Sanskrit
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति । शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ॥
śrotrādīnīndriyāṇy anye saṃyamāgniṣu juhvati śabdādīn viṣayān anya indriyāgniṣu juhvati
Translation
Some pour as sacrifice hearing and the other senses into the fires of restraint; some pour sound and the other objects of sense into the fires of the senses as sacrifice;
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
Moves from outward ritual to inward discipline: sacrificing the senses themselves into the fires of restraint, or sacrificing sense-objects into the fires of the senses. Each of these — restraint on one side, engaged sensing on the other — is being reframed as a form of yajña, extending the word’s meaning well past its original ritual sense established back in verse 12. The two describe opposite temperaments treated as equal: the ascetic who withdraws the senses and the engaged person who lets objects meet trained senses without grasping. Both “offer” — one withholds, one meets without clinging.
Study deeper
Word by word
- śrotrādīnīndriyāṇy anyeश्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्य् अन्ये
- others [offer] the senses, hearing and the rest (śrotra-ādīni + indriyāṇi + anye)
- saṃyamāgniṣu juhvatiसंयमाग्निषु जुह्वति
- into the fires of restraint (saṃyama-agniṣu + juhvati)
- śabdādīn viṣayān anyaशब्दादीन् विषयान् अन्य
- others, the sense-objects, sound and the rest (śabda-ādīn + viṣayān + anye)
- indriyāgniṣu juhvatiइन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति
- into the fires of the senses they offer (indriya-agniṣu + juhvati)
Commentary
Site Commentary
Two opposite techniques appear side by side without one being marked correct: sealing the senses off entirely, and staying engaged with sense-objects but disciplined in how they’re taken in. The verse doesn’t ask which temperament is right, withdrawal or engagement — it treats both as valid routes to the same fire, which quietly undercuts the assumption that discipline always has to look like abstinence.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- If your instinct for self-discipline is to eliminate a temptation entirely rather than engage it in moderation, know that's only one valid method, not the only one — this verse treats total withdrawal and disciplined engagement as equally legitimate routes to the same steadiness. Pick whichever one actually holds for you.
Professional
- When building focus habits at work, don't assume the disciplined option is always the strictest one — blocking every distraction outright versus permitting limited, structured engagement with them are both legitimate strategies; use whichever produces steadier output for you, not the one that looks more austere.
Family & Social
- When a family member manages a temptation differently than you do — through moderation instead of total avoidance, or the reverse — resist assuming your method is the more disciplined one; this verse treats both as valid paths to the same underlying restraint.
Ask yourself
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