Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17 Verse 16
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 17 श्लोक 16

मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते।।17.16।।



हिंदी अनुवाद - स्वामी रामसुख दास जी ( भगवद् गीता 17.16)
।।17.16।।मनकी प्रसन्नता? सौम्य भाव? मननशीलता? मनका निग्रह और भावोंकी शुद्धि -- इस तरह यह मनसम्बन्धी तप कहा जाता है।


Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary



Lord Krishna states that tapah or austerities of the mind in sattva guna  or
mode of goodness are serenity derived from  self-satisfaction,  tranquillity
derived from the self-control of with drawing  the  mind  from  the  senses,
silence derived by constant meditation within, purity of heart derived  from
the absence of any deceitfulness in thoughts,  words  and  conduct  are  all
known as austerities of the mind in sattva guna.


Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary




The word saumyatvam means tranquility, gentleness. Maunya means the  silence
of  reflecting  internally  as  opposed  to  projecting  externally.   After
achieving eligibility and qualification by  spiritual  knowledge  from  ever
reflecting one is called a muni which is derived from the word  maunya.  The
Balava scripture states:  By the power of a  munis  meditation  reality  is
reflected and his realizations are  reflected  upon  reality.  Otherwise  it
would not be possible for a person to perform penance within the mind.

Now begins the summation.

By only performing authorized Vedic  yagnas  or  acts  of  propitiation  and
worship to the Supreme Lord residence is gained in  the  temporary  heavenly
worlds.  These  worlds  are  incomparably  beautiful  and  grant   unlimited
pleasure without the hindrances of old age and decrepitude or  any  sickness
and disease. The heavenly  kingdoms  are  inhabited  by  jivas  or  embodied
beings who had desires for pleasure and opulence but  still  lived  a  pious
life in their previous  birth.  They  are  similar  to  the  demigods  whose
limitations exceded their capabilities and failed in their  attempts  to  be
pure devotees of Lord  Krishna  due  to  cravings  for  pleasure  and  sense
enjoyment. Thus they gain the heavenly worlds and due  to  pious  activities
in the previous life and are exempt from  suffering  in  the  dark,  hellish
planets. But the jivas who enact rituals and ceremonies  not  authorized  by
the Vedic scriptures and who perform prohibited and sinful  activities  will
descend to suffer in the dark, hellish planet  without  a  doubt.  They  are
those who were born in  tama  guna  the  mode  of  ignorance  and  performed
degraded activities from the very beginning or may have started their  lives
situated in sattva guna or the  mode  of  goodness  but  later  due  to  bad
association unfortunately degraded  into  raja  guna  the  mode  of  passion
and tama guna and performed depraved activities. Others  perform  activities
not in harmony with their natures and after some time they  fall  back  into
their old habits. Performance of activities in harmony  with  ones  natural
attributes and nature gives the best results. Performing activities  not  in
accordance with ones natural attributes and contrary to ones nature  gives
inferior results. That which gives the best results should be understood  as
being the natural attributes  of  a  jiva  and  this  will  reflect  in  the
inherent attributes one possesses.


Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

The austerities of the mind are  manah-prasadah  or  self  satisfaction  and
serenity  free from mental imbalances. The word  saumyatvam  means  serenity
and benevolence to others.  Maunam  is  silence  externally  and  reflecting
internally. Atma-vinigrahah is self-controlling the mind to stay focused  on
realisation of the atma. Bhava-samsuddhih is purity  within  and  purity  of
purpose. These austerities of mind are confirmed by Lord Krishna  to  be  in
sattva guna the mode of goodness.


Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary
The austerities of the mind are  manah-prasadah  or  self  satisfaction  and
serenity  free from mental imbalances. The word  saumyatvam  means  serenity
and benevolence to others.  Maunam  is  silence  externally  and  reflecting
internally. Atma-vinigrahah is self-controlling the mind to stay focused  on
realisation of the atma. Bhava-samsuddhih is purity  within  and  purity  of
purpose. These austerities of mind are confirmed by Lord Krishna  to  be  in
sattva guna the mode of goodness.