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Bhagavad-gītā 2.66

नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना । न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥ ६६ ॥
nāsti buddhir ayuktasya
[naasti buddhir ayuktasya]
na cāyuktasya bhāvanā
[na chaayuktasya bhaavanaa]
na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir
[na chaabhaavayatah shaantir]
aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham
[ashaantasya kutah sukham]
Word-for-word
na asti — there cannot be buddhiḥ — transcendental intelligence ayuktasya — of one who is not connected (with Kṛṣṇa consciousness) na — not ca — and ayuktasya — of one devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness bhāvanā — fixed mind (in happiness) na — not ca — and abhāvayataḥ — of one who is not fixed śāntiḥ — peace aśāntasya — of the unpeaceful kutaḥ — where is sukham — happiness .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nāsti buddhir ayuktasya
na asti
there cannot be
buddhiḥ
transcendental intelligence
ayuktasya
of one who is not connected (with Kṛṣṇa consciousness)
na cāyuktasya bhāvanā
na
not
ca
and
ayuktasya
of one devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
bhāvanā
fixed mind (in happiness)
na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir
na
not
ca
and
abhāvayataḥ
of one who is not fixed
śāntiḥ
peace
aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham
aśāntasya
of the unpeaceful
kutaḥ
where is
sukham
happiness .
Important Words
  • ayuktasya — of the unyoked
    Genitive of ayukta — *unyoked* with the Lord. The verse's diagnosis: without connection to the Supreme, no buddhi. The chapter has been building this conclusion; verse 66 names it bluntly.
  • bhāvanā — meditation, steady contemplation
    From √bhū causative — *the bringing-into-being*. The capacity to dwell on the Lord, to make Him present in the mind. Without buddhi, no bhāvanā. The Gītā treats meditation as a downstream consequence, not a starting point.
  • abhāvayataḥ — of one who does not meditate
    Genitive of abhāvayat — *of one who is not contemplating*. Without bhāvanā, no śānti. The chain continues; each absence cancels the next possibility.
  • śāntiḥ — peace
    From √śam — to be still. The Gītā's repeated promise (cf. 2.70, 71). Śānti is not a feeling but a settled state of being; it is impossible for the abhāvayat.
  • sukham — happiness
    The final term in the cascade. Without śānti, sukham is impossible. The verse demolishes the world's order — the world chases sukham first; the Gītā says it is the last link, and is reached only by going up the chain from yoga.
One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Kṛṣṇa consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?
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)
A negative cascade matching 2.62-63: no yoga → no buddhi → no meditation → no peace → no happiness. The denial chains: undisciplined-ness propagates through every higher state, undermining each in turn.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Four negations build the descent. Bhāvanā here means concentrated mental cultivation — close to dhyāna. The closing rhetorical question (kutaḥ sukham?) is devastating: even the worldly goal of happiness eludes the unsteady. This negative formulation hammers home why mat-paraḥ yoga (2.61) and prasāda (2.64-65) are not optional but the necessary basis for any well-being at all.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
अयुक्तस्य बुद्धिः न अस्ति, अयुक्तस्य भावना च न (अस्ति) । अभावयतः शान्तिः च न (अस्ति) । अशान्तस्य सुखम् कुतः ?
ayuktasya buddhiḥ na asti, ayuktasya bhāvanā ca na (asti) | abhāvayataḥ śāntiḥ ca na (asti) | aśāntasya sukham kutaḥ ?
There is no (steady) intelligence for the undisciplined, nor any meditation for the undisciplined; without meditation there is no peace, and for the peaceless, whence happiness?
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
न अस्ति बुद्धिः अयुक्तस्य न च अयुक्तस्य भावना । न च अभावयतः शान्तिः अशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥
na asti buddhiḥ ayuktasya na ca ayuktasya bhāvanā | na ca abhāvayataḥ śāntiḥ aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
न अस्ति na asti √अस् pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice), with न is not
बुद्धिः buddhiḥ बुद्धि (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) intelligence
अयुक्तस्य ayuktasya अ + युक्त (p.p.p. (past passive participle)) gen.sg. (genitive singular)m., 'of the undisciplined' of the undisciplined
भावना bhāvanā भावना (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'meditation, cultivated reflection' contemplation
अभावयतः abhāvayataḥ अ + भावयत् (caus. (causative) pres. (present) part. of √भू) gen.sg. (genitive singular)m., 'of one not meditating' of one not meditating
शान्तिः śāntiḥ शान्ति (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'peace' peace
अशान्तस्य aśāntasya अ + शान्त (p.p.p. (past passive participle)) gen.sg. (genitive singular)m., 'of the peaceless' of the peaceless
कुतः kutaḥ ind. (indeclinable), interr. (interrogative) adv., 'whence' whence
सुखम् sukham सुख (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), 'happiness' happiness
Purport

Unless one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of peace. So it is confirmed in the Fifth Chapter (5.29) that when one understands that Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer of all the good results of sacrifice and penance, that He is the proprietor of all universal manifestations, and that He is the real friend of all living entities, then only can one have real peace. Therefore, if one is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be a final goal for the mind. Disturbance is due to want of an ultimate goal, and when one is certain that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, proprietor and friend of everyone and everything, then one can, with a steady mind, bring about peace. Therefore, one who is engaged without a relationship with Kṛṣṇa is certainly always in distress and is without peace, however much he may make a show of peace and spiritual advancement in life. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a self-manifested peaceful condition which can be achieved only in relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
66. For the person with uncontrolled mind, there is no intelligence fixed on the soul, and no meditation on the Paramātmā. Without meditation he has no peace. Without peace, where is bliss?
Commentary

Kṛṣṇa makes his statement clear by stating the effects of the opposite condition. For one who has not controlled the mind (ayuktasya), there is no intelligence, no prajña, fixed on the soul. For one who not having such prajnā arising from controlled mind, meditation on the Supreme Lord (bhāvanā) also is not possible. Not performing meditation (abhāvayataḥ), he does not have peace, the cessation of agitation from sense objects. This person without peace does not have bliss (sukham) from the soul.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
66. For the person with uncontrolled mind, there is no intelligence fixed on the soul, and no contemplation of ātmā. Without contemplation he has no peace. Without peace, where is bliss?
Commentary

This verse makes the point by stating the opposite. For the person who is not a yogī (ayuktasya), who does not engage his mind in Me, his intelligence does not have the above mentioned quality of being fixed. Nor does he even have contemplation of the ātmā (bhāvanā). Without such contemplation on the ātmā there is no destruction of thirst for material objects (śāntiḥ). How can a person who is afflicted by thirst for enjoyment (aśāntasya) have happiness, which is characterized by realization of ātmā with self-manifesting bliss?

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Here is a contrast of a man who doesn't control his senses who doesn't engage his senses in the service of the Lord:

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

No happiness and peace by lack of Krishna consciousness – By Krishna consciousness the mind

becomes peaceful. But if one is not connected with the Supreme then,

Neither transcendental intelligence possible
Nor steady mind
Without steady mind, no possibility of peace
No happiness without peace

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 2.66 & 2.67: In the next verse Krishna explains ‘What happens if senses are not

regulated by Krishna consciousness’

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.66 Ayuktasya, for the unsteady, for one who does not have a concentrated mind; na asti, there is no, i.e. there does not arise; buddhih, wisdom, with regard to the nature of the Self; ca, and; there is no bhavana, meditation, earnest longing [Longing to have a continuous remembrance of the knowledge of Brahman which arises in the mind from hearing the great Upanisadic sayings (maha-vakyas).] for the knowledge of the Self; ayuktasya, for an unsteady man. And similarly, abhavayatah, for an unmeditative man, who does not ardently desire the knowledge of the Self; there is no santih, peace, restraint of the senses. Kutah, how can there be; sukham, happiness; asantasya, for one without peace? That indeed is happiness which consists in the freedom of the senses from the thirst for enjoyment of objects; not the thirst for objects that is misery to be sure. The implication is that, so long as thirst persists, there is no possibility of even an iota of happiness! It is being stated why a man without concentration does not possess wisdom:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.66 In him who does not focus his mind on Me but is engaged only in the control of senses by his own exertion, the Buddhi or the right disposition that is concerned with the pure self never arises. Therefore he fails in the practice of meditation on the self. In one who cannot think of the pure self, there arises the desire for sense objects; in him serenity does not arise. How can eternal and unsurpassed bliss be generated in him who is not serene but is attached to sense-objects? [The idea is that without the aid of devotion to God, the effort to control the senses by one's will power alone will end in failure.] Sri Krsna speaks again of the calamity that befalls one who does not practise the control of the senses in the way prescribed above:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.66 See Comment under 2.68
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.66 There is no knowledge of the Self to the unsteady and to the unsteady no meditation is possible, and to the unmeditative there can be no peace, and to the man who has no peace, how can there be happiness?
Commentary

2.66 न not? अस्ति is? बुद्धिः knowledge (of the Self)? अयुक्तस्य of the unsteady? न not? च and? अयुक्तस्य of the unsteady? भावना meditation? न not? च and? अभावयतः of the unmeditated? शान्तिः peace? अशान्तस्य of the peaceless? कुतः whence? सुखम् happiness.Commentary The man who cannot fix his mind in meditation cannot have knowledge of the Self. The unsteady man cannot practise meditation. He cannot have even intense devotion to Selfknowledge nor can he have burning longing for liberation or Moksha. He who does not practise meditation cannot possess peace of mind. How can the man who has no peace of mind enjoy happinessDesire or Trishna (thirsting for senseobjects) is the enemy of peace. There cannot be an iota or tinge of happiness for a man who is thirsting for sensual objects. The mind will be ever restless? and will be hankering for the objects. Only when this thirsting dies? does man enjoy peace. Only then can he meditate and rest in the Self.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.66 For the unsteady there is no wisdom, and there is no meditation for the unsteady man. And for an unmeditative man there is no peace. How can there be happiness for one without peace?
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.66 Right discrimination is not for him who cannot concentrate. Without concentration, there cannot be meditation; he who cannot meditate must not expect peace; and without peace, how can anyone expect happiness?
Related values & verses
Primary values
Shanti (Peace / Tranquility)
Related values
Dhairya (Composure / Courage)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
BG 6.36 BG 17.28 BG 18.58 SB 1.2.13 SB 3.25.21 SB 11.27.16 CC Ādi 7.97 CC Madhya 20.143 CC Madhya 22.31 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.10BRS 1.2.232
Stories
shanti_epic_primary
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Without yoga there is no buddhi, without buddhi no meditation, without meditation no peace — and without peace, how can there be happiness?
Practical Applications
  • Recognize that happiness has prerequisites; do not chase it directly while skipping the chain.
  • Diagnose your unhappiness by checking which prerequisite is missing — yoga, buddhi, dhyāna, śānti.
  • Strengthen the earliest weak link rather than chasing the final symptom.
Reflection Questions
  • Which link in this chain is currently broken in me?
  • How would my life look if I rebuilt it in this order rather than the reverse?
Analogy

A man without bridge cannot cross, without water cannot drink, without sleep cannot work, without work cannot eat. The verse strings four absences into a single failure chain: no yoga → no buddhi → no bhāvanā → no śānti → no sukha. Each step depends on the one before it.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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