Do not be ruled by attraction or aversion.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ |तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ||३-३४||
indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau . tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau ||3-34||
Use this verse when likes or dislikes control you.
Meaning
Attachment and aversion are fixed in relation to each sense object. One should not come under their control, for they are obstacles on the path.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Both craving and hatred can control the mind.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna teaches balance beyond likes and dislikes. We are pulled by what we crave and pushed by what we hate. Both can enslave us. A mature seeker does not blindly follow attraction or aversion; they use discrimination. This verse is powerful for emotional regulation, relationships, spending, food, screens, and decision-making.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna pinpoints the real battleground. For each sense and its object, raga and dvesha — attraction and aversion, liking and disliking — lie naturally seated. These twin pulls are the engines that drive us toward some things and away from others, often before conscious thought intervenes.
The instruction is precise: do not come under their sway, for they are paripanthin, robbers who waylay the traveller on the spiritual path. Krishna does not say we can erase these reactions overnight; rather, we must not let them control us. This is the subtle answer to the previous verse's question about nature.
We cannot simply suppress our tendencies by force, but we can refuse to be mastered by the automatic pulls of like and dislike. Freedom lies in that gap — in observing the pull of attraction or aversion and choosing not to be swept away by it.
In daily life
Pause before saying yes to craving or no from aversion.
Someone may reject useful feedback because they dislike the person giving it.
Try this today
Before one decision, ask: is this wisdom or just like/dislike?
I choose wisdom over craving and aversion.Reflect
What attraction or aversion is controlling my choice?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on attachment, in other chapters
- Verse 2.57Steady wisdom is recognized by equanimity toward both good and evil — neither grasping at the pleasant nor recoiling from the unpleasant.
- Verse 15.2Desire-driven actions send down new roots that bind us deeper into the cycle of becoming.
- Verse 6.4You are established in yoga when nothing — neither pleasures nor projects — has a grip on your mind anymore.
- Verse 7.27Most of our suffering is being dragged by likes and dislikes — meet the pairs of opposites with equanimity to step out of the trance.
Swipe left for 3.35 · Live your own dharma, not someone else’s life.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 3.34
Who says Bhagavad Gita 3.34, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 3.34, in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga (Karma Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 3.34 mean?
Attachment and aversion are fixed in relation to each sense object. One should not come under their control, for they are obstacles on the path. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 3.34 for daily life?
Pause before saying yes to craving or no from aversion. Someone may reject useful feedback because they dislike the person giving it.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 3.34 mean?
इन्द्रियस्य इन्द्रियस्य अर्थे — in respect of each sense and its object; रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ — attraction and aversion are seated; तयोः न वशम् आगच्छेत् — let one not come under their sway; तौ हि अस्य परिपन्थिनौ — for they are his foes / obstacles.
Where does verse 3.34 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 34 of 43 in Chapter 3, Karma Yoga. The next verse is 3.35.