Bhagavad Gita · Sankhya YogaChapter 2, Shloka 66 (2.66)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना
न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम्
॥ 2.66 ॥
nāsti buddhirayuktasya na cāyuktasya bhāvanā
na cābhāvayataḥ śāntiraśāntasya kutaḥ sukham
Translation
"One who is not joined (in yoga) has no understanding (of the self), and in the unjoined there is no contemplation (on knowledge of the self) either; for one who does not contemplate there is no peace — and for one without peace, where is happiness?"
Interpretation
The reverse ladder (like 2.62–63, but towards a positive goal).
- Ayukta (unjoined) — Shankaracharya: asamāhitāntaḥkaraṇasya — one whose inner faculty is not collected. Ramanuja: one who has not fixed the mind on the Lord and is engaged in restraining the senses sva-yatnena — by his own effort alone.
- No understanding — Shankara: understanding ātma-svarūpa-viṣayā — whose object is the nature of the self; Ramanuja: vivikta-ātma-viṣayā — understanding of the self as distinct from prakriti.
- No contemplation — no deep devotion to knowledge of the self.
- No peace — Shankara: upaśamaḥ; Ramanuja: viṣaya-spṛhā-śāntiḥ — the stilling of craving for sense objects.
- Where is happiness?
Shankaracharya — the definition of happiness. This is the deepest part of this shloka: indriyāṇāṃ hi viṣaya-sevā-tṛṣṇātaḥ nivṛttir yā tat sukham, na viṣaya-viṣayā tṛṣṇā; duḥkham eva hi sā — happiness is the cessation of the senses' thirst to indulge in their objects, not the thirst for objects; that thirst is nothing but sorrow. na tṛṣṇāyāṃ satyāṃ sukhasya gandha-mātram apy upapadyate — while thirst remains, not even a whiff of happiness is possible.
Ramanuja: for one without peace, where is nitya-niratiśaya-sukha — eternal, unsurpassed happiness?
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.