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← Chapter 2: The Yoga of Knowledge

Verse 2.70

Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत्। तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी॥

Transliteration (IAST)

āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭhaṁ samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśanti sarve sa śāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī

Word-by-Word Meanings

āpūryamāṇam-ever being filled
acala-pratiṣṭham-firmly established/unmoved
samudram-ocean
āpaḥ-waters
kāmāḥ-desires
śāntim-peace

Translation

Just as the ocean remains unmoved though waters flow into it from all sides, so the person into whom all desires enter without causing disturbance attains peace - not the one who craves desires.

Commentary

The ocean analogy is profound: the ocean receives all rivers without overflowing or being disturbed. Similarly, the sage experiences desires arising but remains unshaken. The key is not the absence of desires but the absence of disturbance by them. Peace belongs to the one who is like the ocean, not to the one who chases desires.

Themes

yogajnanamoksha