Chapter 5: Karma Sanyasa Yoga, verse 9
प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥
Say itpralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann unmiṣan nimiṣann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan
Translation
Speaking, letting go, seizing, opening, and closing the eyes, one should be convinced that the senses move among the sense-objects.
Swami Sivananda
Remaining absorbed in the Self, the knower of Reality should think, 'I certainly do not do anything', even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, breathing, speaking, releasing, holding, opening, and closing the eyes—remembering that the organs function in relation to the objects of the organs.
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
Speaking, discharging, grasping, opening, and closing his eyes, etc., he should always bear in mind that the senses operate among sense-objects.
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
Taking, rejecting, receiving, opening, and closing the eyes, bear in mind that the sense-organs are on their respective objects; and
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
Though he talks, gives, receives, opens his eyes, and shuts them, he still knows that his senses are merely disporting themselves among the objects of perception.
Shri Purohit Swami
तत्त्वको जाननेवाला सांख्ययोगी देखता, सुनता, छूता, सूँघता, खाता, चलता, ग्रहण करता, बोलता, मल-मूत्र का त्याग करता, सोता हुआ, श्वास लेता तथा आँखें खोलता और मूँदता हुआ भी 'सम्पूर्ण इन्द्रियाँ इन्द्रियोंके विषयोंमें बरत रही हैं' -- ऐसा समझकर 'मैं (स्वयं) कुछ भी नहीं करता हूँ' -- ऐसा माने।
Swami Ramsukhdas
बोलता हुआ, त्यागता हुआ, ग्रहण करता हुआ तथा आँखों को खोलता और बन्द करता हुआ (वह) निश्चयात्मक रूप से जानता है कि सब इन्द्रियाँ अपने-अपने विषयों में विचरण कर रही हैं।
Swami Tejomayananda
Classical commentariesFor deeper study. Most are in the original Sanskrit.
Advaita
Non-dual: the self and the absolute are one.
Vishishtadvaita
Qualified non-dual: souls are real parts of the divine.
Dvaita
Dual: the soul and God are eternally distinct.
Shuddhadvaita
Pure non-dual, centred on grace and devotion.
Kashmir Shaivism
The Gita read through Trika Shaiva philosophy.
Modern teachers
20th-century teachers writing for today's readers.
Verse map
How this verse connects to feelings, situations, ideas and other verses. Hover or tap to see why; these links are drafts awaiting review.