FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.58

యదా సంహరతే చాయం కూర్మోఽఙ్గానీవ సర్వశః । ఇన్ద్రియాణీన్ద్రియార్థేభ్యస్తస్య ప్రజ్ఞా ప్రతిష్ఠితా ॥ ౫౮ ॥
yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ
[yadaa samharate chaayam]
kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ
[koormo ’ngaaneeva sarvashah]
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas
[indriyaaneendriyaarthebhyas]
tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā
[tasya prajnaa pratishthitaa]
Word-for-word
yadā — when saṁharate — winds up ca — also ayam — he kūrmaḥ — tortoise aṅgāni — limbs iva — like sarvaśaḥ — altogether indriyāṇi — senses indriya - arthebhyaḥ — from the sense objects tasya — his prajñā — consciousness pratiṣṭhitā — fixed .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ
yadā
when
saṁharate
winds up
ca
also
ayam
he
kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ
kūrmaḥ
tortoise
aṅgāni
limbs
iva
like
sarvaśaḥ
altogether
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas
indriyāṇi
senses
indriya - arthebhyaḥ
from the sense objects
tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā
tasya
his
prajñā
consciousness
pratiṣṭhitā
fixed .
Important Words
  • saṁharate — withdraws
    From sam-√hṛ — to take together, to draw in. The same root as saṁhāra (cosmic withdrawal). The yogī performs an interior cosmic-withdrawal: drawing his senses back into himself.
  • kūrmaḥ — the tortoise
    The chosen image. The kūrma's withdrawal is voluntary, simultaneous, and total — not strenuous. The Gītā chooses an animal known for slow, deliberate, complete withdrawal. The Kūrma-avatāra resonates faintly in the background.
  • aṅgāni — limbs
    The five organs of action and five of knowledge, in the parallel. The tortoise's six limbs (head, tail, four legs) image the yogī's senses being withdrawn together, in one act of will.
  • indriya - arthebhyaḥ — from the sense-objects
    Ablative — *away from sense-objects*. The senses are withdrawn *from* their objects. Not from existence itself; from the magnetic pull of viṣayas. The Gītā does not teach annihilation of the senses, but their redirection.
  • pratiṣṭhitā — established, firmly fixed
    Past participle of prati-√sthā — to stand firm against, to be established. Repeated at 2.57, 58, 61, 68 — the chapter's drumbeat. The prajñā stands firm because the senses stand still.
One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.
Purport

The test of a yogī, devotee or self-realized soul is that he is able to control the senses according to his plan. Most people, however, are servants of the senses and are thus directed by the dictation of the senses. That is the answer to the question as to how the yogī is situated. The senses are compared to venomous serpents. They want to act very loosely and without restriction. The yogī, or the devotee, must be very strong to control the serpents – like a snake charmer. He never allows them to act independently. There are many injunctions in the revealed scriptures; some of them are do-not’s, and some of them are do’s. Unless one is able to follow the do’s and the do-not’s, restricting oneself from sense enjoyment, it is not possible to be firmly fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The best example, set herein, is the tortoise. The tortoise can at any moment wind up its senses and exhibit them again at any time for particular purposes. Similarly, the senses of the Kṛṣṇa conscious persons are used only for some particular purpose in the service of the Lord and are withdrawn otherwise. Arjuna is being taught here to use his senses for the service of the Lord, instead of for his own satisfaction. Keeping the senses always in the service of the Lord is the example set by the analogy of the tortoise, who keeps the senses within.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
58. When he draws his senses away completely from sense objects like a turtle withdrawing its limbs, he is situated in prajṣa.
Commentary

This verse answers the question, “How does he sit?” (kim āsīta) He withdraws his senses such as the ear from the objects of the senses such as sound. Stopping the movement of the independent senses towards the external objects, he establishes them without movement internally. This is the “sitting” of the person situated in prajṣā. An example is given. He does so, just as the turtle fixes his senses such as mouth and eyes within itself by its will.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
58. When he easily withdraws all his senses completely from sense objects like a turtle withdrawing his limbs, he is situated in prajṣa.
Commentary

Six verses now answer the third question “How does he remain, suppressing his senses? (kim āsīta)” When this yogī (ayam) completely withdraws without effort the independent senses such as the ear from the sense objects such as sound, then he is known as sthita prajṣa (tasya prajṣā pratiṣṭhitā). An example is given. Just as a turtle withdraws his head, hands and feet into his shell, the sthita prajṣa remains with senses situated within, withdrawn from sense objects. That is how he sits (this is his sense control).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

And how is he able to do that? Is he tortured? No!

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

COMMON THEME: Answers the third question – How does he sit?

This implies “How he restrains his senses and mentality”
Answer: He uses his senses only for Krishna’s service. Based on higher taste he can control his senses
Anology: Tortoise and Devotee – Implies to keep senses always in service of Lord and withdraw the senses when not required (2.58)
Focus of Learning

(a) Test of a yogi/devotee/self-realized soul (2.58) – He is able to control senses according to his plan

(b) Two analogies for self-controlled yogi – (2.58)

Tortoise and Devotee (Refer to translation)
Snake Charmer, Senses and Serpents (purport) – He never lets the senses loose, but control senses (which are like venomous serpents) under do’s and don’ts, just like a snake charmer controls a snake

(a) Definition of ‘Sthita–Dhira’ Muni (2.56)

He is a sage of steady mind
He is always in Krishna consciousness
He has exhausted all business of creative speculation
Ref. Stotra-ratna – He has surpassed the stage of mental speculations and come to the conclusion that Krishna or Vasudeva is everything (Ref. Bg. 7.19 “Vasudevah sarvam iti…”)

(b) Muni – one who can agitate his mind in various ways (2.56)

For mental speculation
Without factual conclusion
All Munis have different angles of vision (Ref. Mahabharata “na casav rsir…”)

(c) How one in Krishna consciousness is:

Equipoised (2.56) – because:
He accepts everything (happiness / distress) as Krishna’s mercy
Free from attachment, fear and anger (2.56) – because:
He is always daring and active, and fixed on the service of the Lord
He does not come under attachment / aversion
He never gets angry, whether successful or not
He is steady in determination
Unaffected by good and evil (2.57) – because:
The material world is anyway full of relativities and dualities, and there is always some upheaval
The soul is simply concerned with Krishna who is always all-good & Absolute
Such a Krishna conscious position is in perfect transcendental position called “Samadhi”
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.58 And besides, yada, when; ayam, this one, the sannyasin practising steadfastness in Knowledge; samharate, fully withdraws; ['Fully' suggests absolute firmness in withdrawal, and 'withdraws' suggests full control over the organs] indriyani, the senses; indriya-arthhyah, from all the objects of the senses; iva, as; kurmah, a tortoise; sarvasah, wholly (withdraws); angani, its limbs, from all sides out of fear; when the man engaged in steadfastness to Knowledge withdraws thus, then tasya, his; prajna, wisdom; pratisthita, remains established (the meaning of this portion has already been explained). As to that, [That is , so far as the phenomenal world is concerned.] the organs of a sick person, too, cease to be active when the refrains from sense-objects; they get fully withdrawn like the limbs of a tortoise. but not so the hankering for those objects. How that (hankering) gets completely withdrawn is being stated:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.58 When one is able to draw the senses away from the sense-objects on every side when the senses try to contact the sense-objects, just as a tortoise draws in its limbs, and is capable of fixing his mind on the self - he too is of firm wisdom. Thus there are four stages of devotion to knowledge, each stage being perfected through the succeeding stage. Now Sri Krsna speaks of the difficulty of the attainment of firm devotion to knowledge and the means of that attainment.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.58 Yada samharate etc. the nomenclature is not an expression having a composite of both the forces of etymological and traditional meanings, like the word pankaja 'a lotus'. But it has only the etymological force like the word pacaka 'a cook'. Whenever he (the sage) withdraws just in his own self-just as a tortoise keeps its limbs in its bossom-from the sense-objects i.e., warding off from the sense-objects, then and then [only] he is man-of-stabilized-intellect. Or [the passage may mean :] Whenever he withdraws, within his own Self, [all], beginning from the sense-objects upto sense-organs i.e., when he approprites in his own Self all in the form of sense-objects and sense-organs. But, how is it that the nomenclature 'a man-of-stabilized-intellect' does not hold good in the case of an ascetic ? It is answered-
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.58 When, like the tortoise which withdraws on all sides its limbs, he withdraws his senses from the sense-objects, then his wisdom becomes steady.
Commentary

2.58 यदा when? संहरते withdraws? च and? अयम् this (Yogi)? कूर्मः tortoise? अङ्गानि limbs? इव like? सर्वशः everywhere? इन्द्रियाणि the senses? इन्द्रियार्थेभ्यः from the senseobjects? तस्य of him? प्रज्ञा wisdom प्रतिष्ठिता is steadied.Commentary Withdrawal of the senses is Pratyahara or abstraction. The mind has a natural,tendency to run towards external objects. The Yogi again and again withdraws the mind from the objects of the senses and fixes it on the Self. A Yogi who is endowed with the power of Pratyahara can enter into Samadhi even in a crowded place by withdrawing his senses within the twinkling of an eye. He is not disturbed by tumultuous sounds and noises of any description. Even on the battlefield he can rest in his centre? the Self? by withdrawing his senses. He who practises Pratyahara is dead to the world. He will not be affected by the outside vibrations. At any time by mere willing he can bring his senses under his perfect control. They are his obedient servants or instruments.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.58 And when this one fully withdraws the senses from the objects of the senses, as a tortoise wholly (withdraws) the limbs, then his wisdom remains established.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.58 He who can withdraw his senses from the attraction of their objects, as the tortoise draws his limbs within its shell - take it that such a one has attained Perfection.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.6 BG 6.24 BG 15.7 SB 3.27.6 SB 7.15.36 SB 11.14.42 CC Madhya 24.65 CC Madhya 24.143 CC Antya 20.43 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.1.1BRS 1.2.115
Study Q&A referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs into its shell, the wise withdraw their senses from sense objects — and their consciousness becomes fixed.
Practical Applications
  • Practice one deliberate withdrawal of a sense from its preferred object today.
  • Build daily 'shell-time' — moments of withdrawing senses for chanting or contemplation.
  • Recognize that withdrawal is not denial but redirection toward the soul.
Reflection Questions
  • Which sense most frequently drags me out of the shell of remembrance?
  • What would my day look like with two more 'tortoise moments' built in?
Analogy

A tortoise, sensing threat, draws its limbs into its shell — not by argument with the limbs but by a single inward pull from the center. The yogī withdraws the senses from sense-objects in the same way: not by force at the periphery but by drawing the center back. When the center retreats, the limbs follow.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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