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Chapter 5 · Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness · 29 verses

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Mind & yogaChapter 5 · Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 5.20

Sense control, peace and inner happiness

न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम् ।

स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद्‍ब्रह्मणि स्थित: ॥ २० ॥

na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya

nodvijet prāpya cāpriyam

sthira-buddhir asammūḍho

brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ

Translation

A person who neither rejoices upon achieving something pleasant nor laments upon obtaining something unpleasant, who is self-intelligent, who is unbewildered, and who knows the science of God is already situated in transcendence.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Steady in Self-Realization

  1. 1One who neither rejoices at pleasant gains nor laments over unpleasant events, remains unconfused, and knows God is already in transcendence.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that the true self is not the body but a fragmental part of the Supreme Lord. This steady understanding is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
  3. 3When facing bodily gains or losses, remember that you are the soul, not the temporary body.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 5, Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness: sense control, peace and inner happiness.

What it teaches

Theme summary

A disciplined mind is one's best friend.

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Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: manas, indriya, yoga.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 5.20 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to mind & yoga?

Practice

Sit quietly for ten minutes and gently return the mind.

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Related verses

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Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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