24 famous Bhagavad Gita verses, with meaning

देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा।
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति॥

dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati

As the embodied self passes through childhood, youth and old age in this body, so it passes into another body. The wise are not shaken by this.Bhagavad Gita 2.13

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ, ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

The self is never born and never dies. It did not come into being and will not cease to be. Unborn, eternal, ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed.Bhagavad Gita 2.20

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही॥

vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro ’parāṇi, tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī

As a person throws off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so the embodied self gives up worn-out bodies and enters new ones.Bhagavad Gita 2.22

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः।
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः॥

nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ, na cainaṁ kledayanty āpo na śoṣayati mārutaḥ

Weapons cannot cut the self, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, and wind cannot dry it.Bhagavad Gita 2.23

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥

karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana, mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi

You have a right to your work, but never to its fruits. Do not let the fruit be your motive, and do not cling to doing nothing.Bhagavad Gita 2.47

योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥

yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya, siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga ucyate

Act steady in yoga, Arjuna, letting go of attachment, the same in success and failure. That evenness is called yoga.Bhagavad Gita 2.48

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते॥

yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ, sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate

Whatever a great person does, others do too. Whatever standard they set, the world follows.Bhagavad Gita 3.21

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः॥

śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt, sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

Better your own duty done imperfectly than another’s done well. Better to die in your own duty; another’s path is full of fear.Bhagavad Gita 3.35

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः।
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत॥

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ, āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

Heat and cold, pleasure and pain come from the touch of the senses on their objects. They come and go; they do not last. Bear them patiently.Bhagavad Gita 2.14

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते।
सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते॥

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate, saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

Dwelling on the objects of the senses, a person grows attached to them. From attachment comes desire, and from desire, anger.Bhagavad Gita 2.62

क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोहः सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति॥

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ, smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati

From anger comes delusion; from delusion, a confused memory; from a lost memory, the ruin of judgement; and with judgement ruined, a person is lost.Bhagavad Gita 2.63

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet, ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

Lift yourself up by your own self; do not let yourself sink. You are your own best friend, and your own worst enemy.Bhagavad Gita 6.5

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते॥

asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ calam, abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate

No doubt the mind is restless and hard to hold. But with practice and detachment, Arjuna, it can be held.Bhagavad Gita 6.35

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्॥

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness rises, Arjuna, I bring myself forth.Bhagavad Gita 4.7

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे॥

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

To protect the good, to destroy wrongdoing, and to establish righteousness, I appear age after age.Bhagavad Gita 4.8

मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय।
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव॥

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya, mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

There is nothing higher than me, Arjuna. Everything is strung on me like pearls on a thread.Bhagavad Gita 7.7

अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते।
इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां बुधा भावसमन्विताः॥

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

I am the source of everything; from me everything proceeds. Knowing this, the wise worship me with all their heart.Bhagavad Gita 10.8

विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि।
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः॥

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

The wise see with an equal eye a learned and humble brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog and an outcaste.Bhagavad Gita 5.18

अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्॥

ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham

To those who worship me with undivided thought, always devoted, I bring what they lack and protect what they have.Bhagavad Gita 9.22

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः॥

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

If someone offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water with love, I accept that offering of love from a pure heart.Bhagavad Gita 9.26

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥

adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca, nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī

One who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, free of possessiveness and ego, even in pain and pleasure, and forgiving, is dear to me.Bhagavad Gita 12.13

मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।
मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे॥

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo ’si me

Fix your mind on me, be devoted to me, worship me, bow to me. You will surely come to me; I promise you this, for you are dear to me.Bhagavad Gita 18.65

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः॥

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvā sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Set aside every other duty and take refuge in me alone. I will free you from all sin. Do not grieve.Bhagavad Gita 18.66

यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः।
तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम॥

yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ, tatra śrīr vijayo bhūtir dhruvā nītir matir mama

Wherever there is Krishna, master of yoga, and Arjuna the archer, there will surely be fortune, victory, prosperity and right conduct. That is my conviction.Bhagavad Gita 18.78