I was not shocked to discover Krishna’s teachings included in the management curriculum of many prestigious colleges. From politics to education, spiritual to military tactics, motivation to love, you can find Krishna’s life lessons in some sort of form everywhere.
So what makes Lord Krishna’s teachings timeless and most powerful?
We all know Lord Krishna as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, the beloved God. Yet, his life lessons are not restricted to any one period or location; his teachings are centered on most practical areas of life and are very plain and precise to read while still possessing enormous depth of insight.
Krishna Quotes given in this articles are taken from various resources but especially originating from Bhagavad Gita – A dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna.
These quotations have the capacity to alter your life; reading and understanding the divine message is a gift in and of itself. I hope these quotes help you grasp the true purpose of your life and give you the fortitude to carry it out –
Table of Contents
Lord Krishna Quotes on Wisdom
Wisdom is the key to progress in face of any challenges, Here are the lord Krishna quotes on wisdom-
“O men among men, wise people are serene and not imbalanced by these sensations, remaining equipoised in pleasure and pain. This is the only way to be ready for liberation. “
“The attainment of wisdom is the hardest part of the spiritual journey. When that is accomplished, spiritual realisation is very near.”
“An uncontrolled mind, always craving gratification of sense pleasures, leads to disastrous consequences.”
Having faith in something greater than oneself (God, nature, ethics), a person gains greater knowledge.
“The mind is inherently extroverted. The five sense organs continuously bombard the mind with messages from the outer world, and these messages create an uninterrupted flow of thought waves. This is the reason why an uncontrolled mind is never free from the propensities of desire, aversion, and anger.”
“O son of Kunti, it is only due to the interaction of the senses and sense objects that cause feelings of heat, cold, pleasure, and pain. They are temporary experiences, with a beginning and an end. Therefore try to endure them.”
“Ego has two sides—over praising and denigrating. One says, ‘I’m better than the rest’, and the other says, ‘I’m worse than the rest. Both keep the ego in charge, preventing the acknowledgement and growth of one’s divine characteristics.”
“Only those who see a holy person endowed with wisdom and humility, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a pariah with equal vision have realized genuine wisdom. “
“For a realised wise person (experiential knowledge), book knowledge of Vedas are of little use, just as well water is of little value when there is fresh lake water at hand.”
For one with an unsteady mind (i.e., seeking joy from objects instead of spirit) there is no wisdom, meditation or peace.
Any sense that makes one want to have that pleasure leads the mind away from finding inner pleasure, just as a wind blows a boat off its course.
Wisdom is like a fire that reduces all ignorance to ashes.
Lord Krishna Quotes on Self Realization
These 15 quotes reflect what Krishna said on self-realization and why is it important for us –
“Acting beyond change, acting for eternity, takes you beyond sin. This is known as Self-Realization (Moksha) “
“The self-aware, knower of Truth realizes they are not the doer, rather it is the senses that see, hear, touch, smell, eat, walk, breathe, speak, grasp, release, and blink the eyes (involuntary actions). This person realizes it is the senses alone that are active (not their eternal Soul)”
“When the mind loses all sense of being a separate identity, it enters into samadhi, a superconscious state where one savors bliss that endures. Success in reaching this state and making it endure can be achieved with practice.”
“Greed is the food that sustains cravings and feeds the ego.”
“The task of protecting those jewels which are within each one of us begins with control of the mind.”
“However, even though withdrawing the senses from sense desires frees one from those desires, the taste for them lingers. Even the taste for worldly desires drops away when one directly experiences the Divine.”
“God is constantly within us, but the mind obscures that fact with agitated waves of worldly desires. Meditation quiets those waves.”
“Know that what pervades all matter is eternal; this Soul cannot be destroyed.”
“The body perishes, but the Soul in bodies is eternal, indestructible, and infinite. “
“The Soul is never born, nor ever dies. The Soul is unborn, eternal, changeless, timeless; it is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”
“For people who overindulge their sense gratification, acquisition of power and worldly pleasures, their spiritual abilities are diluted, unable to focus on, or feel conviction of purpose to God.”
“Just as a person throws out old clothes and wears a new attire, like that, the Soul lets go of old, worn out bodies and takes on new bodies.”
“Weapons cannot harm the Soul, fire cannot burn it, water cannot wet it, and air cannot dry it. The Soul cannot be pierced, burned, wet, or dried. It is eternal, omnipresent, unmoving, unchanging, and everlasting.”
“Everything that is born, must die. And everything that dies, is born again. Therefore there is no cause to lament over inevitabilities. “
“O Arjuna, we know nothing before and after birth; we only know things during life. So why grieve over the unknowable?”
Lord Krishna Quotes on Life
Here are the inspirational quotes by lord Krishna on life –
It is better to follow one’s own life-purpose path though flawed, than to follow another’s path.
“Those who find greater inner pleasure than from sense pleasures, attains peace and dances gracefully through life free from longings or aversions.”
‘Considering your life-purpose (dharma) is upholding righteousness, you should not waver; there is nothing more purposeful than fulfilling your life purpose. “
“Focusing on the root of problems instead of addressing the symptoms, allows you to realize alternative ways to correct situations in all areas of life.”
“The ego is the cheerleader of cravings—it enshrines self conceit, possessiveness, and jealousy.”
“Others, full of desires for selfish, gratification of their senses, see heaven as their highest goal (not realizing it is temporary), and partake in many esoteric scriptural rites just to gain pleasure, wealth, power, and good rebirth.”
“When focused on material objects, a person becomes attached to them. This attachment causes longing for the objects, and this desire generates anger.”
“From anger arises delusion, which bewilders the memory. With the loss of memory, mental awareness of inner joy is lost. This in turn causes a person to perish.”
For the person who is awake to their inner life (spiritual ecstasy), it always feels like morning, even when it is nighttime outside. What most people call being awake, is considered night for those who have an inner life.
Just as an ocean remains calm while all the rivers flow into it, the self-absorbed saint remains unaffected by sensory objects as they enter them. It is only this type of saint that has no material desires who attains fully established peace (inner joy).
Those who lose their taste for material desires and pleasures find bliss and lives free from false ego and ownership. O Arjuna, one who realizes this ultimate truth is never again deluded. Even at the end of life, one remains aware of their true eternal nature.
It is important to see that helping others is its own reward. Avoid seeking to receive something in return for giving.
Krishna Quotes on Bhakti
Realized people understand the significance of Bhakti or devotion; the Krishna quotes below will tell you more about devotion, love, and compassion for God –
Without ego or desire for gains, surrender all action to Me; set your mind firmly focused on the Self; thus becoming free from the fever of grief, and fight.
“Always think of Me and be My devotee. Worship Me and offer obeisance to Me. Thus, you will attain Me. Truly, I promise that you are dear to me.”
“True devotion merges with true knowledge.”
“The Way of Unselfish Work and the Way of Knowledge are two of the four ways for purifying the mind. The Way of Meditation and the Way of Devotion are the other two. Each of the ways enables the aspirant to realize the Spiritual Unity behind the apparent diversity in the universe. They are four paths to the same summit.”
” The faith of each is a result of their inherent nature. People consist of their faith; they are their faith.”
“In peace, there is no internal misery, thus allowing the mind to establish itself fully in spiritual joy.”
This is all God asks; if you succeed, it is credited to God for He/She/It is the creator of the “Gunas”.
Lord Krishna Quotes on Action & Karma
Without action there is no faith and without faith one cannot attain God, Below Krishna quotes reflect the importance of Karma and Action –
“Success is in God’s hands―so just try your best, but do not try to make something happen. Otherwise the ego gets in the way and proclaims itself The Doer.”
`”Yoga of action without desire for reward; the knowledge of which frees one from the karmic bonds of cause and effect. “
“Be equal minded in pleasure and pain, win and loss, victory and defeat; fight this battle. In this way, no sin will be attached to you”
“Both renunciation of actions and doing prescribed actions lead to liberation. But of the two, fulfilling your responsibilities is superior to renunciation of action.”
“Even a small amount of practice will be beneficial.”
“Focus on your goals, or on the things that must be done without distraction.”
“Those who perform selfless action, surrendering all work to Brahman (eternal Soul), sin does not attach to them, like water on a lotus leaf.”
Quotes by Lord Krishna That Inspired Arjuna
Lord Krishna told Arjuna many secrets about spirituality, life, divine consciousness, action and much more it is all written in Bhagavad Gita – which is the most holy scripture of Hinduism, some of the most important teachings by Krishna to Arjuna are given below in form of Quotes –
Self-discipline of one’s senses is essential in remaining balanced and focused on one’s spiritual life.
Those with perfected insight are not to confuse the people who are deluded and therefore attached to the gunas (senses).
Those who find fault with my teachings and do not follow the advice, they are deluded and devoid of any true inner knowledge or spiritual awareness.
Even the wise act according to their nature; all beings follow their own nature. What can repression accomplish?
The cause of doubt is ignorance.
Sacrifice of knowledge is superior to sacrifice of material possessions. Actions do not ensnare when performed with wisdom.
Even the most sinful of the sinners can cross over the ocean of sins and miseries by the bark of this eternal wisdom.
Just as a fire reduces wood to ashes, so too the fire of knowledge burns away (desires for the rewards of) actions.
People perform best according to their innate God-given abilities, thus making specialization of labor important; one job is not superior to another; all are interdependent.
The secrets to easy living: gratitude, contentment, and detachment are discovered when being content with whatever comes without undue effort.
Sacrifice can involve controlling one’s senses, offering money, charity work, austerities, spiritual practices, scriptural study, breath control, and the highest, letting go of personal desires.
Those who have equanimity of mind conquer this world in this lifetime, because they are endowed with an equality of vision of the eternal, and are free from all dualities of life; they are established in God awareness.
The person who is not ruled by physical and emotional desires in their life is self-controlled and truly happy.
Those who have found inner eternal joy, pleasure, and light, have become established in God-love realization—eternal freedom.
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, egotism; these are the 8-fold divisions of my nature (prakriti).
Anyone who realizes the eternal consciousness within all living things everywhere, and is imperishable within these perishable things, realises the Truth.
Worshiping God is saying thank you for His kindness. Praying is asking for what we need from God. Meditating is connecting with the Supreme power to get help and guidance.
If even the most sinful person decides to worship Me with loving devotion, such a person soon becomes a saint because he or she has made the right decision.
“I personally take care of the needs of devotees who always remember and love Me.
There is no unforgivable sin or sinner. The fire of sincere repentance burns all sins.
If anyone says, I know God, that person does not know. Anyone who knows the Truth says: I do not know God.
The love of God is called devotion (Bhakti). If you have devotion, God will give you the knowledge and understanding of the Self.
The more you know and think about God’s glory, power and greatness, the stronger your love will grow. Thus the knowledge and love of God go together.
Key Teachings of Lord Krishna Quotes –
Lord Krishna’s teachings are vast; there are so many dynamic aspects in the divine words of wisdom that no human being can summarize the ultimate wisdom in a few words; the summary below is only a fraction of what my understanding took me about the above Krishna Quotes.
- Everything comes from Him and eventually goes back to Him. God is One, but has become many. He is everywhere and in everything.
- GOD is the Generator or creator, Operator or maintainer, and Destroyer of all beings.
- GOD creates everything, including the sun, moon, stars, wind, water, air, fire, and even our thoughts, feelings, intellect, and other qualities. We can see His glory and greatness throughout creation.
- Everything, including our body, mind, thoughts, and feelings, comes from God.
- We cannot see God with our human eyes. We can see Him only in a vision or trance (Samadhi).
- The entire creation is nothing but the body of the creator, and we are part of the cosmic form of GOD.
- Lord Krishna said that He can be seen in this four-armed form only through devotion.
- The man who has faith, is diligent and has control over the organs, attains Knowledge. Achieving Knowledge, one soon attains supreme Peace.
- One who is ignorant and faithless, and has a doubting mind perishes. Neither this world nor the next nor happiness exists for one who has a doubting mind.
- actions do not bind one who has renounced actions through yoga, whose doubt has been fully dispelled by Knowledge, and who is not inadvertent.
- Take recourse to yoga and rise up, cutting asunder with the sword of Knowledge this doubt of your own in the heart, arising from ignorance.
- He who does not hate and does not crave should be known as a man of constant renunciation.
- The fools, not the learned ones, speak of Sankhya (the path of Knowledge) and (Karma-) yoga as different. Any one who properly resorts to even one (of them) gets the result of both.
- By giving up attachment, the yogis undertake work merely through the body, mind, intellect and even the organs, for the purification of themselves.
- The embodied man of self-control, having given up all actions mentally, continues happily in the town of nine gates, without doing or causing (others) to do anything at all.
- The Self does not create agentship or any objects (of desire) for anyone; nor association with the results of actions. But it is Nature that acts.
- The Omnipresent neither accepts anybody’s sin nor even virtue. Knowledge remains covered by ignorance. Thereby the creatures become deluded.
- But in the case of those of whom that ignorance of theirs becomes destroyed by the knowledge (of the Self), their Knowledge, like the sun, reveals that supreme Reality
- One who can withstand here itself-before departing from the body-the impulse arising from desire and anger, that man is a yogi; he is happy.
- He who performs an action which is his duty, without depending on the result of action, he is a monk and a yogi; (but) not (so in) he who does not keep a fire and is actionless.
Importance Of Lord Krishna Quotes in Modern World
Lord Krishna Quotes or his teachings in the Bhagavad Gita are more important and relevant than ever in today’s world, where I see a lot of restlessness, discontentment, pain, and unhappiness. There is no other way to solve these problems without spiritual assistance. Along with scientific knowledge and skills for a good living, one must have knowledge of oneself and God in order to be truly at peace in all situations.
Krishna’s teachings are truly timeless and universal, and the key points listed below are just a few examples of why we need Krishna Quotes now more than ever –
Importance of Selfless Action –
Everyone in today’s world wants to be successful by crushing another person. We forget that true action should be selfless, and that we should surrender all fruits of action to God, letting go of all resentments, hatred, and anger.
Love and Compassion –
Krishna taught us about unconditional love, true love, and compassion, which is lacking in today’s world of discrimination and injustice, and where few people have love and tolerance for others.
Detachment-
Many people spend their entire lives chasing money, materialistic things, possessions, and power, never finding true happiness. When they realize that these things do not contribute to a happy, joyous, and free life, it is often too late. Krishna quotes on life tells us about how we can live a purposeful life.
Importance of Self Realization-
In todays world people are looking outwards to find happiness. Krishna told us the importance of mindfulness and that true happiness is self realization – finding who you are and following your consciousness; which is its true essence is a purpose of living and which leads to ultimate truth – a loving God!
Read Books on Lord Krishna
FAQ
Q. What is the importance of Lord Krishna’s teachings in today’s world?
Lord Krishna’s teachings inspire people to live lives filled with joy, meaning, and happiness. Krishna Quotes assists humanity as a whole to progress in harmony with nature and spiritual principles, which is by far the most difficult aspect of today’s world.
Q. How can we apply Lord Krishna’s teachings in our daily lives?
Lord Krishna’s teachings can be applied in daily life by practicing meditation, mindful actions, gratitude, devotion, selfless service and compassion.
Q. What is the significance of devotion to Lord Krishna?
Devotion to Krishna is highest form of spiritual realization, Krishna is a source of divine love, super consciousness and the ultimate truth. With Krishna devotion one can get self realization and inner peace.
External References –
The Bhagavad Gita and the Ethics of War
Management lessons from the life of Krishna
Political Lessons from the Mahabharat
