Chapter 2 · Verse 58 · Sankhya Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 2.58
Sanskrit
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता।।2.58।।
Transliteration
yadā sanharate chāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśhaḥ indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā
In plain words
When your mind spins with worry, when you're caught in the hooks of what you want or fear—when you can't stop checking your phone, replaying conversations, or spiraling into what-ifs—you're like a creature tangled in its own reaching. Krishna says: you can draw your senses inward, not to hide from life, but to find solid ground inside yourself where nothing can shake you. This is how you become free while still living fully.
Word by Word
When the tortoise draws its limbs within its shell, it demonstrates the supreme art of non-entanglement—this is the image Lord Krishna offers for the wise soul who withdraws the senses from their objects. The senses are not enemies to be destroyed, but wild horses to be gently mastered through steady practice of non-attachment.
In our age of endless stimulation and distraction, this withdrawal is an act of profound rebellion and freedom: the spiritual warrior learns to be fully present in the world while remaining untouched by its hooks.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 2.58 — BG 2.58
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
2.2M people trust Mahakatha