Verse 5.21
बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम् ।
स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते ॥
Transliteration
bāhyasparśeṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yatsukham |
sa brahmayogayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnute ||
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3
Translation
With the self unattached to external contacts he finds happiness in the Self; with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman he attains to the endless happiness.
From the owner's sheet · +1 more
One whose self is unattached to outer contacts finds the happiness that is in the self. Joined by yoga to Brahman, he enjoys imperishable happiness.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08 · +1 more
Word by word
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08
Explanation
Krishna speaks of a different kind of happiness. Ordinary pleasure comes from bāhyasparśa, contact with outer objects. One who is not attached to these finds a happiness within the self (ātman). Joined to Brahman through yoga, such a person enjoys akṣaya sukha, happiness that does not decay. The verse does not reject joy; it points to a deeper source of it. This prepares the next verse, which explains why pleasures born of contact cannot satisfy in the way the inner joy can.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08