🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 2.53

Chapter 2 · सांख्ययोग · Sāṅkhya-Yoga · "The Yoga of Knowledge" · Verse 53 of 72

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श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला।

समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि।।2.53।।
— Bhagavad-Gītā 2.53 · the yathārtha śloka (Devanāgarī Sanskrit · canonical)

🪷 English Translations

Five authentic English voices · each from a distinct sampradāya · together revealing the verse's full śabda-tattva.

Shri Purohit Swami · Poetic English · 1935 · public domain · Cosmo Press tradition
2.53 When the intellect, bewildered by the multiplicity of holy scripts, stands unperturbed in blissful contemplation of the Infinite, then hast thou attained Spirituality.
Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society
2.53 When thy intellect, which is perplexed by the Veda text, which thou hast read, shall stand immovable and steady in the Self, then thou shalt attain Self-realisation.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Word-key glosses · Advaita Ashrama · Śaṅkara-school
2.53 If it be asked, 'By becoming possessed of the wisdom arising from the discrimination about the Self after overcoming the turbidity of delusion, when shall I attain the yoga of the supreme Reality which is the fruit that results from Karma-yoga?', then listen to that; Yada, when at the time when; te, your; buddhih, mind; that has become sruti-vi-pratipanna, bewildered, tossed about, by hearing (the Vedas) that reveal the diverse ends, means, and (their) relationship, i.e. are filled with divergent ideas; sthasyati, will become; niscala, unshakable, free from the trubulence in the form of distractions; and acala, steadfast, that is to say, free from doubt even in that (unshakable) state; samadhau, in samadhi, that is to say, in the Self samadhi being derived in the sense of that in which the mind is fixed; tada, then, at that time; avapsyasi, you will attain; yogam, Yoga, the enlightenment, Self-absorption, that arises from discrimination. Having got an occasion for iniry, Arjuna, with a view to knowing the characteristics of one who has the realization of the Self, [By the word samadhi is meant the enlightenment arising from discrimination, which has been spoken of in the commentary on the previous verse. The steadfastness which the monks have in that enlightenment is called steadfastness in Knowledge. Or the phrase may mean, 'the enlightenment achieved through meditation on the Self', i.e. the realization of the supreme Goal.] asked:
Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school
2.53 Here 'Sruti' means hearing (and not the Veda). When your intellect, which, by hearing from us, has become specially enlightened, having for its object the eternal, unsurpassed and subtle self - which belongs to a class different from all other entities -, then the intellect is firmly fixed, i.e., in a single psychosis and stands unshaken. In such a concentrated mind, purified by the performance of duties without attachment, will be generated true Yoga, which consists in the vision of the self. What is said is this: Karma Yoga, which presupposes the knowledge of the real nature of the self obtained from the scriptures, leads to a firm devotion to knowledge known as the state of firm wisdom; and the state of 'firm wisdom;' which is in the form of devotion to knowledge, generates the vision of the self; this vision is here called Yoga. Arjuna, thus taught, estions about the nature of 'firm wisdom' which constitutes the means for the attainment of Yoga and which itself is attainable through Karma Yoga which consists in work with detachment, and also about the mode of behaviour of a man of 'firm wisdom.'
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly
2.53. When your determining faculty, that had been [earlier] confused by your hearing [of scriptural declaration of fruits] shall stand stable in concentration, at that time you shall attain the Yoga.

🪷 Hindi Translation · हिन्दी अनुवाद

For the Hindi-aware seer · Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's translation · the highest-readability modern Hindi rendering · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur tradition.

🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī tradition · Gītā-Press Gorakhpur · highest modern Hindi reading
।।2.53।। जिस कालमें शास्त्रीय मतभेदोंसे विचलित हुई तेरी बुद्धि निश्चल हो जायगी और परमात्मामें अचल हो जायगी, उस कालमें तू योगको प्राप्त हो जायगा।

🪷 English Commentaries · The Ācārya Voices

The classical commentary tradition rendered in English · each ācārya speaks from their own sampradāya · the seer chooses the depth of darśana.

Swami Sivananda · Verse-by-verse word-keys with Sanskrit anchors
2.53 श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना perplexed by what hast heard? ते thy? यदा when? स्थास्यति shall stand? निश्चला immovable? समाधौ in the Self? अचला steady? बुद्धिः intellect? तदा then? योगम् Selfrealisation? अवाप्स्यसि (thou) shalt attain.Commentary When your intellect which is tossed about by the conflict of opinions regarding the Pravritti Marga (the path of action) and the Nivritti Marga (the path of retirement or renunciation) has become immovable without distraction and doubt and firmly established in the Self? then thou shalt attain Selfrealisation or knowledge of the Self (AtmaJnana).
Swami Gambīrānanda · Advaita-school commentary (Śaṅkara tradition)
2.53 If it be asked, 'By becoming possessed of the wisdom arising from the discrimination about the Self after overcoming the turbidity of delusion, when shall I attain the yoga of the supreme Reality which is the fruit that results from Karma-yoga?', then listen to that; Yada, when at the time when; te, your; buddhih, mind; that has become sruti-vi-pratipanna, bewildered, tossed about, by hearing (the Vedas) that reveal the diverse ends, means, and (their) relationship, i.e. are filled with divergent ideas; sthasyati, will become; niscala, unshakable, free from the trubulence in the form of distractions; and acala, steadfast, that is to say, free from doubt even in that (unshakable) state; samadhau, in samadhi, that is to say, in the Self samadhi being derived in the sense of that in which the mind is fixed; tada, then, at that time; avapsyasi, you will attain; yogam, Yoga, the enlightenment, Self-absorption, that arises from discrimination. Having got an occasion for iniry, Arjuna, with a view to knowing the characteristics of one who has the realization of the Self, [By the word samadhi is meant the enlightenment arising from discrimination, which has been spoken of in the commentary on the previous verse. The steadfastness which the monks have in that enlightenment is called steadfastness in Knowledge. Or the phrase may mean, 'the enlightenment achieved through meditation on the Self', i.e. the realization of the supreme Goal.] asked:
Swami Ādidevānanda · Rāmānuja Śrī-Vaiṣṇava commentary
2.53 Here 'Sruti' means hearing (and not the Veda). When your intellect, which, by hearing from us, has become specially enlightened, having for its object the eternal, unsurpassed and subtle self - which belongs to a class different from all other entities -, then the intellect is firmly fixed, i.e., in a single psychosis and stands unshaken. In such a concentrated mind, purified by the performance of duties without attachment, will be generated true Yoga, which consists in the vision of the self. What is said is this: Karma Yoga, which presupposes the knowledge of the real nature of the self obtained from the scriptures, leads to a firm devotion to knowledge known as the state of firm wisdom; and the state of 'firm wisdom;' which is in the form of devotion to knowledge, generates the vision of the self; this vision is here called Yoga. Arjuna, thus taught, estions about the nature of 'firm wisdom' which constitutes the means for the attainment of Yoga and which itself is attainable through Karma Yoga which consists in work with detachment, and also about the mode of behaviour of a man of 'firm wisdom.'
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship
2.52-53 Yada te etc. Sruti-etc. At the time, when the determining facult with regard to the Yoga is attained, the clear sign of recognizing it, is this : An attitude of futility about the revealed literature that has to be listened to, that has been listened to and that is being declared. What has been declared by the above is this : 'This present view of yours about the ruination of your race is out of place and it is due to the influence of your deceptive notion, born of mental impressions created by your listening to the teachings of those scriptures that favour the observers who are fallen deep into the course of ignorance. But, that view shall vanish when the respect for such a teaching disappears.
Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching
।।2.53।। जब पाँचो ज्ञानेन्द्रियों के द्वारा विषयों को ग्रहण करने पर भी जिसकी बुद्धि अविचलित रहती है तब उसे योग में स्थित समझा जाता है। सामान्यत इन्द्रियों के विषय ग्रहण के कारण मन में अनेक विक्षेप उठते हैं। योगस्थ पुरुष का मन इन सबमें निश्चल रहता है। उसके विषय में आगे स्थितप्रज्ञ के लक्षण और अधिक विस्तार से बताते हैं।अनेक व्याख्याकार इसका अर्थ इस प्रकार करते हैं कि विभिन्न दार्शनिकों के परस्पर विरोधी प्रतीत होने वाले सिद्धान्तों को सुनकर जिसकी बुद्धि विचलित नहीं होती वह योग में स्थित हुआ समझा जाता है।अब तक के प्रस्तुत किये गये तर्कों से इस विषय में अर्जुन की रुचि बढ़ने लगती है और उन्माद का प्रभाव कम होने लगता है। अपने विषाद और दुख को भूलकर श्रीकृष्ण के प्रवचन में स्वयं रुचि लेते हुये ज्ञानी पुरुष के लक्षणों को जानने की अपनी उत्सुकता को वह नहीं रोक सका। उसके प्रश्न से स्पष्ट दिखाई देता है कि वह भगवान् के सिद्धान्त को ग्रहण कर रहा है फिर भी उसके मन में कुछ है जिसके कारण वह इसे पूर्णत स्वीकार नहीं कर पा रहा था।प्रश्न पूछने के लिए अवसर पाकर समत्व में स्थित बुद्धि वाले पुरुष के लक्षणों को जानने की उत्सुकता से अर्जुन प्रश्न करता है

🪷 Hindi Vyākhyā · हिन्दी व्याख्या

Pūjya Swami Rāmsukhdās ji's Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · one of the greatest modern Hindi vyākhyās of the Gītā · direct, pure, deeply Vedāntic · the modern Sanātana-jāgaraṇa.

🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Sādhaka-Sañjīvanī · Hindi vyākhyā · the modern bilingual anchor
।।2.53।। व्याख्या-- [लौकिक मोहरूपी दलदलको तरनेपर भी नाना प्रकारके शास्त्रीय मतभेदोंको लेकर जो मोह होता है, उसको तरनेके लिये भगवान् इस श्लोकमें प्रेरण करते हैं।] 'श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते .....तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि'-- अर्जुनके मनमें यह श्रुतिविप्रतिपत्ति है कि अपने गुरुजनोंका, अपने कुटुम्बका नाश करना भी उचित नहीं है और अपने क्षात्रधर्म-(युद्ध करने-) का त्याग करना भी उचित नहीं है। एक तरफ तो कुटुम्बकी रक्षा हो और एक तरफ क्षात्रधर्मका पालन हो--इसमें अगर कुटुम्बकी रक्षा करें तो युद्ध नहीं होगा और युद्ध करें तो कुटुम्बकी रक्षा नहीं होगी--इन दोनों बातोंमें अर्जुनकी श्रुतिविप्रतिपत्ति है, जिससे उनकी बुद्धि विचलित हो रही। (टिप्पणी प0 91) अतः भगवान् शास्त्रीय मतभेदोंमें बुद्धिको निश्चल और परमात्मप्राप्तिके विषयमें बुद्धिको अचल करनेकी प्रेरणा करते हैं। पहले तो साधकमें इस बातको लेकर सन्देह होता है कि सांसारिक व्यवहारको ठीक किया जाय या परमात्माकी प्राप्ति की जाय? फिर उसका ऐसा निर्णय होता है कि मुझे तो केवल संसारकी सेवा करनी है और संसारसे लेना कुछ नहीं है। ऐसा निर्णय होते ही साधककी भोगोंसे उपरति होने लगती है, वैराग्य होने लगता है। ऐसा होनेके बाद जब साधक परमात्माकी तरफ चलता है तब उसके सामने साध्य और साधन-विषयक तरह-तरहके शास्त्रीय मतभेद आते हैं। इससे मेरेको किस साध्यको स्वीकार करना चाहिये और किस साधन-पद्धतिसे चलना चाहिये'--इसका निर्णय करना बड़ा कठिन हो जाता है। परन्तु जब साधक सत्सङ्गके द्वारा अपनी रुचि, श्रद्धा-विश्वास और योग्यताका निर्णय कर लेता है अथवा निर्णय न हो सकनेकी दशामें भगवान्के शरण होकर उनको पुकारता है, संसारसे सम्बन्ध-विच्छेद करनेके लिये बुद्धि 'निश्चल' होनी चाहिये, जिसको छठे अध्यायके तेईसवें श्लोकमे

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सर्वम् कृष्णार्पणम् — this verse is one maṇi (jewel) on Krishna's thread (BG 7.7)