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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Verse 17

भगवद् गीता अध्याय 5 श्लोक 17

तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः।
गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः।।5.17।।

English Translation - Swami Gambirananda

5.17 Those who have their intellect absorbed in That, whose Self is That, who are steadfast in That, who have That as their supreme Goal-they attain the state of non-returning, their dirt having been removed by Knowledge.

English Translation - Swami Sivananda

5.17 Their intellect absorbed in That, their self being That, established in That, with That for their supreme goal, they go whence there is no return, their sins dispelled by knowledge.

English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan

5.17. Those, who have their intellect and self (mind) gone to This; who have established themselves in This and have This [alone] as their supreme goal; and who have washed off their sins by means of [perfect] knowledge-they reach a state from which there is no more return.

English Commentary - Swami Sivananda

5.17 तद्बुद्धयः intellect absorbed in That? तदात्मानः their self being That? तन्निष्ठाः established in That? तत्परायणाः with That for their supreme goal? गच्छन्ति go? अपुनरावृत्तिम् not again returning? ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः,those whose sins have been dispelled by knowledge.Commentary They fix their intellects on Brahman or the Supreme Self. They feel and realise that Brahman is their self. By constant and protracted meditation? they get established in Brahman. The whole world of names and forms vanishes for them. They live in Brahman alone. They have Brahman alone as their supreme goal or sole refuge. They rejoice in the Self alone. They are satisfied in the Self alone. They are contented in the Self alone. Such men never come back to this Samsara? as their sins are dispelled by knowledge (BrahmaJnana). (Cf.IX.34)

English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's

5.17 Tat-buddhayah, those who have their intellect absorbed in That, [Here Ast. reads tasmin brahmani, in that Brahman.-Tr.] in the supreme Knowledge which has been revealed; tat-atmanah, whose Self is That, who have That (tat) supreme Brahman Itself as their Self (atma); tat-nisthah, who are steadfast in That-nistha is intentness, exclusive devotion; they are called tat-nisthah who become steadfast only in Brahman by renouncing all actions; and tat-parayanah, who have That as their supreme (para) Goal (ayana), who have That alone as their supreme Resort, i.e. who are devoted only to the Self; those who have got their ignorance destroyed by Knowledge-those who are of this kind-, they gacchanti, attain; apunaravrttim, the state of non-returning, non-association again with a body; jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah, their dirt having been removed, destroyed, by Knowledge. Those whose dirt (kalmasa), the defect in the form of sin etc., which are the cause of transmigration, have been removed, destryed (nirdhuta), by the aforesaid Knowledge (jnana) are jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah, i.e. the monks. How do those learned ones, whose ignorance regarding the Self has been destroyed by Knowledge, look upon Reality? That is being stated:

English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan

5.17 Because it is only the inherent nature that exerts thus, therefore [the Lord] says that the men, who have destroyed their illusion would remain as follows -

English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary

5.17 Those whose intellects pursue It, i.e., those who have determined to have the vision of the self in this way; those whose minds think about It, i.e., those whose minds have the self for their aim, those who undergo discipline for It, i.e., those who are devoted to the practices for Its attainment; those who hold It as their highest object, i.e., those who consider It as their highest goal - such persons, having their previous impurities cleansed by the knowledge which is practised in this way, attain the self as taught. From that state there is no return - the state from which there is no return means the state of the self. The meaning is that they attain the self which rests in Its own nature.

Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji

But this vidya reveals knowledge about the jivatma, not knowledge of the paramatma. The Lord says, bhaktyaham ekaya grahyah: I am attainable only by bhakti. Therefore the jnanais must additionally practice bhakti in order to obtain knowledge of paramatma. That is stated in this verse. The word tat refers to the Supreme Lord previously mentioned as vibhu in verse 15. Those who place their intelligence in the Supreme Lord, who are dedicated to contemplation on the Lord using intellect (tad buddhayah), who are meditating on the Lord using the mind (tad atmanah), who fix their knowledge in the Lord, giving up sattvika knowledge of the soul apart from the body, and becoming fixed only in the Lord, (the Lord says one should place knowledge in him (jnanam ca mayi sannyaset), becoming absorbed in the processes of hearing and chanting about the Lord (tat paranayanah) do not attain birth again. As will be said later, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah tato mam tattvato jnatva visate tad-anantaram I am to be known in truth only by bhakti. Knowing me in truth, one attains me. BG 18.55 Those persons’ ignorance has been previously completely destroyed by vidya (jnana nirdhuta kalmasah).

Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Lord Krishna is now stating the results of such worship. Those who are fixed and resolute in this spiritual knowledge, whose conviction is unwavering and steady, whose one aim is that, whose mind is centered in that, whose only refuge is that and that alone. Whose sins have been dissolved by atma tattva or realisation of the soul and by the grace of the atma one achieves moksa or liberation and attains the Supreme Lord.

Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Lord Krishna declares the means to attain that supra-conscious awareness that illuminates ones intelligence and leads directly to moksa or liberation from material existence.

Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Lord Krishna uses the compound word tad-buddhayas meaning intelligence in the Supreme is referring to those who have their intelligence, intellect and consciousness fixed in meditation of atma tattva or realisation of the soul. The compound word tad-atmanas means with mind in the Supreme refers to those who make the atma or soul the singular focus of loving reflection. The intellect is merely the machinations of the mind but consciousness includes emotion which facilitates loving devotion within the heart. The compound word tad-nisthas means those who have complete faith in the Supreme refers to those who enthusiastically follow the Vedic culture and perform all that is necessary to attain the Supreme. The compound word tat- parayanah means those whose sole noble aim is devotion to the atma. The cultivation of Vedic knowledge gradually developes consciousness and removes all taint and dross. Those possessing the before stated qualifications when perfecting them attain the atma which is irrevocable and which when once realised insures there is no reverting back to conditioned and restrictive levels of consciousness which are of the nature of nescience and ignorance.

Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary

Lord Krishna uses the compound word tad-buddhayas meaning intelligence in the Supreme is referring to those who have their intelligence, intellect and consciousness fixed in meditation of atma tattva or realisation of the soul. The compound word tad-atmanas means with mind in the Supreme refers to those who make the atma or soul the singular focus of loving reflection. The intellect is merely the machinations of the mind but consciousness includes emotion which facilitates loving devotion within the heart. The compound word tad-nisthas means those who have complete faith in the Supreme refers to those who enthusiastically follow the Vedic culture and perform all that is necessary to attain the Supreme. The compound word tat- parayanah means those whose sole noble aim is devotion to the atma. The cultivation of Vedic knowledge gradually developes consciousness and removes all taint and dross. Those possessing the before stated qualifications when perfecting them attain the atma which is irrevocable and which when once realised insures there is no reverting back to conditioned and restrictive levels of consciousness which are of the nature of nescience and ignorance.

Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 5.17

Tadbuddhayas tadaatmaanas tannishthaas tatparaayanaah; Gacchantyapunaraavrittim jnaana nirdhoota kalmashaah.

Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 5.17

tat-buddhayaḥ—those whose intellect is directed toward God; tat-ātmānaḥ—those whose heart (mind and intellect) is solely absorbed in God; tat-niṣhṭhāḥ—those whose intellect has firm faith in God; tat-parāyaṇāḥ—those who strive after God as the supreme goal and refuge; gachchhanti—go; apunaḥ-āvṛittim—not returning; jñāna—by knowledge; nirdhūta—dispelled; kalmaṣhāḥ—sins