Bhagavad Gita BG 2.71
Chapter 2, Verse 71 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः । निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥ ७१ ॥
vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān pumāṃś carati niḥspṛhaḥ nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sa śāntim adhigacchati
Meaning
A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego — he alone can attain real peace.
Understanding
The portrait of peace at its most complete. Three qualities: (1) 'niḥspṛhaḥ' — without craving (spṛhā = craving/thirst); (2) 'nirmamaḥ' — without 'mine' (mamata = possessiveness, 'my-ness'); (3) 'nirahaṅkāraḥ' — without false ego (ahaṅkāra = the false 'I' that identifies with the body and its possessions). These three together — absence of craving, possessiveness, and false ego — constitute the complete inner freedom. Such a person attains 'śānti' — peace.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| विहाय कामान् सर्वान् | vihāya kāmān sarvān | having given up all desires |
| निःस्पृहः | niḥspṛhaḥ | without craving / without thirst / desireless |
| निर्ममः | nirmamaḥ | without 'mine' / without possessiveness |
| निरहङ्कारः | nirahaṅkāraḥ | without false ego / devoid of ahaṅkāra |
| शान्तिम् अधिगच्छति | śāntim adhigacchati | attains peace |
| यः | yaḥ | he who / a person who |
| पुमान् | pumān | a person / a man |
| चरति | carati | moves / lives / acts (in the world) |
| सः | saḥ | he (that person) |