Bhagavad Gita — Karma Sannyasa Yoga, Shloka 24

Karma Sannyasa Yoga

Devanagari script

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः । स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ॥ ५.२४ ॥

Transliteration

yo 'ntaḥ-sukho 'ntar-ārāmas tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ | sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇaṁ brahma-bhūto 'dhigacchati || 5.24 ||

Translation

যি অন্তৰতেই সুখ পায়, অন্তৰাত্মাতেই ৰমণ কৰে, আৰু যাৰ অন্তৰতেই জ্ঞানৰ জ্যোতি প্ৰকাশিত—সেই যোগী ব্রহ্মভূত হৈ ব্রহ্মনির্বাণ (পৰম শান্তি) লাভ কৰে।

Gita Press Meaning

जो पुरुष अन्तःकरण में ही सुख वाला है, अन्तरात्मा में ही रमण करने वाला है तथा जिसके अन्तःकरण में ही ज्ञान का प्रकाश है, वह योगी ब्रह्म में स्थित होकर ब्रह्मनिर्वाण (परम शान्ति) को प्राप्त होता है।

Critical Edition Meaning

He whose happiness is inward, whose delight is inward, and who has inner light—such a yogin, having become Brahman(-like), attains brahman-nirvāṇa (the quiescence/liberation associated with Brahman).

Comparative Note

Most editions read essentially the same. Interpretive differences center on (a) brahma-nirvāṇa: rendered as ‘final peace in Brahman’, ‘liberation’, or ‘extinction of egoic striving’; and (b) brahma-bhūtaḥ: taken either ontologically (‘having become Brahman’) in Advaita-leaning readings or ethically/experientially (‘established in Brahman’, ‘Brahman-oriented’) in non-dualist and theistic commentaries. The verse emphasizes interiority (antaḥ-) as the locus of yogic fulfillment.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्तःसुखः: one whose happiness is within
• Root: अन्तः + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्तरारामः: one who delights within (whose recreation is inner)
• Root: अन्तर् + आराम (प्रातिपदिक)

• तथा: and likewise
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• अन्तर्ज्योतिः: one whose light is within
• Root: अन्तर् + ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• एव: indeed, alone, precisely
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• यः: who
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• सः: he
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• योगी: the yogi
• योगी: Karta
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• ब्रह्मनिर्वाणम्: Brahman-nirvāṇa (extinction/beatitude in Brahman)
• ब्रह्मनिर्वाणम्: Karma
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)

• ब्रह्मभूतः: having become Brahman (Brahman-realized)
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + भूत (√भू क्त)

• अधिगच्छति: attains, reaches
• Root: अधि + √गम्

Speakers

• Krishna

Primary Concepts

• Yoga
• Brahman
• Nirvāṇa
• Antaḥkaraṇa (inner instrument)
• Ātman (implied)
• Jñāna (inner illumination)

Key Themes

• Interiorization of spiritual practice
• Liberation as inner peace
• Knowledge/light imagery
• Renunciation through inwardness
• Equanimity and self-sufficiency

FAQs

Psychological significance?

The verse frames well-being as internally grounded: happiness (sukha) and enjoyment (ārāma) arise from inward stability rather than external acquisition. The motif of ‘inner light’ can be read as cultivated clarity—attention, insight, and reduced dependence on fluctuating sensory conditions.

Metaphysical meaning?

It links yogic realization with brahma-nirvāṇa, a state characterized by profound quiescence and freedom. ‘Brahma-bhūta’ indicates a transformation of identity or orientation: the practitioner is described as aligned with, established in, or (in some readings) identical with Brahman.

Contextual relevance?

Within Chapter 5’s discussion of renunciation and disciplined action, this verse supports the claim that liberation is compatible with life in the world when one’s center of gravity shifts inward—toward knowledge and steady awareness rather than outward rewards.

Modern Application?

As a practical guideline, it encourages practices that cultivate inner composure—reflection, ethical restraint, meditation, and attention training—so that satisfaction is less reactive to external change and more rooted in stable understanding.