Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 16: The Divine and the Demonic Natures
Bhagavad Gita 16.23
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः ।
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ | na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim ||
One who sets aside the guidance of scripture and acts on the impulse of desire attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal.
Modern context
One who sets aside all guidance and acts only on impulse reaches neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the goal. 'Scripture' here can be understood broadly as the accumulated wisdom of those who came before. Ignoring all such guidance and following only one's desires might feel like freedom. But it usually leads to unhappiness, because desire alone is a poor guide.