Raga-dvesha clouds wisdom.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत |सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ||७-२७||
icchādveṣasamutthena dvandvamohena bhārata . sarvabhūtāni sammohaṃ sarge yānti parantapa ||7-27||
Use this verse when bias clouds judgment.
Meaning
O Bharata, all beings fall into delusion at birth because of the duality arising from desire and aversion.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Desire and aversion create delusion.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna identifies the root of confusion: liking and disliking, craving and rejecting. These dualities distort perception.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna diagnoses the root of bondage: the dvandva, the pairs of opposites — pleasure and pain, gain and loss, honour and disgrace — which spring from desire (iccha) and aversion (dvesha). From the moment of birth, beings are caught in this pendulum, chasing the pleasant and fleeing the unpleasant, and in that ceaseless reaction they fall into delusion, losing sight of the changeless Self.
The insight is psychologically precise. Almost every movement of the unawakened mind is a 'yes' to what we like or a 'no' to what we dislike, and this restless preference keeps us spinning. To be free is not to feel nothing, but to stop being dragged by these opposites.
The seeker who learns to meet pleasure and pain with the same steady equanimity steps out of the trance and recovers clear sight of the Divine that lies beyond the swinging pairs.
In daily life
Do not let likes and dislikes decide truth.
A person may reject good advice because it is uncomfortable.
Try this today
Before deciding, ask if craving or dislike is driving you.
I see beyond desire and aversion.Reflect
What desire or aversion is distorting me?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on equanimity, 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 3.38Desire does not destroy your inner wisdom, only veils it — your clarity remains intact, waiting to shine once the covering is removed.
- Verse 16.10Desire that is never questioned becomes insatiable, and an insatiable mind will mistake its delusions for ideals.
- Verse 13.7Desire, aversion, pleasure, and pain are passing weather in the field — watch them without being ruled by them.
Swipe left for 7.28 · Purity supports devotion.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 7.27
Who says Bhagavad Gita 7.27, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 7.27, in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga (Jnana Vijnana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 7.27 mean?
O Bharata, all beings fall into delusion at birth because of the duality arising from desire and aversion. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 7.27 for daily life?
Do not let likes and dislikes decide truth. A person may reject good advice because it is uncomfortable.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 7.27 mean?
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन — arising from desire and aversion; द्वन्द्वमोहेन — by the delusion of the pairs of opposites; भारत — O Bharata (Arjuna); सर्वभूतानि — all beings; सम्मोहम् सर्गे यान्ति — fall into delusion at birth.
Where does verse 7.27 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 27 of 30 in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga. The next verse is 7.28.