FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 5.19

ఇహైవ తైర్జిత: సర్గో యేషాం సామ్యే స్థితం మన: । నిర్దోషం హి సమం బ్రహ్మ తస్మాద్‍బ్రహ్మణి తే స్థితా: ॥ ౧౯ ॥
ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo
[ihaiva tair jitah sargo]
yeṣāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ
[yeshaam saamye sthitam manah]
nirdoṣaṁ hi samaṁ brahma
[nirdosham hi samam brahma]
tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ
[tasmaad brahmani te sthitaah]
Word-for-word
iha — in this life eva — certainly taiḥ — by them jitaḥ — conquered sargaḥ — birth and death yeṣām — whose sāmye — in equanimity sthitam — situated manaḥ — mind nirdoṣam — flawless hi — certainly samam — in equanimity brahma — like the Supreme tasmāt — therefore brahmaṇi — in the Supreme te — they sthitāḥ — are situated .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo
iha
in this life
eva
certainly
taiḥ
by them
jitaḥ
conquered
sargaḥ
birth and death
yeṣāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ
yeṣām
whose
sāmye
in equanimity
sthitam
situated
manaḥ
mind
nirdoṣaṁ hi samaṁ brahma
nirdoṣam
flawless
hi
certainly
samam
in equanimity
brahma
like the Supreme
tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ
tasmāt
therefore
brahmaṇi
in the Supreme
te
they
sthitāḥ
are situated .
Important Words
  • iha eva — in this very life
    Iha — here. Eva — emphatically. 'Here itself.' The Gītā insists liberation is not deferred to some afterlife or future birth. The conquest of saṁsāra is available in this body, now.
  • sargaḥ — birth and death
    Literally 'creation, projection.' Here referring to the entire cycle of birth and re-creation in which the soul is repeatedly projected. To conquer sarga is to step off the loom of repeated embodiment.
  • sāmye sthitam manaḥ — the mind situated in equanimity
    Sāmya — sameness. The mind 'standing' (sthita) in sameness. The yogī is situated *in* brahman, not collapsed into it: jīva-ātmā remains distinct from paramātmā even as it rests in the brahman effulgence. Equanimity is the settled standing-place, not a merger.
  • nirdoṣam — flawless
    Nir + doṣa — 'without fault.' The verse predicates brahma of the equanimous mind, but the construction is comparative (samaṁ brahma) — flawless *like* brahman, not collapsed into it. The jīva does not become brahman; resting in sameness, it shares brahman's freedom from fault while remaining the eternal servant (acintya-bhedābheda).
  • brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ — they are situated in the Supreme
    Locative — situated *in* brahman. Not approaching, not striving toward — already situated. The verse declares present perfection, not future achievement, for those who have reached this stance.
Those whose minds are established in sameness and equanimity have already conquered the conditions of birth and death. They are flawless like Brahman, and thus they are already situated in Brahman.
Purport

Equanimity of mind, as mentioned above, is the sign of self-realization. Those who have actually attained to such a stage should be considered to have conquered material conditions, specifically birth and death. As long as one identifies with this body, he is considered a conditioned soul, but as soon as he is elevated to the stage of equanimity through realization of self, he is liberated from conditional life. In other words, he is no longer subject to take birth in the material world but can enter into the spiritual sky after his death. The Lord is flawless because He is without attraction or hatred. Similarly, when a living entity is without attraction or hatred, he also becomes flawless and eligible to enter into the spiritual sky. Such persons are to be considered already liberated, and their symptoms are described below.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
19. Those whose minds are situated in equality conquer over the world of birth and death. They are without fault, seeing equally everything as Brahman. Therefore they are situated in Brahman.
Commentary

This verse praises the ability to see equally. In this world (iha eva), they have defeated saṁsāra, that which has been created (sargaḥ jitaḥ).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
19. Those whose minds are absorbed in the quality of impartiality in the faultless paramātmā have conquered over the world of birth and death. Convinced of this, they easily attain liberation.
Commentary

Saṁsāra (sargaḥ) is conquered, even at the stage of sādhana (iha) by those persons whose minds are absorbed in the quality of impartiality displayed by the Brahman (the Lord). Why do we say Brahman is equal to all? It is because (hi) Brahman is devoid of attachment and repulsion (nirdoṣam). Because those persons are convinced of the equality (samam) in the Brahman due to Brahman’s absence of desire and hatred (nirdoṣam), they are situated in Brahman (brahmaṇi sthitāḥ), they easily attain liberation, even while they are situated in the material world.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Such a person whose mind is fixed on the Supersoul, nothing can disturb him. We have heard of one who is in the Brahman platform ‑ the 'sthita‑prajna'. But if one is fixed on the Krsna consciousness platform, he is also in this equal and same platform ‑ he is not disturbed, because he sees everything that happens to him, as Krsna. Or if he is in the Paramatma platform he sees everything as the Supersoul who is just awarding on thing to one person and another thing to another person. By fixing one's consciousness on the Supersoul or Krsna, one becomes fully calm in amidst the ocean of material turbulence. Because one sees everything as Krsna acting, Krsna's mercy, Krsna's award. One who sees like that, how Krsna is reciprocating in this way ‑ becomes eligible for liberation. So here it was explained 'the equal platform' on the Brahman platform through Supersoul realization. And the next verse is true for both, the 'sadhaka'(the practicioner) and the 'sidha" (perfect). They should act like this,

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

Such a self-realized soul has no attraction or hatred to matter, thus he is flawless and impartial like

the Lord

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 5.19 & 5.20:

Symptoms of such a liberated soul are described further

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
5.19 Iha eva, here itself, even while they are living; is sargah, rirth; jitah, conered, overcome; taih, by them, by the learned ones who see with eanimity; yesam, whose; manah, minds, the internal organs; are sthitam, established, made steadfast; samye, on sameness, in Brahman that exists as the same in all beings. It is nirdosam, free from defects. Because of Its existence in such mean objects as an eater of dog's meat, etc., though It is supposed by fools to be affected by the defects of those (objects), still It remains untouched by those blemishes, hi, because It is free from defects. Nor even is It differentiated by Its alities, since Consciousness is free from alifications. And the Lord will speak of desires etc. (cf. 13.6 etc.) as the attributes of the aggregate of body and organs, and will also say, 'Being without beginning and without alities' (13.31). Nor even are there the ultimate distinctions which can create differentiation in the Self, [According to the Vaisesikas, everything is possessed of not only alities but also of antya-visesa (ultimate distinction), which is a category like substance, ality, action, etc. This distinction makes every entity different from other entities. Thus, individual souls have their own ultimate distinctions by the very fact that they are individuals. Vedanta denies such a category. Besides, the Self is one and omnipresent. Therefore there is nothing else from which It can be distinguished.-Tr.] because there is nothing to prove that these ultimate distinctions exist in every body. Hence, samam brahma, Brahman is the same and one. Tasmat, therefore; te, they; sthitah, are established; brahmani, in Brahman Itself. As a result, not even a shade of defect touches them. For they have no self-identification in the form of perceiving the aggregate of body etc. as the Self. On the other hand, that statement (Gau. Sm. 17.20) refers to the man who has self-identification in the form of perceiving the aggregate of body, (organs) etc. as the Self, for that statement-'A sacrificer incurs sin by not adoring eally one who is an eal, and by adoring eally one who is not eal to himself, pointedly refers to persons who are the objects of adoration. It is indeed seen that in worship, charity, etc. the determining factors are the possession of such special alities as being 'a knower of Brahman', 'versed in the six auxiliary branches of Vedic learning', and 'versed in the four Vedas'. But Brahman is bereft of association with all alities and defects. This being so, it is logical that they are established in Brahman. And 'adoring an eal, ৷৷.an uneal,' etc. has reference to men of action. [Those engaged in actions with a sense of agentship, etc.-Tr.] But this subject under consideration, beginning from 'The embodied man৷৷.having given up all actions mentally' (13) to the end of the chapter, is concerning one who has given up all actions. Since the Self is Brahman which is without blemish and is the same (in all), therefore-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
5.19 By those whose minds rest in ealness with regard to all selves in the aforesaid manner, even here, i.e., even at the stage of executing the means, Samsara is overcome. For the Brahman is of the same nature everywhere when uncontaminated. The meaning is that the substance of self, when free from the contaminations resulting from contact with the Prakrti (body), is the same everywhere i.e., as the Brahman (the Atman). If they are fixed in the eality of all selves, they verily abide in Brahman. The abidance in the Brahman is verily the conest of Samsara. Those who contemplate on the sameness of all selves, because of their having the form of knowledge, they are liberated. Sri Krsna now teaches that mode of life by following which the maturity of knowledge in the form of sameness of vision comes to a Karma Yogin.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
5.19 This sloka does not exit in Gitartha sangraha of Abhinavagupta.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
5.19 Even here (in this world) birth (everything) is overcome by those whose minds rest in eality; Brahman is spotless indeed and eal; therefore they are established in Brahman.
Commentary

5.19 इह here? एव even? तैः by them? जितः is conered? सर्गः rirth or creation? येषाम् of whom? साम्ये in eality? स्थितम् established? मनः mind? निर्दोषम् spotless? हि indeed? समम् eal? ब्रह्म Brahman? तस्मात् therefore? ब्रह्मणि in Brahman? ते they? स्थिताः are established.Commentary When the mind gets rooted in eanimity or evenness or eality? when it is always in a balanced state? one coners birth and death. Bondage is annihilated and freedom is attained by him. When the mind is in a perfectly balanced state he overcomes Brahman Himself? i.e.? realises Brahman.Brahman is ever pure and attributeless and so He is not affected even though He dwells in an outcaste? dog? etc. So He is spotless. He is homogeneous and one? as He dwells eally in all beings.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
5.19 Here [i.e. even while living in the body.] itself is rirth conered by them whose minds are established on sameness. Since Brahman is the same (in all) and free from defects, therefore they are established in Brahman.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
5.19 Even in this world they conquer their earth-life whose minds, fixed on the Supreme, remain always balanced; for the Supreme has neither blemish nor bias.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 18.54 BG 14.26 BG 2.72 SB 11.19.45 SB 2.2.15 SB 1.2.21 CC Madhya 6.269 CC Madhya 22.21 CC Madhya 24.150 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.9Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.23
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Those whose minds rest in equality conquer birth and death even here — Brahman is faultless and equal; they are situated in Brahman.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize that equality of mind is itself liberation, here and now.
  • Cultivate equanimity as the day's spiritual aim.
  • Treat any disturbance of equanimity as data, not failure.
Reflection Questions
  • When did I last feel genuine equanimity, and what supported it?
  • What is most likely to disturb it today?
Analogy

A still lake reflects the moon perfectly; a wind-whipped lake fragments the same moon into a thousand restless pieces. Equanimity is the lake's stillness, brahman is the moon. Where the mind rests in sameness, the Supreme is already reflected entire. No second journey is required.

Stories
Bhīṣma on the bed of arrows

After being felled in battle by Arjuna's arrows, Bhīṣma lay on his arrow-bed for fifty-eight days, waiting for the auspicious moment of departure. Friends and enemies came; the Pāṇḍavas wept; the war's survivors stood around him. He neither rejoiced in their devotion nor lamented the wounds.

From that bed he gave the long teaching that became the Śānti-parva of the Mahābhārata. His mind rested in equanimity even as his body bled. The Bhāgavatam describes that at the moment of death he fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa and entered the Supreme directly.

Iha eva taiḥ jitaḥ sargaḥ — in this very life, with this very body, the cycle of birth and death was conquered by him. The verse names a possibility Bhīṣma demonstrated.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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