Bhagavad Gita

Gita Verses on Guilt and Past Mistakes

अपराध-बोध और पश्चाताप से मुक्ति

Guilt over past mistakes is the ego's trap. The Gita teaches that the eternal soul is untouched by sin — and that the fire of wisdom burns away all accumulated karma. Forgive yourself and rise.

  1. यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन।

    yathaidhānsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā

    As the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ash.

    हे अर्जुन ! जैसे प्रज्वलित अग्नि ईंधनोंको सर्वथा भस्म कर देती है, ऐसे ही ज्ञानरूपी अग्नि सम्पूर्ण कर्मोंको सर्वथा भस्म कर देती है।

  2. सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।

    sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvā sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

    Abandoning all duties, take refuge in me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.

    सब धर्मों का आश्रय त्यागकर केवल मेरी शरण में आ जा। मैं तुझे सब पापों से मुक्त कर दूँगा, तू शोक मत कर।

  3. वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय

    vāsānsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛihṇāti naro ’parāṇi tathā śharīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇānya nyāni sanyāti navāni dehī

    Just as a man casts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so too the embodied Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters others that are new.

    मनुष्य जैसे पुराने कपड़ोंको छोड़कर दूसरे नये कपड़े धारण कर लेता है, ऐसे ही देही पुराने शरीरोंको छोड़कर दूसरे नये शरीरोंमें चला जाता है।

  4. नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः।

    nādatte kasyachit pāpaṁ na chaiva sukṛitaṁ vibhuḥ ajñānenāvṛitaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ

    The Lord takes neither the demerit nor the merit of any; knowledge is enveloped by ignorance, and beings are deluded.

    सर्वव्यापी परमात्मा न किसीके पापकर्मको और न शुभकर्मको ही ग्रहण करता है; किन्तु अज्ञानसे ज्ञान ढका हुआ है, उसीसे सब जीव मोहित हो रहे हैं।

✦ Frequently Asked Questions ✦

What does the Bhagavad Gita say about guilt and past mistakes?

Guilt over past mistakes is the ego's trap. The Gita teaches that the eternal soul is untouched by sin — and that the fire of wisdom burns away all accumulated karma. Forgive yourself and rise. Key shlokas: 4.37, 18.66, 2.22, 5.15.

Which Bhagavad Gita verses are about guilt and past mistakes?

The Bhagavad Gita addresses guilt and past mistakes in shlokas 4.37, 18.66, 2.22, 5.15. Read each with Sanskrit, transliteration, word-by-word meaning and English & Hindi translation on AskGita.