BG 18.52 — Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 18.52Chapter 18 · Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः ।

ध्यानयोगपरो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः ॥

viviktasevī laghvāśī yatavāk kāyamānasaḥ

dhyānayogaparo nityaṃ vairāgyaṃ samupāśritaḥ

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

Seeking solitude, eating little, holding speech, body, and mind in check, given wholly to meditation without break, resting in dispassion.

ekras · bhāṣya

Vivikta-sevi — frequenting solitude. Laghu-ashi — eating little. Yata-vak-kaya-manasah — speech, body, mind restrained. Dhyana-yoga-parah nityam — constantly devoted to dhyana-yoga. Vairagyam samupashritah — fully resting in vairagya.

Krishna names six precise marks of the brahma-aspirant's daily form. Solitude, light eating, threefold restraint, constant meditation, full vairagya.

Shankara reads this as a precision checklist for the aspirant preparing the mind-field for jnana. Vivikta-seva — dwelling in solitary places like forests, river-banks, mountain-caves — removes the agitations of company. Laghu-ashana — eating little — removes the tamasic heaviness that breeds sleep and torpor. Both serve one function: chitta-prasada, the clarification of awareness. Yata-vak-kaya-manasa — speech, body, mind held in check — sets the boundary against the gunas' re-engagement. Dhyana-yoga-para nityam — constant absorption — is the operational practice. Vairagya samupashrita — full refuge in dispassion — is the supporting orientation. Six marks, one daily life.

Madhusudana reads the verse through the lens of chitta-eka-agrata-sampatti — attainment of one-pointed awareness. Vivikta-seva removes vikshepa-kari distractions. Laghu-asana removes the mind's tendency toward laya — dissolution into torpor through sleep and sloth. Yata-vak-kaya-manasa establishes the discipline that prevents re-scattering. Dhyana-yoga-para and vairagya samupashrita together produce the operational condition for jnana to dawn. The chapter's most precise meditator-portrait is delivered.

Ramanuja reads the verse as a continuous cascade of preparations culminating in brahma-bhava — direct experience of the Self in its true status as Bhagavan's body. Vivikta-seva is dwelling in a place free of all dhyana-obstacles. Laghu-asana is the middle way between over-eating and fasting, neither of which allows the mind to rest. Yata-vak-kaya-manasa is the threefold restraint that keeps the inner instruments aligned. Dhyana-yoga-para is constant — nityam — engagement with meditative practice as kainkarya. Vairagya is the supporting attitude. The bhakta-aspirant's life-form is precisely this.

Madhva reads each epithet on the bheda-frame: vivikta-sevi, laghu-ashi, yata-vak-kaya-manasah, dhyana-yoga-para, vairagya samupashritah — each names a mode of the jiva's paratantra-nature in proper alignment under Hari's command. The bhakta's life-architecture is the operational manifestation of correct dependence.

Vallabha treats 18.51-53 as a single unit; this verse is read as part of the continuous description of the adhikari on the sankhya-marga — internal yoga of the antaryamin. Vivikta-seva, laghu-ashana, threefold restraint are signs of vairagya samupashrita: the practitioner who has genuinely relinquished aham-mamata. Pushti-marga: the marks emerge naturally when prasada has operated; the bhakta's life takes this shape under grace, not through manufacture.

Shridhara reads with characteristic concision: vivikta-seva is shuddha-desha-avasthayita — residing in pure place. Laghu-ashana is mita-bhoji — measured eating. By these means the practitioner becomes yata-vak-deha-chitta — restrained — and then nityam dhyana-yoga-para: wholly given to dhyana, glossed as brahma-sakshatkara-anukulam — favorable to direct realization. The chapter's preparatory life is operationally specified.

Context

where

Chapter 18 · Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 18.51

Armed with a purified intellect, steadying yourself through resolve, you abandon sound and the other sense-objects and cast aside attraction and aversion toward them.

What's going on

Seeking solitude, eating little, holding speech, body, and mind in check, given wholly to meditation without break, resting in dispassion.

Sūtras through this verse (113)

ĀnandagiriclassicalA

The two-niṣṭhā axisbetween

13.1Two niṣṭhās, three kāṇḍas — keystone.───→here18.52───→18.78Sealed: the means stands on the end stands.

RamsukhdasclassicalE

Your own work as worshipbetween

18.46Worship the One through natural work.───→here18.52───→18.60What nature compels, do it as worship.

RāmānujaclassicalA

World as the Lord's body (antaryāmin)between

18.46The cluster is recalled.───→here18.52───→18.61Beings as on a machine.

show all 113

Madhusūdanaclassicalmadhusudan_bhagavad_arpana

Madhusudan Bhagavad Arpanabetween · other

12.20Mat-paramāḥ as upasaṃhāra───→here18.52───→18.66Take refuge in Me alone

MadhusūdanaclassicalC

Action purifies before knowing can landbetween

16.1The dispositions decide who can even begin.───→here18.52───→18.55Even hearing and reflecting need purity.

MadhusūdanaclassicalD

Offer the act to the Lord and it stops bindingbetween

12.20Holding-Me-supreme seals the bhakti chapter.───→here18.52───→18.66Drop every duty; take refuge in Me alone.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesbetween

15.1Krishna is the ground, not a partner-god.───→here18.52───→18.55Bhakti is the engine of the highest knowing.

MadhusūdanaclassicalF

Every middle chapter opens with a bow to the teacherbetween

15.20The closing verse names Krishna as the supreme.───→here18.52───→18.78Vyāsa, Śaṅkara, and I: one lineage named.

MadhusūdanaclassicalH

Krishna with form is the ground beneath formless Brahmanbetween

15.1Chapter fifteen unfolds what fourteen sealed.───→here18.52───→18.66Final refuge in Me is final refuge in the ground.

MadhusūdanaclassicalI

Liberation while alive — the body finishes its runbetween

16.1The divine wealth becomes stable knowing in life.───→here18.52───→18.55Knowing burns ignorance; body burns its arc.

MadhusūdanaclassicalK

Arjuna's grief has two roots, not onebetween

11.1Arjuna marks the universal moha cured.───→here18.52───→18.73Confusion gone, memory gained — the cure complete.

MadhusūdanaclassicalB

Different students need different teachingsexit

18.1Three kinds of renouncing, one for each grade.───→here18.52───→

MadhusūdanaclassicalG

Knowing and acting cannot run togetherexit

18.1At the very end, the line still holds.───→here18.52───→

MadhusūdanaclassicalJ

Two kinds of nature — divine and demonicexit

18.1Even renouncing splits into three by disposition.───→here18.52───→

ĀnandagiriclassicalB

Three hexads = tat tvam asibetween

15.20Whole teaching named guhyatamaṃ śāstram.───→here18.52───→18.78Colophon: three kāṇḍas, one śāstra.

ĀnandagiriclassicalC

Adhikāra: seeker vs. fulfilledbetween

12.12Bhakti's gradient is jijñāsu-relative.───→here18.52───→18.66Arjuna lacks formal saṃnyāsa-fitness.

ĀnandagiriclassicalE

Pūrvapakṣa via nanu / āśaṅkyabetween

13.1Boundary protected by stylized doubt.───→here18.52───→18.66Closing verse opened by doubt-and-answer.

ĀnandagiriclassicalI

Bhakti carries jñāna, never parallelbetween

12.20Closing the bhakti hexad on jñāna.───→here18.52───→18.66Surrender read inside the niṣṭhā-dvaya frame.

ĀnandagiriclassicalK

Upasaṃhāra — recap as instrumentbetween

15.20Whole śāstra named most-secret-teaching.───→here18.52───→18.66Final word read as the last upasaṃhāra.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalA

The carama-śloka as retroactive bracketbetween

18.46Worship-by-own-action fixes the ārādhya.───→here18.52───→18.62Take refuge in Him — the verse before the close.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalB

Prapatti — bhakti's access for those the long path defeatsbetween

12.7I lift them out of saṃsāra's ocean.───→here18.52───→18.66The phala-vilamba grief is what 18.66 closes.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalC

Antaryāmin — the indweller as standing referentbetween

18.46Worship by one's work reaches the indweller.───→here18.52───→18.61The Lord turns all beings mounted on a machine.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalD

Adhikāra — eligibility as architecture, not exceptionbetween

9.33So much more — the sociological span widens.───→here18.52───→18.66The 'sarva' includes 9.32's whole span.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalE

Pūrva-pakṣa — name the rival, close the doorbetween

13.3Knower and field: the boundary is sharp.───→here18.52───→18.66Counterfeit reasonings named, then rejected.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalG

Three yogas — three angles on one configurationbetween

6.47The mad-gatena yogi: the carama-form here.───→here18.52───→18.66The carama-śloka extracts what's common.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalH

Mā śucaḥ — the inclusio of evolving griefbetween

16.5Daivī-asuric grief closed mid-text.───→here18.52───→18.66Final mā-śucaḥ closes the long-path grief.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalI

9.24 — the standing citation for ārādhyabetween

18.46Karma-yoga's act IS indweller-worship.───→here18.52───→18.66'Mām' in the carama- śloka = ārādhya of 9.24.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalJ

Sañjaya's frame — evidentiary, not ornamentalbetween

11.50Sañjaya names the viśva-rūpa as witness.───→here18.52───→18.74The frame closes: 'I heard this dialogue.'

RamsukhdasclassicalF

Surrender — the single shelterbetween

12.6Surrender every act, and He lifts you out.───→here18.52───→18.62Take refuge whole; grace is the road.

RamsukhdasclassicalG

Equanimity in everythingbetween

14.24Past the modes, equal in praise and blame.───→here18.52───→18.54The goal is just sameness toward all.

RamsukhdasclassicalH

All paths arrive at the same roombetween

12.12Even devotion holds its own gradient.───→here18.52───→18.66Devotion's flagship, and the closing door.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartbetween

15.15Seated in every heart; memory comes from Me.───→here18.52───→18.61He turns all beings mounted on a machine.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here18.52───→

ĀnandagiriclassicalD

Praśna-bīja chapter openingsexit

18.1Final chapter compresses seed and answer.───→here18.52───→

ĀnandagiriclassicalF

Which karma? — fourfold typologyexit

18.1Tyāga and saṃnyāsa named distinct.───→here18.52───→

ĀnandagiriclassicalG

Anūdyate, na vidhīyateexit

17.2Threefold faith: tagged at this site.───→here18.52───→

ĀnandagiriclassicalH

Phala-saṃkalpa is the only upādhiexit

18.1Tyāga = renouncing the relationship.───→here18.52───→

ĀnandagiriclassicalL

Akṣarayojanā — word-fit firstexit

18.1Final chapter opens with the same form.───→here18.52───→

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionexit

18.1Tyāga-question resolves ch. 16-17's typology.───→here18.52───→

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)exit

18.1Renouncing means cutting the false relationship.───→here18.52───→

RamsukhdasclassicalB

This human birth — your one chance to actexit

18.46Worship the One through your own work.───→here18.52───→

RamsukhdasclassicalC

Desire is the root — not actionexit

18.49Free of longing everywhere — same goal.───→here18.52───→

RamsukhdasclassicalD

The three modes (sattva, rajas, tamas) at workexit

18.19Knowledge, action, doer, each one threefold.───→here18.52───→

RamsukhdasclassicalJ

Divine vs demonic patternsexit

17.5Hard penance off-script is still demonic.───→here18.52───→

Ekrasmodernkarma_yoga

Karma yoga — the apprentice pathbetween · v2

18.46Work as worship───→here18.52───→18.66Abandon all dharmas

Ekrasmodernstress

Stress — panic to shelterbetween · v2

9.22Yogakshema───→here18.52───→18.66Take refuge

Ekrasmodernbhakti

Bhakti — devotion pathbetween · v2

12.13Dear-bhakta description begins───→here18.52───→18.66Take refuge in Me alone

Ekrasmoderntrigunametry

Trigunametry — guṇas as embodied statesbetween · v2

18.25Tamasic action───→here18.52───→18.61Lord at the heart

Ekrasmodernparadox_of_doership

Paradox of doership — kartṛtvabetween · v2

18.16Wrong-seer fails the act───→here18.52───→18.61Lord at the heart, beings spinning

Ekrasmodernforgiveness

Forgivenessbetween · other

18.42Brahmaṇa's kṣamā───→here18.52───→18.66All debts dissolved

Śaṅkaraclassicalshankara_jnana_nishtha

Shankara Jnana Nishthabetween · other

18.49Naishkarmya-siddhi by sannyāsa───→here18.52───→18.66Bheda-pratyaya dissolved

ŚaṅkaraclassicalA

Sorrow and delusion are the diseasebetween

4.42Cut the heart's doubt with the sword of knowledge.───→here18.52───→18.66Grieve not — I free you from every sin.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalB

Knowledge alone, with all action laid downbetween

18.49Action-freedom comes from full renunciation.───→here18.52───→18.66Knowledge alone is the means of liberation.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalC

Knowledge plus action will not save youbetween

5.2Each path bears fruit by its own working.───→here18.52───→18.66The combined-path view named and dismantled.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

13.2One Self lights every body as one sun lights all.───→here18.52───→18.66Beginningless habit ends only with self-knowledge.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalI

The lover and the knower are one personbetween

12.20Living this teaching itself is the highest devotion.───→here18.52───→18.55Knowledge-standing IS the highest devotion.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalJ

Scripture stands behind every claimbetween

15.1The world-tree is the tree of the Kaṭha.───→here18.52───→18.66Renounce all dharmas — śruti ratifies.

RāmānujaclassicalB

The śāstra is one bracket (2.12 → 18.66)between

11.1Arjuna confirms the bracket from inside.───→here18.52───→18.66The teaching closes with one command.

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)between

18.46Worship by your own work.───→here18.52───→18.65Be My worshipper.

RāmānujaclassicalE

Bhakti as continuous recollectionbetween

12.7I lift them across.───→here18.52───→18.65Recollection like sight: the final command.

RāmānujaclassicalG

Māyā is real causal powerbetween

13.2Those who posit ajñāna in Brahman fail.───→here18.52───→18.61The yantrin reading forecloses the residue.

RāmānujaclassicalH

Prapatti / śaraṇāgati — universal upāyabetween

15.4Find the Origin and take refuge in him.───→here18.52───→18.62Take refuge whole-being.

RāmānujaclassicalJ

Śeṣa-śeṣī · pati-vrata similebetween

12.7I lift him across.───→here18.52───→18.65You are dear to Me — I promise.

MadhvaclassicalT9

Devotion and grace — what knowledge cannot do alonebetween

12.5The personal route is easier — by design.───→here18.52───→18.66Drop every refuge, take the One refuge.

MadhvaclassicalT11

Only revealed scripture decides — reason alone cannotbetween

15.15The Veda's whole knowable is named as Hari.───→here18.52───→18.66The closing verdict is sealed by its own authority.

MadhvaclassicalT12

Closure by gloss — the small repertoirebetween

17.14'Worship of gods' is worship of the One.───→here18.52───→18.65'Me' at the end carries fifteen chapters of gloss.

VallabhaclassicalA

Two paths — rule-bound and grace-onlybetween

12.20The dear devotee holds the teaching fast.───→here18.52───→18.66Drop every duty; take refuge in Me alone.

VallabhaclassicalB

Grace alone — the technical markbetween

14.26Beyond the modes is grace-rooted love.───→here18.52───→18.66Final verse — pure grace, nothing else.

VallabhaclassicalC

Drop the doer, not the deedbetween

18.1The closing chapter reopens this question.───→here18.52───→18.66Drop only rival worships, never your nature.

VallabhaclassicalF

Soul as part of the highest Personbetween

15.15The Lord seated in every heart is the witness.───→here18.52───→18.55By love alone the soul knows what and whose it is.

VallabhaclassicalG

The Lord plays — calf-affection, not contractbetween

12.1The object of love is the puruṣottama himself.───→here18.52───→18.65The chariot-driving Lord is the calf-affection ocean.

VallabhaclassicalH

Stilling the mind — into the Lordbetween

12.14Steady, restrained, mind and intellect bound to Me.───→here18.52───→18.66The avatāra exists for the sake of total mind-rest.

VallabhaclassicalI

A closed three-source citation gridbetween

15.7Three Brahmasūtras quoted in the soul-as-part verse.───→here18.52───→18.55The Nibandha's sevā-section names the means.

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentexit · v2

18.49Naishkarmya-siddhi───→here18.52───→

Ekrasmodernleadership

Leadership — svadharma in actionexit · v2

18.48No work is fault-free───→here18.52───→

Ekrasmodernanger_management

Anger Managementexit · other

16.22Released from the three gates───→here18.52───→

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbaexit · other

18.16Soul's non-doership, not Self's───→here18.52───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalD

The fit student vs the unfit studentexit

18.41Each order's work is born of its own nature.───→here18.52───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalK

Liberation while still embodiedexit

18.49Action-freedom is standing in immediate liberation.───→here18.52───→

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)exit

18.1The closing chapter gathers all questions.───→here18.52───→

RāmānujaclassicalI

Vibhūti as evidence for antaryāminexit

18.46The cluster is recalled.───→here18.52───→

RāmānujaclassicalK

Tri-guṇa diagnostic for the bhaktaexit

18.19Each instrument threefold.───→here18.52───→

MadhvaclassicalT1

Hari is supreme — the running reading-ruleexit

17.23Oṃ-tat-sat names the Lord, three times.───→here18.52───→

MadhvaclassicalT2

Soul depends on Lord — the gap that does not closeexit

18.14Of the five causes, Viṣṇu is the prime mover.───→here18.52───→

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksexit

18.16'I am not the doer' names the soul, not Self.───→here18.52───→

MadhvaclassicalT6

Citation is the spine — texts carry the loadexit

18.14Āyāsya-śruti closes the agency question.───→here18.52───→

MadhvaclassicalT7

Action and knowledge — never rivalsexit

18.2The ritualists' śruti fixes the closing definition.───→here18.52───→

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesexit

18.1Closing chapter's prelude seals the program.───→here18.52───→

VallabhaclassicalJ

Strategic silence — pointers, not absencesexit

17.12The threefold yajña/dāna/tapas catalogue is skipped.───→here18.52───→

ŚrīdharaclassicalA

The Gītā as raft across griefbetween

13.2For their rescue, truth-knowledge is uttered.───→here18.52───→18.66I shall release you from every wrong.

ŚrīdharaclassicalB

The Lord descends out of compassionbetween

11.43Teacher, and teacher's teacher beyond compare.───→here18.52───→18.64Hear the supreme word spoken because dear.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homebetween

14.26Unwavering love fits one for brahman.───→here18.52───→18.55Through love alone I am known in truth.

ŚrīdharaclassicalF

The Lord inside as inner rulerbetween

15.15Seated in every heart; memory comes from Me.───→here18.52───→18.62Let go of self-claim; take refuge there.

ŚrīdharaclassicalG

Soul as His portion, neither cut nor identicalbetween

15.7The soul is My portion, wrapped in unknowing.───→here18.52───→18.55He enters Me; he is not absorbed away.

ŚrīdharaclassicalJ

Insight given as a gift, not earned alonebetween

10.11I dispel the dark of unknowing for them.───→here18.52───→18.65By My grace, you reach Me through what is given.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spineexit

18.1The eighteenth gathers the whole Gītā in one.───→here18.52───→

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Chaplaincy Kit Of Toolsbetween

17.15Mantra and speech. 'Anudvega-karam vakyam satyam priya-hitam cha yat, svadhyaya-───→here18.52───→18.61Astrology-as-externalizer and karma-as-frame for why-bad-things-happen. 'Ishvara

Gauravmodernheart_leadership

Heart Leadershipbetween

12.14'Santushtah satatam yogi yatatma dridha-nishchayah.' Always content, self-contro───→here18.52───→18.61'Ishvarah sarva-bhutanam hrid-deshe'rjuna tishthati.' The Lord stands in the hea

Gauravmodernsanatana_dharma_101

Sanatana Dharma 101between

13.27Atman / Brahman pillar. 'Samam sarveshu bhuteshu tishthantam parameshvaram.' The───→here18.52───→18.66Closing pillar in the longer CHI deliveries. 'Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam

AbhinavaguptaclassicalB

Recognition, not additionbetween

11.55See the world as Śiva's own body.───→here18.52───→18.73Confusion gone — but Anugītā still waits.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalE

Field and field-knower as Parameśvarabetween

15.16Two persons inside the field, one beyond.───→here18.52───→18.61He turns all beings like a great machine.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalG

Saṃvit: one referent under many namesbetween

12.5Every 'Me' from Krishna is Śiva-consciousness speaking.───→here18.52───→18.62Three names yoked — one referent sealed.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalH

Bhakti as non-dual recognitionbetween

12.2Two paths reconciled — one gracious face.───→here18.52───→18.65Four parallel ways of saying one thing.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalI

Anugraha: grace as the active powerbetween

11.35By grace-nature, the secret discloses itself.───→here18.52───→18.62Peace by grace — never by accumulation of work.

Gauravmoderncivilizational_air_conditioning

Civilizational Air Conditioningexit

16.21'Tri-vidham narakasyedam dvaram nashanam atmanah, kamah krodhas tatha lobhah.' T───→here18.52───→

Gauravmoderninterfaith_cosmology

Interfaith Cosmologyexit

18.46'Yatah pravrittir bhutanam yena sarvam idam tatam, sva-karmana tam abhyarchya si───→here18.52───→

Gauravmodernkarma_yoga_hand

Karma Yoga Handexit

18.47Pointing finger. Svadharma. 'Shreyan svadharmo vigunah para-dharmat svanushthita───→here18.52───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalF

Three guṇas: contractions of one consciousnessexit

17.2Even faith is graded through the three.───→here18.52───→

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedbetween

15.16Refusing kṣara=inert, akṣara=soul.───→here18.52───→18.66Drop varṇāśrama too is blocked here.

JayatīrthaclassicalF

Bhakti-tāratamya: gradation among devotees, gradation in fruitbetween

12.20Dear devotee is at the apex.───→here18.52───→18.66All-dharma surrender is the apex grade.

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availablebetween

15.16Bhūta covers jīva; literal range holds.───→here18.52───→18.66Dharma as upalakṣaṇa of its own results.

JayatīrthaclassicalD

Saṅgati declared at the head of every adhyāyaexit

18.1Renunciation closes; threads converge.───→here18.52───→

JayatīrthaclassicalH

Pūrva-pakṣa explicit — nanu / iti cet / ity ata āhaexit

18.11No full renouncer; tyāga is of fruit.───→here18.52───→

Śabda · lemmas (14 unique · 14 occurrences)

समुपाश्रितः samup-√āśri — to take refuge in (sam- + upa- + ā- + √śri) · nominative masculine singular participle noun

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विविक्त vivikta — secluded, solitary (vi- + √vic) · compound
सेवी sevin — serving, attending (from √sev + -in) · nominative masculine singular noun
लघु laghu — light, swift, small · compound
आशी āśin — eating, consuming (from √aś + -in) · nominative masculine singular noun
यत √yam — to restrain, control (verbal root); also: which (relative) · compound participle (compound member)
वाच् vāc — speech, voice; the goddess Vāk · compound
काय kāya — body · compound
मानसः mānasa — pertaining to the mind; mental (from manas) · nominative masculine singular noun
ध्यान dhyāna — meditation, contemplation (from √dhyā) · compound · also at 1.1, 2.28, 6.20, 11.19, 12.12, 13.24
योग yoga — yoga; union, discipline, application · compound
परः para — highest, supreme, beyond, other · nominative masculine singular noun
नित्यम् nityam — constantly, always, eternally (from nitya)
वैराग्यम् vairāgya — dispassion, detachment (from virāga) · accusative neuter singular noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01Sankara insists 'nityam' means all other duties are superseded — does that leave room for any engaged life, or is this verse describing an exit from the world entirely?
02Ramanuja treats vairagya as something actively cultivated toward a specific object (the Dhyeya) rather than mere passivity — how does directed dispassion differ from suppression, and what keeps it from becoming aversion?

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03Vivikta-seva names solitary physical places, but urban modernity offers almost none — is the verse describing a literal precondition, or a quality of inner orientation that can be cultivated anywhere?
04Both Sankara and Madhusudana make laghu-asana a condition for avoiding laya (torpor) rather than a moral virtue — what does it mean that diet is framed as a cognitive rather than ethical discipline?
05Madhva's absence here is itself data: what does it mean for a commentary tradition when it skips a verse? Does silence imply the verse is preparatory and not doctrinally decisive, or is something else at work?
06Madhusudana explicitly rules out mantra-japa and pilgrimage as alternative occupations once this stage is reached — at what point does a bhakti practice become a distraction from what it was meant to prepare?
07The triple restraint (vak, kaya, manas) runs from outer to inner — does the order matter? Can mind be restrained while speech and body are still loose, or does the sequence encode a necessary pedagogy?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

Find a daily window of genuine solitude — not just silence but removal from social-performance pressure — and treat it as non-negotiable cognitive hygiene, the way Sankara treats vivikta-seva as citta-prasada infrastructure, not spiritual luxury.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

When you notice your mind scattered across multiple desires, practice what Ramanuja calls directed dispassion: actively return attention to the one relationship or work that carries real meaning, and let the contrast with everything else build naturally rather than forcing suppression.

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Dvaita

Before a demanding project or conversation, pause to acknowledge that the capacity to concentrate is not self-generated — this Dvaita move (recognizing the antaryamin's role) breaks the subtle arrogance that makes sustained effort brittle.

Śuddhādvaita

Track the moments in your day when aham-mamata (the I-mine complex) flares — 'my idea was dismissed,' 'my time was wasted' — and use each flare as Vallabha's concrete signal: dispassion practice is needed precisely here, not in abstract meditation.

Bhakti

Sridhara's 'punah punah drdhara' (repeated firm taking-up of dispassion) reframes relapse not as failure but as the structure of the practice — each time you notice engagement slipping back into craving, you are not starting over but doing the exercise.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusudana's insight that 'nityam' excludes secondary occupations applies directly to creative or intellectual work: identify the one mode of attention your best work actually requires, then audit how much of your day is spent in mantra-japa equivalents — necessary-feeling routines that crowd out the real work.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 18, Verse 52: Krishna to Arjuna — Mokṣa-Sannyāsa-Yoga