Bhagavad Gita · Dhyana Yoga (Atma-samyama Yoga)Chapter 6, Shloka 8 (6.8)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः
युक्त इत्युच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः
॥ 6.8 ॥
jñānavijñānatṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ
yukta ityucyate yogī samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ
Translation
"One whose mind is content with knowledge and realisation, who is unshakeable (kutastha) and master of the senses, for whom a clod of earth, a stone and gold are alike — that yogi is called 'steadfast'."
Interpretation
"Knowledge" and "realisation" — two levels.
Shankaracharya. Jñānaṃ śāstrokta-padārthānāṃ parijñānam, vijñānaṃ tu śāstrato jñātānāṃ tathaiva svānubhava-karaṇam — knowledge (jnana) = understanding what the scriptures say; realisation (vijnana) = bringing it into one's own experience. Through these, tṛptaḥ saṃjātālaṃ-pratyayaḥ — the sense of "enough, this suffices" has arisen; kūṭasthaḥ aprakampyaḥ — one who cannot be shaken.
Acharya Ramanuja. Ātma-svarūpa-viṣayeṇa jñānena tasya ca prakṛti-visajātīyākāra-viṣayeṇa vijñānena — knowledge = of the nature of the self; realisation = that the self is of a different kind from prakriti. Kūṭasthaḥ — devādy-avasthāsu anuvartamānaḥ sarva-sādhāraṇa-jñānaikākārātmani sthitaḥ — established in the self that stays the same through all states — god, human and so on — and is of the one form of knowledge. And sama-loṣṭāśma-kāñcanaḥ — prakṛti-vivikta-svarūpa-niṣṭhatayā prākṛta-vastu-viśeṣeṣu bhogyatvābhāvāt — because one is established in a nature distinct from prakriti, material things do not seem worth enjoying, so earth and gold are sama-prayojana — of equal use. Such a karma yogi is ātmāvalokana-rūpa-yogābhyāsārhaḥ — fit for the practice of vision of the self.
The difference: Realisation — Shankara: experiencing scriptural knowledge; Ramanuja: the understanding that the self is distinct from prakriti. For Ramanuja, 6.8 also states "the qualification to begin practice".
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.