Inner light is the source of lasting peace.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः |स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ||५-२४||
yo.antaḥsukho.antarārāmastathāntarjyotireva yaḥ . sa yogī brahmanirvāṇaṃ brahmabhūto.adhigacchati ||5-24||
Use this verse when you seek peace outside yourself.
Meaning
One whose happiness, delight, and light are within becomes Brahman-like and attains Brahmanirvana.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
The yogi finds happiness, rest, and light within.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse gives the inner portrait of a liberated yogi. Their joy is not dependent on noise, praise, possessions, or constant stimulation. They rest inwardly and are guided by inner light.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna describes the inward-turned yogi through three beautiful phrases. He is antah-sukha, finding happiness within rather than in outer objects; antar-arama, taking his recreation and delight within rather than in external diversions; and antar-jyoti, lit by an inner light, guided by the radiance of the Self rather than by external supports.
Such a one, having turned the whole of life inward, attains brahma-nirvana — the supreme peace and freedom of Brahman — and indeed becomes Brahman (brahma-bhutah). The repeated word antar, 'within,' is the key. The ordinary person looks outward for joy, stimulation, and direction, and is forever dependent on fluctuating conditions.
The yogi has found all three — happiness, delight, and illumination — within his own being, and so becomes self-sufficient and free. This inwardness is the gateway to liberation itself.
In daily life
Create moments of inward rest every day.
Someone constantly seeking entertainment may discover deeper calm through silent morning reflection.
Try this today
Spend three minutes in silence with attention inside the heart.
My joy, rest, and light are within.Reflect
Do I know how to rest within myself?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘तथा अन्तर्ज्योतिः एव यः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on self realization, in other chapters
- Verse 6.21The deepest joy is grasped within, beyond the senses — and once found, it can never be lost or shaken.
- Verse 13.25There are many authentic paths to the Self — meditation, knowledge, and selfless action all lead home.
- Verse 2.51The wise who abandon attachment to the fruits of action attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
- Verse 8.16Even the highest heaven is temporary; aim not for a better place within the cycle but for freedom from it altogether.
Swipe left for 5.25 · True liberation includes concern for all beings.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 5.24
Who says Bhagavad Gita 5.24, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 5.24, in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga (Karma Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 5.24 mean?
One whose happiness, delight, and light are within becomes Brahman-like and attains Brahmanirvana. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 5.24 for daily life?
Create moments of inward rest every day. Someone constantly seeking entertainment may discover deeper calm through silent morning reflection.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 5.24 mean?
यः अन्तःसुखः — he who is happy within; अन्तरारामः — who rejoices / delights within; तथा अन्तर्ज्योतिः एव यः — and who is illumined within; सः योगी — that yogi; ब्रह्मनिर्वाणम् — freedom in Brahman (Brahmic bliss).
Where does verse 5.24 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 24 of 29 in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 5.25.