Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 59

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः ।
रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते ॥२- ५९॥

viṣayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ ।

rasavarjaṃ raso'pyasya paraṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate ॥2- 59॥

Objects of the senses cease for the embodied ones who don't seek, at the exclusion of desire. Desire also ceases having seen the supreme of that. 


Word-for-word translations

viṣayās (masculine, nominative, plural) = objects of the senses 

vinivartante (present tense, 3rd person, plural) = cease 

nirāhārasya (masculine, genitive, singular) = of the non-seeking

dehinas (masculine, accusative, plural) = the embodied ones 


rasavarjam (masculine, accusative, singular) = exclusion of the desire

rasas (masculine, nominative, singular) = desire

api (adverb) (indeclinable) = also

asya (demonstrative pronoun, masculine , genitive, singular) = of that   

param (masculine, accusative, singular) = the supreme 

dṛṣṭvā (gerund) (indeclinable) = having seen 

nivartate (present tense, 3rd person, singular) = it ceases 


Commentary

"Nirāhārasya" is a very important word in this verse. It can mean "of the abstainers of food", which some translations use. But it can mean "of the non-seekers". The very core of the word is to "go fetch or get" something. "Of the abstainers of food" is not my favorite choice. It just seems too mundane for the wisdom of this text. If that interpretation is taken, then it is a metaphor at best. 

The other very important word in this verse is "rasas", which can mean "taste" or "flavor". But, once again, I feel another definition of the word is more appropriate in this verse. I like the interpretation of "desire". One may stop seeking, but that does not mean one has ceased to desire. Desire is very hard to extinguish. It takes something "param" (supreme) to desire to overcome desire. Which segues to the word "param", which can mean "supreme", "superior", "other", and so many other words to include inferior or antagonistic meanings. But overall, "param" signifies "something else" or "something different that eclipses something".