Bhagavad Gita 2.52 — When the Intellect Crosses the Thicket of Delusion
यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति।
तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च॥ २.५२॥
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When your intellect crosses beyond the thicket of delusion, then you will become indifferent to what is yet to be heard and to what has been heard.
Transliteration (IAST)
Word Separation
The Sanskrit verse is separated into individual words (Padched) for easier study.
Word Meanings
| Line 1 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| yadā | when |
| te | your |
| mohakalilam | the dense thicket of delusion, the quagmire of confusion |
| buddhiḥ | intellect |
| vyatitariṣhyati | will cross beyond, will pass over |
| Line 2 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| tadā | then |
| gantāsi | you will attain, you will reach |
| nirvedam | indifference, detachment |
| śhrotavyasya | to what is yet to be heard |
| śhrutasya | to what has been heard |
| cha | and |
| Line 1 | Line 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning | Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| yadā | when | tadā | then |
| te | your | gantāsi | you will attain, you will reach |
| mohakalilam | the dense thicket of delusion, the quagmire of confusion | nirvedam | indifference, detachment |
| buddhiḥ | intellect | śhrotavyasya | to what is yet to be heard |
| vyatitariṣhyati | will cross beyond, will pass over | śhrutasya | to what has been heard |
| cha | and | ||
Detailed Meaning
Introduction
Here Lord Krishna describes a stage on the path of wisdom: the moment when the intellect crosses beyond the dense confusion of delusion. At that point, Arjuna will become indifferent to all the teachings he has heard and all that he may still hear. The verse describes a kind of maturity in which borrowed knowledge gives way to direct understanding.
Essence
Moha-kalila: the thicket of delusion
Lord Krishna says yadā te moha-kalilam buddhir vyatitariṣyati. When your intellect crosses beyond the moha-kalila. The word moha means delusion or bewilderment, and kalila suggests a dense tangle, a thicket or swamp. Delusion is described as something that has to be crossed, like a forest or a marsh, rather than simply wished away.
Arjuna knows this condition well. At the beginning of the chapter, his mind was entangled in confusion about duty, family, and grief. Krishna now says that a time will come when the intellect will emerge on the other side.
Vyatitariṣyati (will cross over): The word emphasises the effort and the result. The intellect does not remain in the tangle but passes beyond it, becoming clear.
Nirveda: becoming indifferent to the heard
The verse continues: tadā gantāsi nirvedam śrotavyasya śrutasya ca. Then you will attain nirveda, a kind of detachment or disinterest, regarding what is to be heard and what has been heard.
This does not mean contempt for teaching. It means that the seeker no longer depends on a constant stream of new information, opinions, and instructions, because understanding has become direct and stable. When a traveller reaches the destination, the map and the directions are no longer needed in the same way.
It also indicates a relief from the restless hunger for more teachings, more theories, and more arguments. A mind that has seen the truth does not need to be perpetually entertained by new ideas.
Message for Everyday Life (From Information to Understanding)
We live in an age of overwhelming information. Courses, books, videos, and opinions pile up, yet clarity often does not.
Digest what you have learned: Reflect on and apply a few essential insights rather than endlessly collecting more.
Clear the thicket within: Confusion usually dissolves not through more input but through steady reflection, honest self-observation, and practice.
Moha-kalila: the thicket of delusion
Lord Krishna says yadā te moha-kalilam buddhir vyatitariṣyati. When your intellect crosses beyond the moha-kalila. The word moha means delusion or bewilderment, and kalila suggests a dense tangle, a thicket or swamp. Delusion is described as something that has to be crossed, like a forest or a marsh, rather than simply wished away.
Arjuna knows this condition well. At the beginning of the chapter, his mind was entangled in confusion about duty, family, and grief. Krishna now says that a time will come when the intellect will emerge on the other side.
Vyatitariṣyati (will cross over): The word emphasises the effort and the result. The intellect does not remain in the tangle but passes beyond it, becoming clear.
Nirveda: becoming indifferent to the heard
The verse continues: tadā gantāsi nirvedam śrotavyasya śrutasya ca. Then you will attain nirveda, a kind of detachment or disinterest, regarding what is to be heard and what has been heard.
This does not mean contempt for teaching. It means that the seeker no longer depends on a constant stream of new information, opinions, and instructions, because understanding has become direct and stable. When a traveller reaches the destination, the map and the directions are no longer needed in the same way.
It also indicates a relief from the restless hunger for more teachings, more theories, and more arguments. A mind that has seen the truth does not need to be perpetually entertained by new ideas.
Message for Everyday Life (From Information to Understanding)
We live in an age of overwhelming information. Courses, books, videos, and opinions pile up, yet clarity often does not.
Digest what you have learned: Reflect on and apply a few essential insights rather than endlessly collecting more.
Clear the thicket within: Confusion usually dissolves not through more input but through steady reflection, honest self-observation, and practice.
Next Topic
Krishna has said that when the intellect crosses the thicket of delusion, Arjuna will lose his dependence on endless hearing. He now describes the stable condition that follows. In the next verse He says that when the intellect, once confused by conflicting teachings, stands unshaken in deep absorption, Arjuna will attain yoga.
Hidden Messages In This Shloka
Reflect on this verse from different perspectives and see which deeper message opens up for you.
Wisdom Nuggets
Confusion is overcome by clear seeing, not by more noise.
Too many voices drown the one that matters.
When the mind clears, the path appears.
Knowledge becomes wisdom when it is digested.
Knowing when to stop searching is wisdom.
Rely on understanding you have earned.
A clear mind seeks nothing more to hear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'mohakalila' (the thicket of delusion)?
What does 'nirveda' (indifference, detachment) mean here?
What are 'śhrotavya' (what is yet to be heard) and 'śhruta' (what has been heard)?
Does this mean one should stop learning?
How does this verse prepare for the next?
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