Shloka 18.53
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम् |विमुच्य निर्ममः शान्तो ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ||१८-५३||
ahaṃkāraṃ balaṃ darpaṃ kāmaṃ krodhaṃ parigraham . vimucya nirmamaḥ śānto brahmabhūyāya kalpate ||18-53||
Meaning
Having abandoned selfishness, power, arrogance, anger and desire, possessing nothing of his own and having attained peace, he is fit to join the Eternal Spirit.
Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Krishna names the final hindrances to be released: egoism, aggressive force, arrogance, desire, anger, and possessiveness. Having let these go, become nirmama (free of the sense of 'mine') and shanta (deeply peaceful), one becomes fit for union with Brahman — brahmabhuyaya kalpate.
This is the inner shedding that completes the journey. Each item on the list is a tentacle of the ego that grips and agitates the soul. As they fall away, what remains is a serene selflessness, a quiet emptiness ready to be filled by the Infinite.
The verse shows that the ultimate realization is less an acquisition than a letting-go: when the ego and its turbulent crew depart, peace dawns, and one becomes ready to be Brahman itself.
In daily life
Release ego, anger, desire, and possessiveness, and the resulting peace makes you fit for union with the Eternal.
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Quick check
What does ‘निर्ममः शान्तः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on peace, in other chapters
- Verse 12.12Letting go of attachment to results brings peace at once — that is the fruit of every practice.
- Verse 6.27When passion is stilled and the heart is pure, supreme bliss comes to you of its own accord.
- Verse 5.6Selfless action purifies the heart so that genuine renunciation becomes natural — don't skip the work in a rush to withdraw.
- Verse 2.66Without discipline there is no wisdom, without wisdom no contemplation, without contemplation no peace, and without peace happiness is impossible.
Swipe left for 18.54 · The peace of Self-realization flowers naturally into the highest love and devotion for the Divine.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.53
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.53, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 18.53, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.53 mean?
Having abandoned selfishness, power, arrogance, anger and desire, possessing nothing of his own and having attained peace, he is fit to join the Eternal Spirit. (Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.53 for daily life?
Release ego, anger, desire, and possessiveness, and the resulting peace makes you fit for union with the Eternal.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.53 mean?
अहंकारं — egoism; बलं — (brute) strength / force; दर्पं — arrogance; कामं — desire; क्रोधं — anger.
Where does verse 18.53 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 53 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.54.