2.60 yathathO hyapi kaunthEya

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:

Chapter 2

<< Chapter 2 verse 59

SlOkam – Original

yathathO hyapi kaunthEya purushasya vipaSchitha: |
indhriyANi pramAthIni haranthi prasabham mana: ||

word-by-word meaning

hE kaunthEya – Oh son of kunthI!
vipaSchitha: – having ability to differentiate
yaththa: api – though pursuing (for self realisation)
purushasya – the man’s
pramAthIni – having strength
indhriyANi – senses
mana: – mind
prasabham – forcefully
haranthi – pull

Simple Translation

Oh son of kunthI! Though a man is having ability to differentiate and is pursuing (self realisation), his strong senses pull his mind forcefully [towards them].

Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam

Forsooth, Kaunteya [1. A matronymic of Arjuna (=son of Kunti).]! The turbulent senses forcibly seduce away the mind of even the sedulous sage [2. Cf: ‘The roving eye misleads the careless heart.’ Cowper.].’

Without ātmā-cognition, the cravings for sensuous experiences never entirely surcease. The exertions of even the persevering sage nevertheless, the restless or powerful senses forcibly decoy the mind away. Thus the conquest of the senses is dependent on ātmā-perception; and ātmā-perception is dependent on sense-conquest. Hence the difficulty of pursuing the Wisdom-Course (or Jñāna-nishṭhā).

>> Chapter 2 verse 61

archived in http://githa.koyil.org

pramEyam (goal) – http://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – http://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.