Chapter 2, Verse 59 (Bhagavad Gita 2.59)
Chapter 2: Sānkhya Yog – Transcendental Knowledge
Sanskrit Shloka
विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः। रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते
Transliteration
viṣhayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ rasa-varjaṁ raso ’pyasya paraṁ dṛiṣhṭvā nivartate
Word Meanings
viṣhayāḥ—objects for senses; vinivartante—restrain; nirāhārasya—practicing self restraint; dehinaḥ—for the embodied; rasa-varjam—cessation of taste; rasaḥ—taste; api—however; asya—person’s; param—the Supreme; dṛiṣhṭvā—on realization; nivartate—ceases to be
Translation
Sensory objects recede from an abstinent person, yet the taste for them remains; but even this longing ceases once the Supreme is realized.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse addresses the psychological reality that mere physical renunciation or suppression of desires is incomplete, as the mental craving often persists in the subconscious. It teaches that true detachment is not an act of will but a natural byproduct of spiritual awakening. When one experiences the infinite bliss of the Supreme, the finite pleasures of the world lose their appeal, effectively starving the roots of desire. Therefore, the path to peace is not found by forcefully denying the senses, but by shifting one's focus toward the Divine, which naturally dissolves the hunger for lesser gratifications.