
Chapter 16 · Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga
Guidance Over Impulse · What Pure Desire Can't Deliver
Meaning
"One who abandons the guidance of scripture and acts according to mere desire attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal."
Explanation
Doing whatever you feel like in the moment, without any guiding structure, is described here as a path that doesn't actually deliver the freedom it promises. Some form of guidance, the Gita suggests, keeps desire from running you in circles.
Today's Life Lesson
Before following pure impulse today, check it against some steady guiding principle — unchecked desire tends to run in circles.