Bhagavad-gītā 18.51–53

Explain simply

Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Verses 51 to 53 are read together as one text.

बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्यात्मानं नियम्य च ।
शब्दादीन्विषयांस्त्यक्त्वा रागद्वेषौ व्युदस्य च ॥५१॥
विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः ।
ध्यानयोगपरो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः ॥५२॥
अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम् ।
विमुच्य निर्ममः शान्तो ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥५३॥

buddhyā viśuddhayā yukto
dhṛtyātmānaṁ niyamya ca
śabdādīn viṣayāṁs tyaktvā
rāga-dveṣau vyudasya ca

vivikta-sevī laghv-āśī
yata-vāk-kāya-mānasaḥ
dhyāna-yoga-paro nityaṁ
vairāgyaṁ samupāśritaḥ

ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ
kāmaṁ krodhaṁ parigraham
vimucya nirmamaḥ śānto
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

Word for word (synonyms)

buddhyā
by the intelligence
viśuddhayā
fully purified
yuktaḥ
such engagement
dhṛtyā
determination
ātmānam
self
niyamya
regulated
ca
also
śabdādīn
the sense objects, such as sound, etc
viṣayān
sense objects
tyaktvā
giving up
rāga
attachments
dveṣau
hatred
vyudasya
having laid aside
ca
also
vivikta-sevī
living in a secluded place
laghu-āśī
eating a small quantity
yata-vāk
control of speech
kāya
body
mānasaḥ
control of the mind
dhyāna-yoga-paraḥ
always absorbed in trance
nityam
twenty-four hours a day
vairāgyam
detachment
samupāśritaḥ
taken shelter of
ahaṅkāram
false ego
balam
false strength
darpam
false pride
kāmam
lust
krodham
anger
parigraham
acceptance of material things
vimucya
being delivered
nirmamaḥ
without proprietorship
śāntaḥ
peaceful
brahma-bhūyāya
to become self-realized
kalpate
is understood

Translation

Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with determination, giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed from attachment and hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats little and who controls the body and the tongue, and is always in trance and is detached, who is without false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and who does not accept material things, such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization.

Purport

When one is purified by knowledge, he keeps himself in the mode of goodness. Thus one becomes the controller of the mind and is always in trance. Because he is not attached to the objects of sense gratification, he does not eat more than what he requires, and he controls the activities of his body and mind. He has no false ego because he does not accept the body as himself. Nor has he a desire to make the body fat and strong by accepting so many material things. Because he has no bodily concept of life, he is not falsely proud. He is satisfied with everything that is offered to him by the grace of the Lord, and he is never angry in the absence of sense gratification. Nor does he endeavor to acquire sense objects. Thus when he is completely free from false ego, he becomes nonattached to all material things, and that is the stage of self-realization of Brahman. That stage is called the brahma-bhūta stage. When one is free from the material conception of life, he becomes peaceful and cannot be agitated.

What this verse teaches

The perfect stage of sannyāsa and the process of attaiining Brahman

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.