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Bhagavad-gītā 2.64

रागद्वेषविमुक्तैस्तु विषयनिन्द्रियैश्चरन् । आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥ ६४ ॥
rāga-dveṣa-vimuktais tu
[raaga-dvesha-vimuktais tu]
viṣayān indriyaiś caran
[vishayaan indriyaish charan]
ātma-vaśyair vidheyātmā
[aatma-vashyair vidheyaatmaa]
prasādam adhigacchati
[prasaadam adhigachchati]
Word-for-word
rāga — attachment dveṣa — and detachment vimuktaiḥ — by one who has become free from tu — but viṣayān — sense objects indriyaiḥ — by the senses caran — acting upon ātma - vaśyaiḥ — under one’s control vidheya - ātmā — one who follows regulated freedom prasādam — the mercy of the Lord adhigacchati — attains .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
rāga-dveṣa-vimuktais tu
rāga
attachment
dveṣa
and detachment
vimuktaiḥ
by one who has become free from
tu
but
viṣayān indriyaiś caran
viṣayān
sense objects
indriyaiḥ
by the senses
caran
acting upon
ātma-vaśyair vidheyātmā
ātma - vaśyaiḥ
under one’s control
vidheya - ātmā
one who follows regulated freedom
prasādam adhigacchati
prasādam
the mercy of the Lord
adhigacchati
attains .
Important Words
  • rāga - dveṣa - vimuktaiḥ — with attachment and aversion released
    Compound instrumental — *by means of senses freed from rāga and dveṣa*. The two great motive forces of unconscious sense-action. When both are gone, the same senses can wander among objects safely.
  • viṣayān — sense-objects
    Plural accusative — *the sense-objects*. Note: the verse does not require withdrawing from the objects. With rāga-dveṣa-vimukta senses, *contact with* viṣayas is fine. The Gītā is not ascetic in the renunciate sense.
  • caran — moving
    Present participle of √car — to move, to wander. The yogī *moves about* among sense-objects (with his senses, indriyaiḥ). He is not paralyzed. Saṁyama is regulation, not amputation.
  • vidheya - ātmā — whose self is regulated
    Compound — *of regulated self*. The mind is brought under vidhi — under rule. Self-regulation, not self-denial.
  • prasādam — grace, serenity
    From pra-√sad — to settle clearly. Prasāda is the clear settled state — the gift the Lord gives to the regulated self. Same word as caraṇāmṛta-prasāda. The verse promises: serene grace is the outcome.
But a person free from all attachment and aversion and able to control his senses through regulative principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The contrast to 2.62-63: such a one moves freely among sense-objects, but with senses already cleansed of likes and dislikes and reined to the self. He attains prasāda — clarity, serenity, inner grace.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
This verse rehabilitates contact with sense-objects: the issue is not contact but contaminated contact. The yogi can walk through the world (viṣayān caran) without falling because his apparatus is purified. Prasāda — translatable as 'clarity', 'tranquility', or 'grace' — names the result, and will recur in 2.65 as the basis for stable wisdom.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
तु राग-द्वेष-विमुक्तैः आत्म-वश्यैः इन्द्रियैः विषयान् चरन् विधेय-आत्मा प्रसादम् अधिगच्छति ।
tu rāga-dveṣa-vimuktaiḥ ātma-vaśyaiḥ indriyaiḥ viṣayān caran vidheya-ātmā prasādam adhigacchati |
But one of disciplined self, moving among sense-objects with senses freed from attachment and aversion and brought under his own control, attains serenity.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
राग-द्वेष-विमुक्तैः तु विषयान् इन्द्रियैः चरन् । आत्म-वश्यैः विधेय-आत्मा प्रसादम् अधिगच्छति ॥
rāga-dveṣa-vimuktaiḥ tu viṣayān indriyaiḥ caran | ātma-vaśyaiḥ vidheya-ātmā prasādam adhigacchati ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
राग-द्वेष-विमुक्तैः rāga-dveṣa-vimuktaiḥ राग (m.) + द्वेष (m.) + विमुक्त (p.p.p. (past passive participle)) ins.pl. (instrumental plural)n., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) freed from attachment and aversion
तु tu ind. (indeclinable), 'but' but
विषयान् viṣayān विषय (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural) sense-objects
इन्द्रियैः indriyaiḥ इन्द्रिय (n.) ins.pl. (instrumental plural), 'with senses' with the senses
चरन् caran √चर् pres. (present) part. nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., 'moving' moving (among)
आत्म-वश्यैः ātma-vaśyaiḥ आत्मन् (m.) + वश्य (adj.) ins.pl. (instrumental plural)n., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound), 'subject to the self' under one's own control
विधेय-आत्मा vidheya-ātmā विधेय (gerundive of वि+√धा) + आत्मन् (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound), 'whose self is to be governed' of disciplined self
प्रसादम् prasādam प्रसाद (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular), 'serenity, grace' serenity
अधिगच्छति adhigacchati अधि+√गम् pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice), 'attains' attains
Purport

It is already explained that one may externally control the senses by some artificial process, but unless the senses are engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord, there is every chance of a fall. Although the person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness may apparently be on the sensual plane, because of his being Kṛṣṇa conscious he has no attachment to sensual activities. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person is concerned only with the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and nothing else. Therefore he is transcendental to all attachment and detachment. If Kṛṣṇa wants, the devotee can do anything which is ordinarily undesirable; and if Kṛṣṇa does not want, he shall not do that which he would have ordinarily done for his own satisfaction. Therefore to act or not to act is within his control because he acts only under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. This consciousness is the causeless mercy of the Lord, which the devotee can achieve in spite of his being attached to the sensual platform.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
64. One whose mind is submissive, who engages in the sense objects with the senses freed of attachment and repulsion, under the control of the mind, attains peace.
Commentary

This verse answers the question, “How does the sthita-prajña go?” (vrajeta kim) The Lord explains that it is not a fault to accept the objects of the senses, if it is done with controlled senses, with absence of attachment of the objects in the mind.

According to Amara Kośa, vidheya means “submissive, situated in words, compliant, controlled, well behaved, polite, and equal.” One whose mind (ātmā) is submissive to instructions (vidheya ātmā), (who contacts objects with senses controlled by the mind, senses devoid of attachment and repulsion), attains peace (prasādam). Contacting the sense objects is not a fault. Rather it is a good quality for one who does so with control. In other words, for the sthita-prajña, accepting the renunciation of enjoyment of objects, either by withdrawal of the senses (āsana) or by engaging the senses (vrajana), is beneficial.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
64. One whose mind is offered to me, even though he enjoys the sense objects with the senses freed of attachment and repulsion, under the control of the mind, attains a pure mind.
Commentary

If one conquers the mind, even if the senses are not subdued, there is no fault. In eight verses the Lord answers the last question, “How does the sthita prajña engage in action of the senses?” It has just been said that even if one has conquered the external senses, if he does not offer his mind to Me, his spiritual endeavor is a failure. That person who has a controlled mind, a mind offered to Me (vidheyātmā), through which he finally achieves destruction of the impurities of the mind such as attachment to pleasure, though enjoying (caran) the forbidden sense objects such as sound, by the senses such as the ear, but which are devoid of attraction and repulsion, and which are dependent on the mind (ātma vaśyair)(which is offered to Me)—that person finally attains a pure mind (prasādam), [Note: Prasāda can mean “purity” as well as “mercy.”] free from the appearance of contaminations such as attraction to sense objects.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

While engages senses, he does with regulation and religious principles

The self-realized person is free from all attachment and aversion
He controls his senses through regulative principles of freedom
Thus he obtains the complete mercy of the Lord
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.64 Certainly the functions of the organs are naturally preceded by attraction and repulsion. This being so, caran, by perceiving; visayan, objects, which are unavoidable; indriyaih, with the organs such as ears etc.; raga-dvesa-viyuktaih, that are free from those attraction and repulsion; and are atma-vasyaih, under his own control; vidheya-atma, [A.G. takes atma-vasyaih in the sense of '(with the organs) under the control of the mind'. He then argues that it the mind be not under control, there can be no real control, over the organs. Hence the text uses the second expression, 'vidheyatma, whose mind can be subdued at will'. Here atma is used in the sense of the mind, according to the Commentator himself.] the self-controlled man, whose mind can be subdued at will, a seeker after Liberation; adhigacchati, attains; prasadam, serenity, self-poise. What happens when there is serenity? This is being answered:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.64 Having focussed, in the way already described, the mind on Me - the Lord of all and the auspicious object of meditation, he who goes through, i.e., considers with contempt the sense-objects, with senses under control and free from hate and attraction by reason of all impurities of mind being burnt out - such a person has a disciplined self, i.e., disciplined mind. He attains serenity. The meaning is that his mind will be free of impurities.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.64 See Comment under 2.68
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.64 But the self-controlled man, moving among the objects with the senses under restraint and free from attraction and repulsion, attains to peace.
Commentary

2.64 रागद्वेषवियुक्तैः free from attraction and repulsion? तु but? विषयान् objects? इन्द्रियैः with senses? चरन् moving (amongst)? आत्मवश्यैः selfrestrained? विधेयात्मा the selfcontrolled? प्रसादम् to peace? अधिगच्छति attains.Commentary The mind and the senses are naturally endowed with the two currents of attraction and repulsion. Therefore? the mind and the senses like certain objects and dislike certain other objects. But the disciplined man moves among senseobjects with the mind and the senses free from attraction and repulsion and mastered by the Self? attains to the peace of the Eternal. The senses and the mind obey his will? as the disciplined self has a very strong will. The disciplined self takes only those objects which are ite necessary for the maintenance of the body without any love or hatred. He never takes those objects which are forbidden by the scriptures.In this verse Lord Krishna gives the answer to Arjunas fourth estion? How does a sage of steady wisdom move about (Cf.III.7.19?25XVIII.9).

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.64 But by perceiving objects with the organs that are free from attraction and repulsion, and are under his own control, the self-controlled man attains serenity.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.64 But the self-controlled soul, who moves amongst sense objects, free from either attachment or repulsion, he wins eternal Peace.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.7 BG 18.51-53 BG 18.58 SB 1.2.20 SB 3.25.25 SB 11.20.32 CC Ādi 8.16 CC Madhya 22.107 CC Madhya 24.169 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20BRS 1.2.74
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The disciplined soul, moving among sense objects with senses restrained and free from attraction-aversion, attains tranquillity.
Practical Applications
  • Do not flee sense objects — meet them with restraint; the world is the field of practice.
  • Notice that prasāda (peace) follows discipline in engagement, not from withdrawal alone.
  • Practice rāga-dveṣa-viyukta (free from attraction and aversion) in one specific encounter today.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is my 'spiritual life' an avoidance rather than a disciplined engagement?
  • How might I meet a sense object today as the yogi described here would?
Analogy

A horseman whose reins are tied to his own waist — the horses cannot bolt because their motion is linked to his center. Ātma-vaśya senses are like this: each sense is leashed to the ātmā, not to the world's stimuli. The ride becomes safe; the road grants prasāda.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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