Sanskrit
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः । ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥
śraddhāvāl labhate jñānaṃ tat-paraḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ jñānaṃ labdhvā parāṃ śāntim acireṇādhigacchati
Translation
The man who is full of faith obtaineth wisdom, and he also who hath mastery over his senses; and, having obtained wisdom, he goeth swiftly to the supreme Peace.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
Two conditions are named for obtaining this wisdom: śraddhā, a committed and trusting orientation rather than passive belief, and mastery over the senses; together they deliver it quickly, and wisdom in turn delivers supreme peace without delay, acireṇa. The pairing is deliberate — faith alone can slide into credulity, and sense-control alone can slide into mere suppression, but the text insists it takes both together to actually open the door verse 34 described. Śraddhā is named first because it is the entry condition: you practise before you can verify. The Gita makes this claim repeatedly and gives it a whole chapter at 17; here it is paired with sense-control as the two halves of one readiness.
Study deeper
Word by word
- śraddhāvāl labhate jñānaṃश्रद्धावाल् लभते ज्ञानं
- the one with faith gains knowledge (śraddhāvān + labhate + jñānam)
- tat-paraḥ saṃyatendriyaḥतत्-परः संयतेन्द्रियः
- intent on it, senses controlled (tat-paraḥ + saṃyata-indriyaḥ)
- jñānaṃ labdhvā parāṃ śāntimज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिं
- having gained knowledge, supreme peace (jñānam + labdhvā + parām + śāntim)
- acireṇādhigacchatiअचिरेणाधिगच्छति
- soon he attains (acireṇa + adhigacchati)
Commentary
Site Commentary
Verse 38 used kālena for how wisdom arrives — in due season, no set schedule. This verse switches to acireṇa, without delay, for what happens once it does — peace follows fast. The waiting and the arriving have different timescales: the approach can be slow and uncertain in duration, but the text is specific that the payoff, once the condition is actually met, isn’t gradual at all.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- The buildup toward a real change in yourself can take an unpredictable, unhurried amount of time — don't force a schedule onto it. But don't assume the payoff will be equally gradual once the actual condition is met; this verse treats the waiting and the arriving as having two different timescales entirely.
Professional
- Building the expertise or trust that gets you to the next level at work can take an unpredictable amount of time you can't rush — but once you've actually crossed that threshold, don't expect the recognition or opportunity to also arrive slowly; the payoff, once earned, often comes faster than the earning did.
Family & Social
- Rebuilding trust after a real breach in a relationship can take a long, genuinely unpredictable time — but once trust is actually restored, don't assume the closeness has to return just as gradually; reconciliation, once truly reached, can arrive faster than the repair leading up to it.
Ask yourself
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