Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita 6.17
Chapter 6, verse 17: the Sanskrit, the Roman letters, the meaning and what it is used for.
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा
yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu
yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā
Meaning
For one who is moderate in food and recreation, moderate in effort in work, and moderate in sleep and waking, yoga destroys sorrow.
Explanation
The verse is brief and practical. It names four areas of daily life: eating, leisure, effort and sleep, and asks for balance in each. It rules out extremes, whether fasting or feasting, overwork or idleness. It is often quoted in discussions on health and work-life balance and is a good reminder that spiritual progress is not built on exhausting the body.
Where it fits
This is verse 17 of 47 in chapter 6, "The yoga of meditation" (Dhyana Yoga). previous verse (6.16) · next verse (6.18)
Read more on this theme
Related verses
- Bhagavad Gita 2.62
- Bhagavad Gita 2.63
- Bhagavad Gita 4.18
- Bhagavad Gita 6.5
- Bhagavad Gita 6.6
- Bhagavad Gita 6.35
Questions people ask
What does Bhagavad Gita 6.17 mean?
For one who is moderate in food and recreation, moderate in effort in work, and moderate in sleep and waking, yoga destroys sorrow.
Where is this verse?
It is verse 17 of chapter 6 (The yoga of meditation), which has 47 verses.
Meanings and explanations are our own wording, not an authorised translation. Readers of the Gita follow different traditions and teachers; please ask yours about what you read here.