Bhagavad Gita · 2.64 · Transcendental Knowledge·64 of 72
रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन्।आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥
rāga-dveṣha-viyuktais tu viṣhayān indriyaiśh
charan ātma-vaśhyair-vidheyātmā prasādam adhigachchhati
Sanskrit recitation
A steady mind in a noisy world · 2.54–2.72 · Teaching
Translation
But the self-controlled man, moving among objects with the senses restrained and free from attraction and repulsion, attains peace.
Meaning
The mind and the senses are naturally endowed with the two currents of attraction and repulsion. Therefore, the mind and the senses like certain objects and dislike certain other objects. But the disciplined man moves among senseobjects with the mind and the senses free from attraction and repulsion and mastered by the Self, attains to the peace of the Eternal. The senses and the mind obey his will, as the disciplined self has a very strong will. The disciplined self takes only those objects which are ite necessary for the maintenance of the body without any love or hatred. He never takes those objects which are forbidden by the scriptures.In this verse Lord Krishna gives the answer to Arjuna's fourth question, How does a sage of steady wisdom move about (Cf.III.7.19,25XVIII.9).
After Swami Sivananda
A steady mind in a noisy world· 2.54–2.72→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 2.54Arjuna said, "O Krishna, what is the description of one who has steady wisdom and is merged in the superconscious state? How does one of steady wisdom speak, how do they sit, and how do they walk?"
- 2.55The Blessed Lord said, "When a man completely casts off, O Arjuna, all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self by the Self, then he is said to be one of steady wisdom."
- 2.56He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not long for pleasures, and is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.
- 2.57He who is everywhere without attachment, upon encountering anything good or bad, neither rejoices nor hastens; his wisdom is firm.
- 2.58When, like the tortoise which withdraws all its limbs on all sides, he withdraws his senses from the sense-objects, then his wisdom becomes steady.
- 2.59The objects of the senses turn away from the abstinent man, leaving the longing behind; but his longing also turns away upon seeing the Supreme.
- 2.60The turbulent senses, O Arjuna, can violently carry away the mind of a wise person, even though they are striving to control them.
- 2.61Having restrained them all, he should sit steadfast, intent on Me; his wisdom is steady whose senses are under control.
- 2.62When one thinks of objects, attachment to them arises; from attachment, desire is born; from desire, anger arises.
- 2.63Anger leads to delusion, which causes loss of memory; this, in turn, leads to the destruction of discrimination, resulting in destruction.
2.64But the self-controlled man, moving among objects with the senses restrained and free from attraction and repulsion, attains peace.
- 2.65In that peace, all pains are destroyed; for the intellect of the tranquil-minded soon becomes steady.
- 2.66There is no knowledge of the Self for the unsteady, and no meditation is possible for the unsteady, and no peace for the unmeditative, and how can there be happiness for one who has no peace?
- 2.67For the mind, which follows in the wake of the wandering senses, carries away his discrimination, as the wind carries away a boat on the waters.
- 2.68Therefore, O mighty-armed Arjuna, his knowledge is steady whose senses are completely restrained from sense objects.
- 2.69That which is night to all beings, in that the self-controlled man is awake; when all beings are awake, that is night for the sage who sees.
- 2.70He attains peace into whom all desires enter, just as waters enter the ocean which, filled from all sides, remains unmoved; but not the man who is full of desires.
- 2.71That person attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the sense of ownership, and without egoism.
- 2.72O son of Pritha, this is the eternal state, the Brahmic seat. Attaining this, one is not deluded. Being established in it, one attains oneness with Brahman even at the end of life.
Word-by-word→
- rāga
- attachment
- dveṣha
- aversion
- viyuktaiḥ
- free
- tu
- but
- viṣhayān
- objects of the senses
- indriyaiḥ
- by the senses
- charan
- while using
- ātma-vaśhyaiḥ
- controlling one’s mind
- vidheya-ātmā
- one who controls the mind
- prasādam
- the Grace of God
- adhigachchhati
- attains
Related verses
- 2.65In that peace, all pains are destroyed; for the intellect of the tranquil-minded soon…
- 4.22Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites and envy,…
- 6.7The Supreme Self of him who is self-controlled and peaceful remains balanced in cold and…
- 2.59The objects of the senses turn away from the abstinent man, leaving the longing behind;…