Bhagavad Gita · Dhyana Yoga (Atma-samyama Yoga)Chapter 6, Shloka 24 (6.24)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान् कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः
मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्ततः
॥ 6.24 ॥
saṅkalpaprabhavān kāmāṃstyaktvā sarvānaśeṣataḥ
manasaivendriyagrāmaṃ viniyamya samantataḥ
Translation
"Completely giving up all desires born of sankalpa (imagination), and restraining the whole group of senses from every side by the mind itself — (continued in 6.25)"
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. Saṃkalpaḥ prabhavaḥ yeṣāṃ kāmānāṃ — desires that are born of sankalpa; giving them up aśeṣataḥ nirlepena — without residue (leaving nothing behind); manasaiva viveka-yuktena indriya-grāmaṃ … viniyamya — restraining the group of senses with a discerning mind.
Acharya Ramanuja — two kinds of desire (6.24–6.25 combined). Sparśa-jāḥ saṅkalpa-jāś ceti dvividhāḥ kāmāḥ — desires are of two kinds: sparśa-jāḥ śītoṣṇādayaḥ — from contact (cold, heat and so on); saṅkalpa-jāḥ putra-pautra-kṣetrādayaḥ — from imagination (sons, grandsons, fields and so on). Saṅkalpa-prabhavāḥ svarūpeṇa eva tyaktuṃ śakyāḥ — desires born of imagination can be given up completely; but sparśa-jeṣu avarjanīyeṣu tan-nimitta-harṣodvegau tyaktvā — those born of contact cannot be avoided (one will feel the cold), so give up the elation and agitation they cause.
Ramanuja's practical distinction is very helpful: some experiences are inevitable — it is not they but our reaction to them that is to be given up.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.