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Bhagavad-Gītā with Śaṅkara's bhāṣya · 2.72
eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṃ prāpya vimuhyati | sthitvāsyām anta-kāle 'pi brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati
Translation. This is the Brahman-state (brāhmī sthitiḥ)—
abiding solely as Brahman after renouncing all action—O Pārtha;
having attained it, one is not bewildered.
Having abided in it even at life’s final stage,
one reaches liberation in Brahman (brahma-nirvāṇa).
Grammar check: 13 words pass / 0 flagged / 1 beyond the checkerPāṇini-verified
Every word's claimed grammar is re-derived with vidyut-prakriya, software implementing Pāṇini's rules. Flags are shown, never hidden; some are the text taking epic or Vedic liberties the classical rules do not generate.
Word by word
| surface | lemma | grammar |
|---|
| eṣā | etad | pass |
| brāhmī | brāhmī | pass |
| sthitiḥ | sthiti | pass |
| pārtha | pārtha | pass |
| na | na | pass |
| enām | enad | unsupported |
| prāpya | āp | pass |
| vimuhyati | muh | pass |
| sthitvā | sthā | pass |
| asyām | idam | pass |
| antakāle | antakāla | pass |
| api | api | pass |
| brahmanirvāṇam | brahmanirvāṇa | pass |
| ṛcchati | ṛch | pass |
How the commentary settled it
Where the verse alone is ambiguous, the reading follows Śaṅkara's commentary; the deciding lines are quoted below each decision.
Brāhmī sthitiḥ denotes the state of being in Brahman—specifically, for Śaṅkara, abiding solely as Brahman after renouncing all action—not merely a ‘holy state’ or a state associated with Brahmā.→ the Brahman-state: abiding solely as Brahman after renouncing all action
gita [1]eṣā yathoktā brāhmī brahmaṇi bhavā iyaṃ sthitiḥ sarvaṃ karma saṃnyasya brahma-rūpeṇaiva avasthānam ity etat |
This previously described state is brāhmī, existing in Brahman: it is abiding solely in the form of Brahman after renouncing all action.
Eṣā points back to the state already described, while enām and asyām both refer to that same feminine noun, sthiti.→ all refer to the previously described Brahman-state
gita [1]eṣā yathoktā brāhmī brahmaṇi bhavā iyaṃ sthitiḥ
This previously described state is brāhmī, existing in Brahman.
gita [2]naināṃ sthitiṃ prāpya
Having attained this state.
gita [3]sthitvāsyāṃ sthitau brāhmyāṃ yathoktāyām
Having abided in this previously described brāhmī state.
Prāpya is an absolutive meaning ‘having attained/obtained,’ not a second-person imperative.→ absolutive ‘having attained’
gita [2]prāpya labdhvā
Having attained, having obtained.
Na directly negates vimuhyati: after attaining the state, one does not become bewildered or fall into delusion.→ ‘one is not bewildered’
gita [2]na vimuhyati na mohaṃ prāpnoti
One is not bewildered; one does not enter into delusion.
Sthitvā is an absolutive construed with the locative asyām: ‘having abided in this state.’→ ‘having abided in this previously described brāhmī state’
gita [3]sthitvāsyāṃ sthitau brāhmyāṃ yathoktāyām
Having abided in this previously described brāhmī state.
Antakāle ’pi means ‘even in the final stage of life’; api has concessive scope over that temporal expression. The compound is accordingly resolved as an adjectival karmadhāraya, ‘the final time/stage.’→ even in life’s final stage
gita [3]anta-kāle 'pi antye vayasy api
Even at the final time—that is, even in the final stage of life.
gita [4]kim u vaktavyaṃ brahmacaryād eva saṃnyasya yāvaj jīvaṃ yo brahmaṇy eva avatiṣṭhate sa brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati iti
How much more need be said of one who renounces directly from studentship and remains in Brahman alone for as long as he lives: he reaches brahma-nirvāṇa.
Brahmanirvāṇam is a technical expression for mokṣa, understood here as fulfillment or repose in Brahman; it is not ‘the extinction of Brahman.’ The compound is taken as a locative tatpuruṣa, brahmaṇi nirvāṇam.→ liberation in Brahman (brahma-nirvāṇa), equivalent to mokṣa
gita [1]brahmaṇi bhavā
Existing in Brahman.
gita [3]brahma-nirvāṇaṃ brahma-nirvṛtiṃ mokṣam
Brahma-nirvāṇa, fulfillment in Brahman, liberation.
Ṛcchati means ‘reaches’ and takes brahmanirvāṇam as its accusative object.→ reaches liberation in Brahman
gita [3]mokṣam ṛcchati gacchati
He reaches liberation; he goes to it.
The unexpressed third-person singular subject is rendered generically as ‘one,’ rather than being restricted grammatically to Arjuna.→ generic ‘one’
gita [4]yo brahmaṇy eva avatiṣṭhate sa brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati
Whoever remains in Brahman alone, he reaches brahma-nirvāṇa.
Pārtha is a singular vocative address.→ ‘O Pārtha’
gita [2]he pārtha
O Pārtha.
Śaṅkara's commentary on this unit
1eṣā yathoktā brāhmī brahmaṇi bhavā iyaṃ sthitiḥ sarvaṃ karma saṃnyasya brahma-rūpeṇaiva avasthānam ity etat |
2he pārtha, naināṃ sthitiṃ prāpya labdhvā na vimuhyati na mohaṃ prāpnoti |
3sthitvāsyāṃ sthitau brāhmyāṃ yathoktāyāṃ anta-kāle 'pi antye vayasy api brahma-nirvāṇaṃ brahma-nirvṛtiṃ mokṣam ṛcchati gacchati |
4kim u vaktavyaṃ brahmacaryād eva saṃnyasya yāvaj jīvaṃ yo brahmaṇy eva avatiṣṭhate sa brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati iti ||bhgs_2.72||
5iti śrīmat-paramahaṃsa-parivrājakācāryasya śrī-govinda-bhagavat-pūjya-pāda-śiṣyasya śrīmac-chaṃkara-bhagavataḥ kṛtau śrīmad-bhagavad-gītā-bhāṣye dvitīyo 'dhyāyaḥ ||
6tṛtīyo 'dhyāyaḥ śaṅkara-bhāṣyam
7śāstrasya pravṛtti-nivṛtti-viṣaya-bhūte dve buddhī bhagavatā nirdiṣṭe, sāṅkhye buddhir yoge buddhir iti ca |
8tatra prajahāti yadā kāmān ity ārabhya ā adhyāya-parisamāpteḥ sāṅkhya-buddhy-āśritānāṃ saṃnyāsaṃ kartavyam uktvā teṣāṃ tan-niṣṭhatayaiva ca kṛtārthatā uktā eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ iti |
9arjunāya ca karmaṇy evādhikāras te, mā saṅgo 'stv akarmaṇi iti karma eva kartavyam uktavān yoga-buddhim āśritya, na tata eva śreyaḥ-prāptim uktavān |
10tad etad ālakṣya paryākulībhūta-buddhir arjuna uvāca - kathaṃ bhaktāya śreyo 'rthine yat sākṣāt śreyaḥ-sādhanaṃ sāṅkhya-buddhi-niṣṭhāṃ śrāvayitvā māṃ karmaṇi dṛṣṭānekānartha-yukte pāramparyeṇāpi anaikāntika-śreyaḥ-prāpti-phale niyuñjyād iti yuktaḥ paryākulībhāvo 'rjunasya |
11tad-anurūpa-praśnaḥ jyāyasī cet ity ādiḥ |
12praśnāpākaraṇa-vākyaṃ ca bhagavatā uktaṃ yathokta-vibhāga-viṣaye śāstre |
13kecit tu arjunasya praśnārtham anyathā kalpayitvā tat-pratikūlaṃ bhagavataḥ prativacanaṃ varṇayanti |
14yathā ca ātmanā sambandha-granthe gītārtho nirūpitas tat-pratikūlaṃ ceha punaḥ praśna-prativacanayor arthaṃ nirūpayanti |
15kathaṃ ? tatra sambandha-granthe tāvat sarveṣām āśramiṇāṃ jñāna-karmaṇoḥ samuccayo gītā-śāstre nirūpito 'rtha ity uktam |
16punaḥ viśeṣitaṃ ca yāvaj-jīva-śruti-coditāni karmāṇi parityajya kevalād eva jñānān mokṣaḥ prāpyata ity etad ekāntenaiva pratiṣiddham iti |
17iha tv āśrama-vikalpaṃ darśayatā yāvaj-jīva-śruti-coditānām eva karmaṇāṃ parityāga uktaḥ |
18tat katham īdṛśaṃ viruddham artham arjunāya brūyād bhagavān, śrotā vā kathaṃ viruddham artham avadhārayet |
19tatraitat syād gṛhasthānām eva śrauta-karma-parityāgena kevalād eva jñānān mokṣaḥ pratiṣidhyate na tv āśramāntarāṇām iti |
20etad api pūrvottar-viruddham eva |
21kathaṃ, sarvāśramiṇāṃ jñāna-karmaṇoḥ samuccayo gītā-śāstre niścito 'rtha iti pratijñāya iha kathaṃ tad-viruddhaṃ kevalād eva jñānān mokṣaṃ brūyād āśramāntarāṇām |
22atha mataṃ śrauta-karmāpekṣayaitad-vacanaṃ kevalād eva jñānāt śrauta-karma-rahitād gṛhasthānāṃ mokṣaḥ pratiṣidhyate iti |
23tatra gṛhasthānāṃ vidyamānam api smārtaṃ karmāvidyamānavad upekṣya jñānād eva kevalān na mokṣa ity ucyata iti |
24etad api viruddham |
25katham ? gṛhasthasyaiva smārta-karmaṇā samuccitād jñānān mokṣaḥ pratiṣidhyate na tu āśramāntarāṇām iti kathaṃ vivekibhiḥ śakyam avadhārayitum |
26kiṃ ca, yadi mokṣa-sādhanatvena smārtāni karmāṇi ūrdhva-retasāṃ samuccīyante tathā gṛhasthasyāpi iṣyatāṃ smārtair eva samuccayo na śrautaiḥ |
27atha śrautaiḥ smārtaiś ca gṛhasthasyaiva samuccayo mokṣāya ūrdhva-retasāṃ tu smārta-karma-mātra-samuccitāj jñānān mokṣa iti |
28tatraivaṃ sati gṛhasthasyāyāsa-bāhulyaṃ śrautaṃ smārtaṃ ca bahu-duḥkha-rūpaṃ karma śirasi aropitaṃ syāt |
29atha gṛhasthasyaivāyāsa-bāhulya-kāraṇān mokṣaḥ syān nāśramāntarāṇāṃ śrauta-nitya-karma-rahitatvād iti |
30tad apy asat |
31sarvopaniṣatsu itihāsa-purāṇa-yoga-śāstre ca jñānāṅgatvena mumukṣoḥ sarva-karma-saṃnyāsa-vidhānād āśrama-vikalpa-samuccaya-vidhānāc ca śruti-smṛtyoḥ |
32siddhas tarhi sarvāśramiṇāṃ jñāna-karmaṇoḥ samuccayaḥ ? na, mumukṣoḥ sarva-karma-saṃnyāsa-vidhānāt |
33vyutthāyātha bhikṣācaryaṃ caranti [bau 3.5.1], tasmāt saṃnyāsam eṣāṃ tapasām atiriktam āhuḥ [nāu 2.79], nyāsa evātyarecayet [nāu 2.78], iti |
34na karmaṇā na prajayā dhanena tyāgenaike 'mṛtatvam ānaśuḥ [nāu 2.12] iti ca |
35brahmacaryād eva pravrajet [jāvāu 4] ity ādyāḥ śrutayaḥ |
36tyaja dharmam adharmaṃ ca ubhe satyānṛte tyaja |
37ubhe satyānṛte tyaktvā yena tyajasi tat tyaja ||
38saṃsāram eva niḥsāraṃ dṛṣṭvā sāra-didṛkṣayā |
39pravrajanty akṛtodvāhāḥ paraṃ vairāgyam āśritāḥ ||
40iti bṛhaspatir api kacaṃ prati |
41karmaṇā badhyate jantur vidyayā ca vimucyate |
42tasmāt karma na kurvanti yatayaḥ pāra-darśinaḥ ||
43[mbh 12.241.7] iti śukānuśāsanam |
44ihāpi sarva-karmāṇi manasā saṃnyasya ity ādi |
45mokṣasya cākāryatvān mumukṣoḥ karmānarthakyam |
46nityāni pratyavāya-parihārārtham anuṣṭheyāni iti cet, na |
47asaṃnyāsi-viṣayatvāt pratyavāya-prāpteḥ |
48na hi agnikāryādy-akaraṇāt saṃnyāsinaḥ pratyavāyaḥ kalpayituṃ śakyo yathā brahmacāriṇām asaṃnyāsinām api karmiṇām |
49na tavan nityānāṃ karmaṇām abhāvād eva bhāva-rūpasya pratyavāyasya utpattiḥ kalpayituṃ śakyā katham asataḥ sajjāyate [chāu 6.2.2] iti asataḥ sajjanmāsambhava-śruteḥ |
50yadi vihitākaraṇād asambhāvyam api pratyavāyaṃ brūyād vedas tadā anartha-karo vedaḥ apramāṇam ity uktaṃ syāt |
51vihitasya karaṇākaraṇayoḥ duḥkha-mātra-phalatvāt |
52tathā ca kārakaṃ śāstraṃ na jñāpakam iti anupapannārthaṃ kalpitaṃ syāt |
53na caitad iṣṭam |
54tasmān na saṃnyāsināṃ karmāṇi ato jñāna-karmaṇoḥ samuccayānupapattiḥ |
55jyāyasī cet karmaṇas te matā buddhir iti |
56arjunasya praśnānupapatteś ca |
57yadi hi bhagavatā dvitīye adhyāye jñānaṃ karma ca samuccayena tvayānuṣṭheyam ity uktaṃ syāt tato 'rjunasya praśno 'nupapanno jyāyasī cet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana iti |
58arjunāya ced buddhi-karmaṇī tvayānuṣṭheye iti ukte yā karmaṇo jyāyasī buddhiḥ sā apy uktā eveti tat kiṃ karmaṇi ghore māṃ niyojayasi keśava iti praśno na kathaṃcana upapadyate |
59na cārjunasyaiva jyāyasī buddhir nānuṣṭheyeti bhagavatoktaṃ pūrvam iti kalpayituṃ yuktam, yena jyāyasī ced iti praśnaḥ syāt |
60yadi punar ekasya puruṣasya jñāna-karmaṇor virodhād yugapad anuṣṭhānaṃ na sambhavatīti bhinna-puruṣānuṣṭheyatvaṃ bhagavatā pūrvam uktaṃ syāt tato 'yaṃ praśna upapannaḥ jyāyasī ced ity ādiḥ |
61avivekataḥ praśna-kalpanāyām api bhinna-puruṣānuṣṭheyatvena bhagavataḥ prativacanaṃ nopapadyate |
62na cājñāna-nimittaṃ bhagavat-prativacanaṃ kalpyam |
63asmāc ca bhinna-puruṣānuṣṭheyatvena jñāna-karma-niṣṭhayor bhagavataḥ prativacana-darśanāt, jñāna-karmaṇoḥ samuccayānupapattiḥ |
64tasmāt kevalād eva jñānān mokṣa ity eṣo 'rtho niścito gītāsu sarvopaniṣatsu ca |
65jñāna-karmaṇor ekaṃ vada niścitya iti ca eka-viṣayaiva prārthanānupapannobhayoḥ samuccaya-sambhave |
66kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvam iti ca jñāna-niṣṭhā-sambhavam arjunasyāvadhāraṇena darśayiṣyati |
67arjuna uvāca
68jyāyasī cet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana |
69tat kiṃ karmaṇi ghore māṃ niyojayasi keśava