Path of Renunciation
Verse 5.22
ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते। आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः।।5.22।।
ye hi sansparśha-jā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva te ādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣhu ramate budhaḥ
Word Meanings
ye—which; hi—verily; sansparśha-jāḥ—born of contact with the sense objects; bhogāḥ—pleasures; duḥkha—misery; yonayaḥ—source of; eva—verily; te—they are; ādya-antavantaḥ—having beginning and end; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; na—never; teṣhu—in those; ramate—takes delight; budhaḥ—the wise
Translation · English
The enjoyments that arise from contact are only sources of pain, for they have a beginning and an end, O Arjuna; the wise do not rejoice in them.
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Krishna reveals the fundamental anatomy of worldly pleasure. He characterizes sensory indulgence as 'duhkha-yonayah'—literally the wombs of suffering. The profound insight here is that sense gratification is not merely an external act, but a reactive process that inevitably gives birth to future misery. Because these pleasures depend upon the contact between sense organs and their objects, they are inherently transient, possessing both a beginning and an end. The wise soul recognizes that what is born of time must eventually dissolve into time, leaving behind a deeper craving and a hollow exhaustion. For the seeker, this verse serves as a diagnostic tool for the mind. Krishna encourages a shift in identity: when one identifies with the Eternal Self, the 'beginning-and-end' nature of sensory experience becomes glaringly obvious. The 'Budhah' (the wise one) is not one who denies the senses, but one who no longer seeks refuge in them for happiness. By withdrawing the expectation of joy from the finite, the seeker creates the internal space necessary to experience the Infinite, transforming the act of renunciation from a painful sacrifice into a liberated state of abiding peace.
True wisdom lies in discerning that the pleasure derived from the world is not merely temporary, but is the very seed of future dissatisfaction, prompting the seeker to anchor their joy in the unchanging Self.
Connected Verses
Highlights how initially nectar-like sensory enjoyment turns into poison-like misery, mirroring the 'womb of suffering' concept.
Contrasts worldly pleasures with the infinite, imperishable happiness realized through the union with the Divine.
Establishes the transitory nature of sense contacts and the necessity of enduring them with equanimity.
Describes the peaceful state of one who remains unaffected by the constant influx of sensory desires, like the ocean receiving rivers.
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