यः शास्त्रविधिम् उत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः । न स सिद्धिम् अवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥
yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ | na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim ||
One who abandons śāstra-vidhi to act from desire's impulse attains neither siddhi, nor sukha, nor the Supreme Goal.
Word by word (3)
- yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
- — whoever (yaḥ) having abandoned (utsṛjya) the ordinance/prescription of śāstra (śāstra-vidhi) — the deliberate discarding of the dharmic framework
- vartate kāma-kārataḥ
- — acts/moves (vartate) from the impulse of desire (kāma-kārata = propelled by kāma as the motive force) — desire as the sole operational guide
- na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim
- — that person does not attain (na avāpnoti) siddhi (perfection), nor sukha (happiness), nor parāṃ gatim (the Supreme Goal) — triple negation of all three human aspirations
Whoever, setting aside the ordinance of scripture, acts under the impulse of desire — attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Goal.
A modern analogy
A ship's navigator who discards the map and navigation system because they trust their 'gut feeling' won't reach the destination — they'll drift, or worse, hit rocks. Śāstra-vidhi is the navigation system. Kāma-kārata (desire-impulse) is 'gut feeling' without map. V23 gives the consequences: no destination reached.
V23 makes the transition from the āsurī portrait's consequences (V16-20) and the three-gate teaching (V21-22) to the authority question: why should one follow śāstra rather than desire? V23 gives the pragmatic answer: because desire-driven action achieves NONE of the three human goals (siddhi, sukha, parāṃ gati). This sets up V24's conclusion: therefore śāstra should be your authority.
The triple negation (na siddhim, na sukham, na parāṃ gatim) covers the three legitimate human aspirations: artha-kāma (practical success and pleasure = siddhi + sukha) and mokṣa (parāṃ gatim). Even on its own terms — without reference to God or scripture — desire-driven action fails all three goals. This is the pragmatic case for śāstra.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
He who, neglecting the scriptural ordinance, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Goal. [1]
He who, setting aside the ordinance of the Shastra, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not to perfection, nor happiness, nor the Goal Supreme. [4]
He who abandoning scripture ordinances, acts under the impulse of desire, does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal. [9]
He who abandoning the ordinances of the scriptures, acts only under the impulses of desire, never attains to perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Abandon all desires born of mental planning — without remainder — and restrain the senses completely, by the mind alone.
Three gates to hell, destructive of the self: kāma, krodha, lobha. Therefore abandon this triad.
Sannyāsa = abandoning desire-motivated action; tyāga = abandoning fruits of ALL action — say the learned.
More daivī qualities: ahiṃsā, satya, akrodha, tyāga, śānti, apaiśuna, dayā, aloluptva, mārdava, hrī, acāpala.
The yogi abandons fruit and attains lasting peace. The non-yogi, bound to fruit by desire, is fettered.
The āsurī worldview: the world is unreal, groundless, Godless — produced only by matter-union and desire.