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Bhagavad Gita · 18.52 · Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender·52 of 78

विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसःध्यानयोगपरो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः

vivikta-sevī laghv-āśhī yata-vāk-kāya-mānasaḥ

dhyāna-yoga-paro nityaṁ vairāgyaṁ samupāśhritaḥ

Sanskrit recitation

Toward inner perfection · 18.49–18.55 · Teaching

Translation

Dwelling in solitude, eating sparingly, with speech, body, and mind subdued, always engaged in meditation and concentration, and resorting to dispassion.

Meaning

Solitude has its own charms. The spiritual vibrations in solitude are wonderfully elevating. Meditation will come by itself without exertion. All saints and sages who have attained Selfrealisation have remained in solitude for a number of years. You will have good meditation if you sit on the bank of a river, in a cave or on the seashore or in a jungle. During the Christmas and Easter holidays you can all enjoy the peace of solitude. It is very necessary to live in solitude at least for a month or a fortnight in a year for the householders. Instead of wasting time, energy and money in Calcutta or any other city, during the holidays, live in holy places like Rishikesh, Uttarakasi or Naimisaranya drink the nectar of peace in such places by doing Anushthana (intense and systematic spiritual practice) or Japa of a Mantra and attain immortality. If you once taste the bliss of solitude you will never forget it. Every year you will attempt to taste it again. He who takes too much food (a glutton) is ite unfit for meditation or the spiritual path. Too much food will produce laziness, a halfsleepy state and deep sleep also. Eat to live. Eat in moderation. You will have a light body and light, cheerful and serene mind. This will help you in your practice of meditation. Observe Mauna or the vow of silelnce for a week or a month. Observe the vow for two hours daily. Control the body

After Swami Sivananda

Toward inner perfection· 18.49–18.55

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

Word-by-word
vāk
speech
yata
controls
kāya
body
nityam
always
mānasaḥ
and mind
vairāgyam
dispassion
laghu-āśhī
eating light
vivikta-sevī
relishing solitude
samupāśhritaḥ
having taken shelter of
dhyāna-yoga-paraḥ
engaged in meditation

Related verses

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