The unique beauty of the Bhagavad Gita is that never once does Krishna ask us to resign to the hopelessness of life. He exhorts us to fight our inner demons, stand up for what\’s right and if need be, go solo on the righteous path boldly. His strongly urges us to maintain a spiritual bias, even in worldly pursuits like fighting for justice or executing duties or chasing lofty dreams.
17 Key Bhagavad Gita quotes on Happiness
(Translations and references from Swami Sivananda and Swami Chinmayananda’s work)
1. Peace is a pre-requisite to Happiness say Bhagavad Gita quotes
Happiness and peace go hand in hand. So, a quest for happiness is mostly a quest for peace. Because being at peace means the death of miseries and agitations. This lets the mind, heart and soul shine forth gloriously, reflecting harmony and joy.
Lord Krishna says that a mind that is not at peace will not be able to apply itself intelligently to the daily challenges of life. Nor will it be able to steer life situations with strong self-control. This will make one out-of-tune with life thereby compounding miseries. Hence, attaining peace is the only way to end pain and welcome joy.
Peace brings with it the fringe benefit of crystal clear thinking. This un-muddled thinking naturally leads to prudence and discrimination. It also strengthens the powers of Self-Analysis, Self-Knowledge and Self- Perfection. Thus, with these higher goals, our happiness quotient jumps up several notches.
Some Krishna quotes on happiness with respect to peace
The Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 65 : ‘Prasaade sarvaduhkhaanaam haanir asyopajaayate; Prasannachetaso hyaashu buddhih paryavatishthate.’ Translated this means, ‘In that peace all pains are destroyed, for the intellect of the tranquil-minded soon becomes steady’.
Also, The Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 66: ‘Naasti buddhir ayuktasya na chaayuktasya bhaavanaa; Na chaabhaavayatah shaantir ashaantasya kutah sukham.‘ Translated this means, ‘There is no knowledge of the Self to the unsteady, and to the unsteady no meditation is possible; and to the un-meditative there can be no peace; and to the man who has no peace, how can there be happiness?’
2. Happiness is inversely proportional to quantum of desires pouring into the mind.
Here, Lord Krishna’s gives the example of an ocean which is the ultimate meeting point for all water bodies. Despite waters pouring in from the rivers, the seas and the rains, the ocean always maintains its level. Man is in a similar situation in worldly life. He starts out with a bunch of desires and aspirations. But as he keep moving about in this sense-world, his desires keep increasing
Yesterday he would have been blissful in simply owning a cozy little house. But today, nothing less than a 2000 square feet home in a gated community plus a luxury sedan, will do.
Whatever was good yesterday is not even appreciated today. Before he has reached one desired goal, more are already lined up. He always has ‘less’ than what he desires. As a result he is never perfectly happy.
The Bhagavad Gita advises us to be on guard against the external outpour of sense-objects. Lord Krishna asks us to maintain our inner equilibrium exactly like the ocean maintains its level. He advises us to not join the bandwagon in keeping on fanning up our desires and artificial ‘needs’.
The Man who has controlled his ever-growing and inexhaustible thirst for desires has Peace and hence is Happy.
The relevant Bhagavad Gita quote on happiness:
The Gita, Chapter 2 Verse 70; ‘Aapooryamaanam achalapratishtham Samudram aapah pravishanti yadwat; Tadwat kaamaa yam pravishanti sarve Sa shaantim aapnoti na kaamakaami.’ Translated this means, ‘He attains peace into whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean, which, filled from all sides, remains unmoved; but not the man who is full of desires.’
3. Happiness is closely linked to one’s contribution to the Circle (Wheel) of Life
Lord Krishna’s reference to the ‘Wheel’ is actually the Circle of life. He reminds us that all living organisms in this world except Man compulsorily do their part. Plants are offered as food to animals, smaller animals to larger animals and so on. Even the elements like the Sun, Air, Rains do not have an option. They shine, they blow, they satiate and nourish. Not only this, they do not expect any remuneration for their services.
Man is the only living entity who can choose not to do his part for the larger good for the world. In fact, today Man lives an extremely self-centered life revolving around his own pleasures, ambitions, whims and fancies.
Lord Krishna reminds us that the purpose of each human life to is contribute to the world. Man must consciously seek not only to serve his own family but also the world at -large. And absolutely selflessly at that. Meaning, he should not be expectant of rewards of his good deeds.
When Man falls in line with this spirit, things fall in place. He develops a deep tranquility, a deep quietude that naturally blossoms into inner joy and happiness
The relevant Bhagavad Gita quote on happiness pertaining to the ‘Wheel of Life’
The Gita, Chapter 3 Verse 16, ‘Evam pravartitam chakram naanuvartayateeha yah; Aghaayur indriyaaraamo mogham paartha sa jeevati’. Translated this means, ‘He who does not follow the wheel thus set revolving, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in the senses, he lives in vain, O Arjuna!’
4. Happiness increases when these three qualities are nurtured
The 4th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga of Wisdom, says that to attain happiness and peace come with the three qualities of Shraddha (Faith), Tatparah (Devotion) and Samtendriyah (subduing of senses)
Shraddha or Faith is not blind faith in the literal translation of the scriptures. Instead it is Faith in the implicit spiritual import imbibed from good teachers. Moreover, Faith means putting spirituality into practice in daily life. Simply knowing is not enough. Instead, Doing is what counts.
Tatparah or Devotion refers to dedicating attention to the contemplation of the Divine and to deeper understanding of spiritual advice.
The third and the last quality of subduing of senses, leads to complete success. No matter how much faith the aspirant has or how devoted he is, if he lets his cup of desires run over, it will surely sink his boat.
So, it is imperative to keep temptations in check by renewing the oath of sense-control constantly. To sum it up, diligently subduing the senses while maintaining faith and devotion will lead to Self knowledge, leading to True Peace and Joy.
Krishna quote on happiness relevant here
The Gita Chapter 4, verse 39; ‘Shraddhaavaan labhate jnaanam tatparah samyatendriyah; Jnaanam labdhvaa paraam shaantim achirenaadhigacchati.’ Translated this means, ‘The man who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and who has subdued all the senses, obtains (this) knowledge; and, having obtained the knowledge, he goes at once to the supreme peace.’
5. Happiness reigns where impulses of desire, anger and greed are curbed
Strong desires are nothing but thoughts that gain traction with the help of the mind, heart and intellect. Soon these desires snowball us to go all out to conquer what we want. But from the moment we have conquered them, the satisfaction lasts briefly. In fact the very fulfilment of those desires make us greedier and fan up more and more desires.
The stronger these desires, the greater is the anger on encounter with obstacles. In his rage, man loses his discrimination and acts without considering the right or the wrong.
But the man who detaches himself from these three devastatingly powerful emotions is a hero. As a result of which, he burns brightly with steady joy and happiness.
Bhagavad Gita quotes on happiness relevant here
The Gita, Chapter 5 Verse 23, ‘Shaknoteehaiva yah sodhum praak shareera vimokshanaat; Kaamakrodhodbhavam vegam sa yuktah sa sukhee narah‘. Translated this means ‘He who is able, while still here (in this world) to withstand, before the liberation from the body (death) , the impulse born out of desire and anger, he is a YOGIN , he is a happy man’.
Also the Gita Chapter 16, Verse 21, ‘Trividham narakasyedam dwaaram naashanamaatmanah; Kaamah krodhastathaa lobhas tasmaadetat trayam tyajet‘. Translated this means, ‘Triple is the gate of this hell, destructive of the self—lust, anger, and greed,—therefore, one should abandon these three.’
6. Happiness flows unrestricted when are actions are fully rooted in the present
Most of us make lofty goals for the future. We get charged up and start working towards it. But soon worries creep in. Before long we are obsessing and courting imaginary fears over the set goals. We go back and keep checking progress at each step along the way.
Consequently, we get all caught up in the flurry of analyses & worries and comparisons. Now, its beyond us to lose ourselves completely in the joy of the work. We miss giving our 100% to the present moment.
This is exactly what the Bhagavad Gita warns us against. Lord Krishna urges us to one pointedly execute our work/ duties while keeping over mind free. Read all about Karma Bhagavad Gita quotes here
This very act of freeing the mind from anxieties and over-thinking releases tremendous energy into the present job. Before long we will be at our creative, joyful and productive best, which will lead to exemplary achievements.
That is why Lord Krishna advises us to renounce attachment to the fruits of our labor. The idea behind renouncement/detachment from the fruits of labor is not a hopeless resignation to fate. In fact it is the exact opposite. Detaching the mind from energy-sapping tendencies can transform our work to the highest beauty. In this state comes our greatest achievements accompanies with sublime joy
Krishna quotes on happiness relevant here
The Gita, Chapter 2 verse 47, ‘Karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana; Maa karmaphalahetur bhoor maa te sango’stwakarmani’. Translated it means ‘Thy right is to work only, but never with its fruits; let not the fruits of actions be thy motive, nor let thy attachment be to inaction.’
The Gita, Chapter 2 verse 48, ‘Yogasthah kuru karmaani sangam tyaktwaa dhananjaya; Siddhyasiddhyoh samo bhootwaa samatwam yoga uchyate.’ Translated this means, ‘Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in Yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in success and failure! Evenness of mind is called Yoga’.
7. Grief cannot entrench itself where the nature of Soul is known.
One of the major causes of unhappiness is the loss of a loved one to death or to circumstances.
The Krishna quotes on happiness remind us that the body is but an attire for the Indestructible Soul. As per the Hindu doctrine of reincarnation, the Soul is an eternal part of the Divine. The Karmic accumulation of its previous bodies decides its form in the next life. Accordingly, the Soul either evolves/devolves into higher/lower forms of creation and quality of life. This goes on until the Soul attains Nirvana, the highest form of evolution. This is when it merges into the Divine.
So, when we lose a loved one, it will help to remember that the essence of that person, the Soul has moved ahead on its journey of evolution. It has simply discarded the old body (that we know) and has taken up a new body somewhere on this very Earth that we live on.
Bhagavad Gita quotes on happiness relevant here
The Gita, Chapter 2 verse 22, ‘Vaasaamsi jeernaani yathaa vihaaya Navaani grihnaati naro’paraani; Tathaa shareeraani vihaaya jeernaa Nyanyaani samyaati navaani dehee‘. Translated this means, ‘Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters others that are new.’
The Gita, Chapter 2 verse 30, ‘Dehee nityam avadhyo’yam dehe sarvasya bhaarata; Tasmaat sarvaani bhootaani na twam shochitum arhasi.‘ Translated this means, ‘This, the Indweller in the body of everyone is ever indestructible, O Bharata; and, therefore, you should not grieve for any creature.’
8. Lasting Happiness is found only when anchored to the Divine within
The wise will vouch for the fact that there is no such thing as permanent joy. At some point or the other even the most intensely joyous feelings become a source of pain. Every thrill, every kick, every high derived from worldly possessions turns out to be transient.
The promotion that we would have died for becomes a noose when it finally comes our way. So we look for something else for joy and move from one thing to another…
The mind tricks us into chasing pleasures, one after another, the whole life. And yet leave us dissatisfied and discontent even after winning them all.
Lord Krishna says that there is only one kind of Joy that lasts forever. And that is the Bliss felt by discovering the Divine Self.
But if this goal seems out of the reach of the common man, then he must at least realign his outlook. He must keep try to find his own inner anchor, his own source of happiness within. Something that does not depend upon pleasure objects or upon playing catch with the outside world.
Krishna quotes on happiness relevant here
The Gita, Chapter 5 verse 21, ‘Baahyasparsheshwasaktaatmaa vindatyaatmani yat sukham; Sa brahma yoga yuktaatmaa sukham akshayam ashnute.‘ Translated this means, ‘With the self unattached to the external contacts he discovers happiness in the Self; with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman he attains to the endless happiness.’
The Gita, Chapter 5 verse 22, ‘Ye hi samsparshajaa bhogaa duhkhayonaya eva te; Aadyantavantah kaunteya na teshu ramate budhah.’ Translated this means, ‘The enjoyments that are born of contacts are generators of pain only, for they have a beginning and an end, O Arjuna! The wise do not rejoice in them.’
9. Sattva is the way to Happiness
Sattva is when our mind is filled with wisdom and harmony. We become aware of a higher good within us. Sattvic choices might seem very difficult at first, literally like poison (as the Bhagavad Gita says) but eventually turn out to be the sweetest flavor of our life.
Read all about the three Gunas: Sattva Rajas Tamas here
A Sattvic lifestyle leads to a predominance of Sattva Guna in a persona. Over time, it makes the mind steady, the intellect sharp, the heart benevolent and the body radiant along with dazzling creativity.
On the contrary, Rajas Guna creates agitations in our mind and body. It makes one thirst for a million things and exert endlessly towards those objects. Rajas also has an egoistic standpoint which makes it an easy target for lust, greed and anger.
Tamas on the other hand refers to the shrouding of the intellect. Tamas is when the lower passions in a man take over. It is the embodiment of negativity, heedlessness, sloth and crime.
Lord Krishna says that by intelligent self-control and prayers we can turn our lives piece by piece into Sattva. Choosing a Sattvic lifestyle means making adjustments inside out involving the mind-body-soul. But it is the fastest road to redemption.
Bhagavad Gita quotes on Happiness relevant here
The Gita Chapter 14 verse 6, ‘Tatra sattwam nirmalatwaat prakaashakam anaamayam; Sukhasangena badhnaati jnaanasangena chaanagha.‘ Translated this means, ‘ Of these, “SATTWA” which because of its stainlessness, is luminous and healthy, (unobstructive). It binds by (creating) attachment to ‘happiness’ and attachment to ‘knowledge, ‘ O sinless one.’
The Gita, Chapter 18 Verse 37, ‘Yattadagre vishamiva parinaame’mritopamam; Tatsukham saattwikam proktam aatmabuddhiprasaadajam.‘ Translated this means, ‘That which is like poison at first, but in the end like nectar, that “pleasure” is declared to be SATTVIC (pure) , born of the purity of one’s own mind, due to Self realization.’
10. Where happiness & prosperity will always be found
The last verse of the 18th chapter which is actually a conclusion by Sanjay who was relaying the Gita to Dhritirashtra is profound.
Literally, it means that happiness and prosperity will be always be where Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna will be there. But symbolically Lord Krishna stands for a person’s Self (Soul) and Arjuna stands for the persons Mind-Body-Intellect.
Meaning wherever the Soul(Krishna within) is awake and directing the Man\’s Body-Mind-Intellect, he will shine through with peace, prosperity and joy. Simply because of the qualities of self control, faith, wisdom, contentment, harmony, equanimity, selfless service, and detachment that an awakened Soul imparts him.
Like Arjuna, the warrior prince, he will triumphantly face the challenges and inconsistencies of life. He will remain steady in all situations whether success, failure, pleasure, pain, joy or sorrow.
That is when, he will feel true, lasting happiness flourish from within.
Krishna quotes on happiness relevant here
The Gita, Chapter 4 verse 22, ‘Yadricchaalaabhasantushto dwandwaateeto vimatsarah; Samah siddhaavasiddhau cha kritwaapi na nibadhyate.’ Translated this means, ‘Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs-of-opposites and envy, even-minded in success and failure, though acting he is not bound.’
The Gita Chapter 19 verse 78, ‘Yatra yogeshwarah krishno yatra paartho dhanurdharah; Tatra shreervijayo bhootirdhruvaa neetirmatirmama.‘ Translated this means, ‘Wherever is Krishna, the Lord of YOGA , wherever is Paartha, the archer, there are prosperity, victory, happiness and firm (steady or sound) policy.’
In conclusion, try the advice mentioned in Bhagavad Gita quotes on happiness for that eternal quest for Joy!
Anchor your family’s young/old loved ones in the solid foundation of True, Lasting Joy coming with the thoughts from Krishna quotes on happiness.
Also read top 25 Bhagavad Gita quotes and 14 motivational thoughts for students and on making ethical decisions, top 5 lessons from Bhagavad Gita
Acknowledgements: Bhagavad Gita translations from Swami Sivananda’s and references from Swami Chinmayananda’s discourses on the Gita
