Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 61 (2.61)
Reflective Prompt:
Imagine you already have a good phone, and a newer model is released.
- ▪ Option 1: Run to buy it immediately.
- ▪ Option 2: Pause and ask, "Do I truly need this, or do I only want it because it is new?" How can self-control help you make a clearer decision?
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 61 (2.61)
तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः । वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता | | २-६१ | |
tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta matparaḥ vaśhe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- तइ
(Tani)— इंद्रियां(restraining all those senses) - सर्वाणि
(sarvani)— इंद्रियां(restraining all those senses) - संयम्य
(samyamya)— इंद्रियां(restraining all those senses) - युक्तः
(yuktah)— युक्त(one should sit disciplined) - अइत
(asita)— अइत(one should sit disciplined) - मत्-परह्
(mat-parah)— कीपिन्ग् मुझे अस् थे सुप्रेमे गोअल्(focused on Me)
Line 2:
- वए
(vashe)— इंद्रियां(whose senses are under control) - हि
(hi)— इंद्रियां(whose senses are under control) - यः
(yah)— जो(who) -
yendrijoined in yasyendriyāṇi - यत्
(yat)— जो कि(that which) -
ijoined in yasyendriyāṇi - तस्य
(tasya)— पुरुष(that person's wisdom is established) - रज्ञ
(prajna)— पुरुष(that person's wisdom is established) - रइइत
(pratishthita)— पुरुष(that person's wisdom is established)
English: Having restrained all senses, one should sit disciplined and focused on Krishna; one whose senses are mastered has steady wisdom.
Learnings from Shloka 61:
- Self-control needs direction: The senses are restrained best when the mind is fixed on Krishna or a higher purpose.
- Steadiness is active: A wise person does not merely suppress impulses; they redirect attention.
- Mastery supports wisdom: When the senses are under guidance, understanding becomes stable.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 2.61 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
**Practice Point:** Sense control does not mean rejecting every object. It means pausing long enough to ask whether the object is guiding you, or you are guiding your relationship with it.