Bhagavad Gita BG 17.16
Chapter 17, Verse 16 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः । भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत् तपो मानसमुच्यते ॥
manah-prasadah saumyatvam maunam atma-vinigrahah bhava-samshuddhir ity etat tapo manasam ucyate
Meaning
Serenity of mind (manah-prasada), gentleness (saumyatva), silence (mauna), self-restraint (atma-vinigraha), and purity of being (bhava-samshuddhi) — this is called the austerity of mind.
Understanding
The austerity of mind (manasam tapas) reaches the innermost dimension. Manah-prasada: the mind's prasad — serenity, clarity, the settled luminosity that is the opposite of agitation. Saumyatvam: gentle quality, softness — the opposite of mental harshness and judgment. Maunam: silence — not just absence of speech but the inner silence that underlies all real contemplation. Atma-vinigraha: self-restraint — the trained capacity of the mind not to be swept away by its own currents. Bhava-samshuddhi: purity of one's very being and motives — samshuddhi (thoroughly purified) of bhava (one's emotional-intentional field, the quality of all one's becoming). This last is the root of all mental austerity: are the depths of the mind free of contamination by hidden agendas, resentments, and impure motives?
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| मनःप्रसादः | manah-prasadah | serenity/grace of mind (manah = mind, prasada = clearness, grace, settled joy) |
| सौम्यत्वम् | saumyatvam | gentleness, mildness, the quality of being soma-like (cool, gentle) |
| मौनम् | maunam | silence — inner and outer stillness |
| आत्मविनिग्रहः | atma-vinigrahah | self-restraint (vinigraha = holding back, discipline of the self) |
| भावसंशुद्धिः | bhava-samshuddhih | purity of being/feeling/intention (bhava = emotional-intentional field, samshuddhi = thorough purification) |
| मनः-प्रसादः | manaḥ-prasādaḥ | serenity of mind |
| आत्म-विनिग्रहः | ātma-vinigrahaḥ | self-control |
| भाव-संशुद्धिः | bhāva-saṃśuddhiḥ | purification of existence |
| इति | iti etat | this is called |
| तपः | tapaḥ | austerity |
| मानसम् | mānasam | of the mind |
| उच्यते | ucyate | is called |