Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 66
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 2 श्लोक 66

नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना।
न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम्।।2.66।।



English Translation - Swami Gambirananda
2.66 For the unsteady there is no wisdom, and there is no meditation for the unsteady man. And for an unmeditative man there is no peace. How can there be happiness for one without peace?


English Translation - Swami Sivananda
2.66 There is no knowledge of the Self to the unsteady and to the unsteady no meditation is possible, and to the unmeditative there can be no peace, and to the man who has no peace, how can there be happiness?


English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
2.66. The capacity to decide is not for one who is not a master of Yoga; and concentration of mind is not for one who is not a master of Yoga;  and peace is not for one who does not concentrate;  wherefrom could happiness come to one who has no peace ?


English Commentary  - Swami Sivananda
2.66 न not? अस्ति is? बुद्धिः knowledge (of the Self)? अयुक्तस्य of the unsteady? न not? च and? अयुक्तस्य of the unsteady? भावना meditation? न not? च and? अभावयतः of the unmeditated? शान्तिः peace? अशान्तस्य of the peaceless? कुतः whence? सुखम् happiness.Commentary The man who cannot fix his mind in meditation cannot have knowledge of the Self. The unsteady man cannot practise meditation. He cannot have even intense devotion to Selfknowledge nor can he have burning longing for liberation or Moksha. He who does not practise meditation cannot possess peace of mind. How can the man who has no peace of mind enjoy happinessDesire or Trishna (thirsting for senseobjects) is the enemy of peace. There cannot be an iota or tinge of happiness for a man who is thirsting for sensual objects. The mind will be ever restless? and will be hankering for the objects. Only when this thirsting dies? does man enjoy peace. Only then can he meditate and rest in the Self.


English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's
2.66 Ayuktasya, for the unsteady, for one who does not have a concentrated mind; na asti, there is no, i.e. there does not arise; buddhih, wisdom, with regard to the nature of the Self; ca, and; there is no bhavana, meditation, earnest longing [Longing to have a continuous remembrance of the knowledge of Brahman which arises in the mind from hearing the great Upanisadic sayings (maha-vakyas).] for the knowledge of the Self; ayuktasya, for an unsteady man. And similarly, abhavayatah, for an unmeditative man, who does not ardently desire the knowledge of the Self; there is no santih, peace, restraint of the senses. Kutah, how can there be; sukham, happiness; asantasya, for one without peace? That indeed is happiness which consists in the freedom of the senses from the thirst for enjoyment of objects; not the thirst for objects  that is misery to be sure.
The implication is that, so long as thirst persists, there is no possibility of even an iota of happiness!
It is being stated why a man without concentration does not possess wisdom:


English Translation of Commentary  - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
2.66 See Comment under 2.68


English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary
2.66 In him who does not focus his mind on Me but is engaged only in the control of senses by his own exertion, the Buddhi or the right disposition that is concerned with the pure self never arises. Therefore he fails in the practice of meditation on the self. In one who cannot think of the pure self, there arises the desire for sense objects; in him serenity does not arise. How can eternal and unsurpassed bliss be generated in him who is not serene but is attached to sense-objects?  [The idea is that without the aid of devotion to God, the effort to control the senses by ones will power alone will end in failure.]

 Sri Krsna speaks again of the calamity that befalls one who does not practise the control of the senses in the way prescribed above:


Commentary  - Chakravarthi Ji
Krishna makes his statement clear by stating the effects of the opposite condition.
For one who has not controlled the mind (ayuktasya), there is no intelligence, no prajna, fixed on the soul. For one who not having such prajna arising from controlled mind, meditation on the Supreme Lord (bhavana) also is not possible. Not performing meditation (abhavayatah), he does not have peace, the cessation of agitation from sense objects. This peaceless person does not have bliss (sukham) from the soul.


Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Lord Krishna now reveals the  controlling  of  the  senses  as  a  means  of
attaining spiritual intelligence in a converse way.  The  Lord  states  that
one with an uncontrolled mind can never possess spiritual intelligence  even
if well versed in the Vedic scriptures and the teachings  of  the  bona-fide
preceptor in the line  of  Vedic disciplic succession in  one  of  the  four
authorised  Vaisnava  sampradayas.  Why  is  this  true?  Because  with  an
uncontrolled mind  it  is  not  possible  to  have  spiritual  intelligence,
without spiritual intelligence one cannot meditate  and  without  meditation
it is not possible to  realise  the  Ultimate  Truth.  So  one  who  has  an
uncontrolled mind is bereft of this, for one who  cannot  meditate,  who  is
unable to enlighten themselves within there is no peace and where  there  is
no peace how can there be happiness.


Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Lord Krishna is explaining the defects due to the absence  of  happiness  as
referred to in this verse. Without being happy there is  no  possibility  of
concentration of the mind. Without concentration of the mind  there  can  be
no meditation and without meditation  it  is  not  possible  to  have  inner
awakening or soul-cognition. Therefore  it  has  been  declared  that  these
things are not possible for  one  without  concentration.  Santih  or  peace
refers also to liberation. Santi, moksa or liberation and  nirvana all  have
a similar meaning denoting termination of the samsara or worldly existence.


Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

One who is unable to concentrate and focus their mind in meditation on  Lord
Krishna is known  as  ayukta  devoid  of  spiritual  intelligence.  One  who
attempts to control their senses by their own efforts without  securing  the
grace of the Supreme Lord merited by devotion. To these living  entities  no
clear, definitive illumination in consciousness can develop; ergo ,  because
one will not be able to internally  realise  the  ultimate  reality  of  the
Supreme Lord through the medium of the eternal soul as  having  name,  form,
qualities, pastimes, abode  and  sweetness.   Thus  without  being  able  to
comprehend and contemplate on the nature of the eternal soul  there  can  be
no tranquillity. Nor is it  possible  to  dispel  the  compulsive  urge  and
inclination to experience sensual objects. To those who  are  not  tranquil,
who are  addicted  to  sensual  objects  and  who  are  submerged  in  sense
gratification; how can they ever possibly  attain  eternal  blessedness  and
transcendental  bliss.  Again  as  stated  previously  are   the  disastrous
consequences that result in the inability to govern the tempestuous senses.


Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary
One who is unable to concentrate and focus their mind in meditation on  Lord
Krishna is known  as  ayukta  devoid  of  spiritual  intelligence.  One  who
attempts to control their senses by their own efforts without  securing  the
grace of the Supreme Lord merited by devotion. To these living  entities  no
clear, definitive illumination in consciousness can develop; ergo ,  because
one will not be able to internally  realise  the  ultimate  reality  of  the
Supreme Lord through the medium of the eternal soul as  having  name,  form,
qualities, pastimes, abode  and  sweetness.   Thus  without  being  able  to
comprehend and contemplate on the nature of the eternal soul  there  can  be
no tranquillity. Nor is it  possible  to  dispel  the  compulsive  urge  and
inclination to experience sensual objects. To those who  are  not  tranquil,
who are  addicted  to  sensual  objects  and  who  are  submerged  in  sense
gratification; how can they ever possibly  attain  eternal  blessedness  and
transcendental  bliss.  Again  as  stated  previously  are   the  disastrous
consequences that result in the inability to govern the tempestuous senses.


Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 2.66Naasti buddhir ayuktasya na chaayuktasya bhaavanaa;
Na chaabhaavayatah shaantir ashaantasya kutah sukham.


Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 2.66na—not; asti—is; buddhiḥ—intellect; ayuktasya—not united; na—not; cha—and; ayuktasya—not united; bhāvanā—contemplation; na—nor; cha—and; abhāvayataḥ—for those not united; śhāntiḥ—peace; aśhāntasya—of the unpeaceful; kutaḥ—where; sukham—happiness