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BG 2.58 — 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.
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यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः |
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ||२-५८||

yadā saṃharate cāyaṃ kūrmo.aṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ . indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyastasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā ||2-58||


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.

Word-by-word meanings

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 po

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

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 the organs of a sick person, too, cease to be active when the refrains from sense-objects; they get fully withdrawn like the limbs of a tortoise.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 How that (hankering) gets completely withdrawn is being stated:

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Swami Gambirananda

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.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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