Chapter 6, Verse 8
ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः | युक्त इत्युच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ||६-८||
jñānavijñānatṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ . yukta ityucyate yogī samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ ||6-8||
Meaning
6.8 The Yogi who is satisfied with the knowledge and the wisdom (of the Self), who has conered the senses, and to whom a clod of earth, a piece of stone and gold are the same, is said to be harmonied (i.e., is said to have attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi).
Word-by-Word Meaning
Explanation & Commentary
Krishna paints the portrait of the accomplished yogi through three qualities. First, his self is fulfilled by jnana and vijnana — theoretical knowledge of the Self and its direct, lived realization. He no longer hungers for the world because he has tasted something complete within. Second, he is kutastha, unshakable as an anvil, steady through every change. Third, he is vijitendriya, having mastered the senses that once mastered him.
The vivid final image seals it: to such a one a lump of clay, a stone, and gold are sama — the same. He has seen through the mind's frantic ranking of objects into precious and worthless. This is not contempt for the world but freedom from its spell. Resting in inner fullness, he is called yukta — united, integrated, at home in the Self regardless of what his hands happen to hold.
💡 Key Takeaway
True fulfillment comes from inner realization, not possessions — to the awakened, gold and a clod of earth hold equal pull.
Related Verses
जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः | शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः ||६-७||
jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ . śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ ||6-7||
6.7 The Supreme Self of him who is self-controlled and peaceful is balanced in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as also in honour and dishonour.
सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु | साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते ||६-९||
suhṛnmitrāryudāsīnamadhyasthadveṣyabandhuṣu . sādhuṣvapi ca pāpeṣu samabuddhirviśiṣyate ||6-9||
6.9 He who is of the same mind to the good-hearted, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful, the relatives, the righteous and the unrighteous, excels.
यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते | निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ||६-१८||
yadā viniyataṃ cittamātmanyevāvatiṣṭhate . niḥspṛhaḥ sarvakāmebhyo yukta ityucyate tadā ||6-18||
6.18 When the perfectly controlled mind rests in the Self only, free from longing for all the objects of desires, then it is said, 'He is united'.