Control desire at the imagination stage.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः |मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्ततः ||६-२४||
saṅkalpaprabhavānkāmāṃstyaktvā sarvānaśeṣataḥ . manasaivendriyagrāmaṃ viniyamya samantataḥ ||6-24||
Use this verse when imagination fuels craving.
Meaning
Abandoning all desires born of mental imagination, and controlling the entire group of senses by the mind.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Desire often begins as imagination.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna identifies the mental origin of many desires. The mind imagines, repeats, decorates, and then the senses chase.
Read the traditional commentary
Having defined the goal, Krishna returns to method, and the diagnosis is precise: desires are sankalpa-prabhava — born of the mind's own imaginings. We are not simply victims of cravings that arise from nowhere; the mind itself manufactures them by dwelling on objects, picturing their enjoyment, weaving stories of fulfillment. Trace any desire to its root and you find a thought the mind chose to entertain.
The remedy follows. First, abandon these desires 'without reserve' — sarvan asheshatah — not selectively, sparing a favorite few, but completely. Second, restrain the whole indriya-grama, the assembly of the senses, manasa eva, by the mind alone, holding them in from every direction.
The senses are the gates through which the world rushes in to feed desire; the mind that has understood the game now stands watch at every gate. This is the inner work that makes the lamp burn steady — vigilance over thought and the senses it commands.
In daily life
Notice mental fantasy before it becomes action.
A shopping craving grows after repeatedly imagining the product.
Try this today
Interrupt one fantasy loop with breath awareness.
I guide imagination toward wisdom.Reflect
What desire is my imagination feeding?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on mind, in other chapters
- Verse 2.62The chain from desire to suffering begins with where we choose to dwell with our attention — wisdom lies in managing attention before desire manages us.
- Verse 3.40Desire takes hold through your senses, mind, and reasoning — guard each level, for once it corrupts your judgment it is hardest to see.
- Verse 8.8A wandering mind is steadied not by force but by patient daily practice that gradually trains it to rest in the Divine.
- Verse 17.5Intense self-denial driven by ego and desire is not spirituality — discipline must be guided by humility and wisdom to purify rather than inflate.
Swipe left for 6.25 · Go slowly but firmly.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 6.24
Who says Bhagavad Gita 6.24, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 6.24, in Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga (Dhyana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 6.24 mean?
Abandoning all desires born of mental imagination, and controlling the entire group of senses by the mind. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 6.24 for daily life?
Notice mental fantasy before it becomes action. A shopping craving grows after repeatedly imagining the product.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 6.24 mean?
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान् — born of mental resolve / imagination; कामान् — desires; त्यक्त्वा सर्वान् अशेषतः — abandoning all without reserve; मनसा एव — by the mind alone; इन्द्रियग्रामम् — the whole group of senses.
Where does verse 6.24 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 24 of 47 in Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga. The next verse is 6.25.