily life?
When confused, return to scripture, wisdom, and dharmic counsel. A person making a relationship or money decision can check whether desire is overriding dharma.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 16.23 mean?
यः — who; शास्त्रविधिम् — the injunctions of scripture; उत्सृज्य — having cast aside, abandoned; वर्तते — acts, behaves; कामकारतः — under the impulse of desire, willfully.
Where does verse 16.23 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 23 of 24 in Chapter 16, Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 16.24.