Verses 18.51-53

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verses 18.51-53:

बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्यात्मानं नियम्य च ।
शब्दादीन् विषयांस् त्यक्त्वा राग-द्वेषौ व्युदस्य च ॥ ५१ ॥
विविक्त-सेवी लघ्व्-आशी यत-वाक्-काय-मानसः ।
ध्यान-योग-परो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः ॥ ५२ ॥
अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम् ।
विमुच्य निर्ममः शान्तो ब्रह्म-भूयाय कल्पते ॥ ५३ ॥

buddhyā viśuddhayā yukto dhṛtyātmānaṃ niyamya ca |
śabdādīn viṣayāṃs tyaktvā rāga-dveṣau vyudasya ca || 51 ||
vivikta-sevī laghv-āśī yata-vāk-kāya-mānasaḥ |
dhyāna-yoga-paro nityaṃ vairāgyaṃ samupāśritaḥ || 52 ||
ahaṅkāraṃ balaṃ darpaṃ kāmaṃ krodhaṃ parigraham |
vimucya nirmamaḥ śānto brahma-bhūyāya kalpate || 53 ||

buddhyā–intelligence; viśuddhayā–fully purified; yuktaḥ–endowed with; dhṛtyā–with determination; ātmānam–the mind; niyamya–controlling; ca–and; śabda-ādīn–such as sound; viṣayān–sense objects; tyaktvā–giving up; rāga-dveṣau–attachment and aversion; vyudasya–putting aside; ca–and; vivikta-sevī–resorting to solitary places; laghu-āśī–eating lightly; yata–controlling; vāk–and speech; kāya–body; mānasaḥ–mind; dhyāna-yoga–connected in contemplative meditation (upon Bhagavān); paraḥ–being absorbed; nityam–always; vairāgyam–of renunciation; samupāśritaḥ–taking full shelter; ahaṅkāram–false ego; balam–strength; darpam–arrogance; kāmam–desire; krodham–anger; parigraham–unnecessary accumulation of possessions; vimucya–being freed from; nirmamaḥ–free from possessiveness; śāntaḥ–peaceful; brahma-bhūyāya–for brahma realization; kalpate–is qualified.

A person endowed with pure intelligence controls the mind with determination. He renounces the objects of sense enjoyment such as sound and form. Freed from attachment and aversion, he lives in a sanctified solitary place, eating little, controlling his body, mind and speech, and constantly taking shelter of yoga by meditating on Bhagavān. He takes shelter of detachment, being completely free from false ego, false attachment, arrogance, desire, anger, unnecessary accumulation of possessions and feelings of possessiveness, and he is situated in peace. Such a person is qualified to realize brahma.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Those who are able to control their mind with intelligence and forbearance in the mode of goodness, and who take shelter of the supreme yoga of being situated in meditation upon Śrī Bhagavān, become qualified to realize brahma (the Supreme). Here, the word bala does not mean ‘strength’ or ‘ability,’ but ‘attachment to material desires’. After relinquishing false ego and so forth, such persons become qualified to realize brahma. This is called cessation of ignorance. In such a state, even the quality of goodness becomes subdued. This alone is called renunciation of knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Eleven states, “Renounce even knowledge for Me.” One cannot realize brahma without renouncing both ignorance and knowledge. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate means ‘to become capable of realizing brahma’.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

A sādhaka’s heart becomes purified by offering Bhagavān the results of his actions in the mode of goodness that are born of his nature. By subduing his senses, which are satisfied because of his detachment from sense objects, the practitioner’s mind becomes pure and he remains fixed in a state of trance. In this way, all mundane attachments and aversions are dispelled. In such a state, he becomes free from false ego, by which he considers the body to be the self. He does not seek material happiness, nor is he ever overpowered by lamentation. Constantly equipoised in this state, which is called brahma-bhūta, he even gives up the subtle body and becomes situated in his true self.