Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 57

यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम् ।
नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥२- ५७॥

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehastattatprāpya śubhāśubham ।
nābhinandati na dveṣṭi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā ॥2- 57॥

Who is without desire in all places having encountered this or that pleasantness and unpleasantness, one does not delight nor hate, [respectively]. Of that, understanding is established.


Word-for-word translations

yas (relative pronoun) (masculine, nominative, singular) = who

sarvatrānabhisnehas (sarvatra + anabhisnehas) (compound) (masculine, nominative, singular) = without desire in all places 

tattat (tat + tat) (adverb) (indeclinable) = this or that

prāpya (gerund) (indeclinable) = having encountered 

śubhāśubham (śubha + aśubham) (neuter, accusative, singular) = pleasantness and unpleasantness 


na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not 

abhinandati (present tense, 3rd person, singular) = one delights

na (adverb) (indeclinable) = not 

dveṣṭi (present tense, 3rd person, singular) = one hates

tasya (pronoun, 3rd person, masculine, genitive, singular) = of that

prajñā (feminine, nominative, singular) = understanding 

pratiṣṭhitā (feminine, nominative, singular) = established


Commentary

The syntax of my translation is different from previous translations given I am very mindful of the gerund "prāpya", the accusative case of "śubhāśubham", and the connection of "tasya" with "prajñā pratiṣṭhitā".  My translation is most like the Laurie L. Patton translation. This is the translation I rely on the most when I am confused about a particular verse. 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 56

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः ।
वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ॥२- ५६॥

duḥkheṣvanudvignamanāḥ sukheṣu vigataspṛhaḥ ।
vītarāgabhayakrodhaḥ sthitadhīrmunirucyate ॥2- 56॥

The mind at ease in discomforts [and] comforts, desire departed, anger, fear, [and] passion departed, [and] understanding which is steadfast. One is called a sage.  


Word-for-word translations

duḥkheṣu (neuter, locative, plural) = in discomforts 

anudvignamanās (anudvigna + manās) (compound) (masculine, nominative, singular) =  the mind at ease

sukheṣu (neuter, locative, plural) = in comforts 

vigataspṛhas (vigata + spṛhas) (masculine, nominative, singular) = desire departed 

vītarāgabhayakrodhas (vīta + rāga + bhaya + krodhas) (masculine, nominative, singular) = anger, fear, passion departed 

sthitadhīs (sthita + dhīs) (compound) (feminine, nominative, singular) = understanding which is steadfast 

munis (masculine, nominative, singular) = a sage 

ucyate (passive, present tense, 3rd person, singular) = one is called 


Commentary

The word "manās" in this verse is typically of neuter gender, but for some reason it is in the masculine gender in this verse. 

Given the heavy use of the nominative case in this verse some of syntax is varied in the previous translations and some of the nouns become adjectives. 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 55

श्रीभगवानुवाच

प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् ।
आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥२- ५५॥

śrībhagavānuvāca
prajahāti yadā kāmānsarvānpārtha manogatān ।
ātmanyevātmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthitaprajñastadocyate ॥2- 55॥

The Blessed Lord said, when one abandons all desires contained in the mind, O son-of-Prithā. Then one is called "knowing that is steadfast", contented with the soul, indeed, in the soul. 


Word-for-word translations

śrībhagavān (masculine, nominative, singular) = Blessed Lord

uvāca (past tense, 3rd person, singular) = said 

prajahāti (present tense, 3rd person, singular) = one abandons 

yadā (relative adverb) (indeclinable) = when 

kāmān (masculine, accusative, plural) = desires 

sarvān (adjective) (masculine, accusative, plural) = all

pārtha (masculine, vocative, singular) = O son-of-Prithā

manas (neuter, accusative, singular) = mind

gatān (past passive participle) (masculine, nominative, plural) = contained


ātmani (masculine, locative, singular) = in the soul

eva (adverb) (indeclinable) = indeed (emphatic particle, emphasizes the previous word)

ātmanā (masculine, instrumental, singular) = with the soul

tuṣṭas (past passive participle) (masculine, nominative, singular) = contented

sthitaprajñas (sthita + prajñas) (compound) (masculine, nominative, singular) = knowing that is steadfast

tadā (correlative adverb) (indeclinable) = then 

ucyate (passive, present tense, 3rd person, singular) = one is called 


Commentary

Previous translations seem to vary in the syntax of the latter part of the verse and tend to add or subtract from the literal words of this verse. The use of the past passive participles are nice in this verse and are actually the reason for the variations in the previous translations. 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 54

अर्जुन उवाच

स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव ।
स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम् ॥२- ५४॥

arjuna uvāca
sthitaprajñasya kā bhāṣā samādhisthasya keśava ।
sthitadhīḥ kiṃ prabhāṣeta kimāsīta vrajeta kim ॥2- 54॥

Arjuna said: 

What is the speech of the knowing that is steadfast abiding in samādhi having understanding which is steadfast, O Keśava? How ought he speak? How ought he sit? How ought he move?


Word-for-word translations

arjunas (masculine, nominative, singular) = Arjuna 

uvāca (past tense verb, 3rd person, singular) = said 

sthitaprajñasya (sthita + prajñasya) (compound) (masculine, genitive, singular) = of the knowing that is steadfast

kā (feminine, interrogative pronoun, singular) = what?

bhāṣā (feminine, nominative, singular) = speech

samādhisthasya (samādhi + sthasya) (compound) (adjective) (masculine, genitive, singular) = of abiding in samādhi

keśava (masculine, vocative, singular) = O Keśava (epithet of Krishna)


sthitadhīs (sthita + dhīs) (compound) (feminine, nominative, singular) = understanding which is steadfast 

kim (neuter, interrogative pronoun) (indeclinable) = how?

prabhāṣeta (optative, 3rd person, singular) = ought he speak

kim (neuter, interrogative pronoun) (indeclinable) = how?

āsīta (optative, 3rd person, singular) = ought he sit 

vrajeta (optative, 3rd person, singular) = ought he move

kim (neuter, interrogative pronoun) (indeclinable) = how?


Commentary

This verse is very interesting for its use of the genitive case, especially with the middle part of the verse using the genitive case in a sense of having something, which in this verse means having "understanding which is steadfast". 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 53

Chapter 2/Verse 53

श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला ।
समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि ॥२- ५३॥

śrutivipratipannā te yadā sthāsyati niścalā ।
samādhāvacalā buddhistadā yogamavāpsyasi ॥2- 53॥

When your immovable wisdom averse to hearing will stand immovable in samādhi, then you will attain yoga. 


Word-for-word translations

śrutivipratipannā (śruti + vipratipannā) (compound) (adjective) (feminine, nominative, singular) = averse to hearing 

te (pronoun, 2nd person, genitive, singular) = your

yadā (relative adverb) (indeclinable) = when 

sthāsyati (future tense, 3rd person, singular) = it will stand 

niścalā (feminine, nominative, singular) = immovable

samādhau (masculine, locative, singular) = in samādhi (a higher state of consciousness arising from a state of profound concentration)

acalā  (adjective) (feminine, nominative, singular) = immovable

buddhis (feminine, nominative, singular) = wisdom

tadā (correlative adverb) (indeclinable) = then 

yogam (masculine, accusative, singular) = yoga (union)

avāpsyasi (future tense, 2nd person, singular) = you will attain 


Commentary

The word "samādhi" is a word that can mean "a higher state of consciousness arising from a state of profound concentration" in a spiritual practice context, which is the context I choose for this verse. Asking what samādhi is has much conjecture behind it and that is why I left it untranslated in this verse, just like the word "yoga". These words are very important in the culture from which the Bhagavad Gita sprung from. I feel these words find their definition from experience based on discipline and practice in the spiritual arts. 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 52

यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतितरिष्यति ।
तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च ॥२- ५२॥

yadā te mohakalilaṃ buddhirvyatitariṣyati ।
tadā gantāsi nirvedaṃ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca ॥2- 52॥

When your wisdom goes beyond the thicket of delusion, then you will go to disinterest of what has been heard and what will be heard.  


Word-for-word translations

yadā (relative adverb) (indeclinable) = when 

te (pronoun, 2nd person, genitive, singular) = your

mohakalilam (moha + kalilam) (compound) (neuter, accusative, singular) = thicket of delusion 

buddhis (feminine, nominative, singular) = wisdom

vyatitariṣyati (future tense, 3rd person, singular) = it will go beyond 


tadā (correlative adverb) (indeclinable) = then 

gantāsi (future tense, 2nd person, singular) = you will go 

nirvedam (masculine, accusative, singular) = disinterest 

śrotavyasya (future passive participle) (masculine, genitive, singular) = of what will be heard

śrutasya (past passive participle) (masculine, genitive, singular) = of what has been heard  

ca (conjunction) (indeclinable) = and


Commentary

This verse is a good example of relative/correlative use in a Sanskrit sentence as well as passive participle usage. 

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2/Verse 51

कर्मजं बुद्धियुक्ता हि फलं त्यक्त्वा मनीषिणः ।
जन्मबन्धविनिर्मुक्ताः पदं गच्छन्त्यनामयम् ॥२- ५१॥

karmajaṃ buddhiyuktā hi phalaṃ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ ।
janmabandhavinirmuktāḥ padaṃ gacchantyanāmayam ॥2- 51॥

The wise yoked with wisdom having abandoned the result born of action, liberated from the bondage of birth, they go to a healthy place. 


Word-for-word translation

karmajam (karma + jam) (adjective) (neuter, nominative, singular) = born of action

buddhiyuktās (past passive participle) (masculine, nominative, plural) = yoked with wisdom 

hi (indecliable) = indeed (emphatic particle)

phalam (neuter, nominative, singular) = result 

tyaktvā (gerund) (indeclinable) = having abandoned 

manīṣiṇas (masculine, nominative, plural) = the wise 


janmabandhavinirmuktās (janma + bandha + vinirmuktās) (past passive participle) (masculine, nominative, plural) = liberated from the bondage of birth

padam (neuter, accusative, singular) = place

gacchanti (present tense, 3rd person, plural) = they go

anāmayam (adjective) (neuter, accusative, singular) = healthy


Commentary

This verse gives great practice in figuring it out by understanding the relationship of nouns and adjectives within the verse that has past passive participles interspersed within it.