यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः ।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
जिस तरह कछुआ अपने अङ्गोंको सब ओरसे समेट लेता है, ऐसे ही जिस कालमें यह कर्मयोगी इन्द्रियोंके विषयोंसे इन्द्रियोंको सब प्रकारसे समेट लेता हटा लेता है, तब उसकी बुद्धि प्रतिष्ठित हो जाती है ॥
English
When this one draws the senses fully back from sense-objects, like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs, wisdom is steady.
What this verse means
Wisdom becomes stable when the senses are pulled back from the things they chase, just as a tortoise draws in its limbs.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna is frozen between duty and grief. Krishna has been describing the person whose understanding no longer wavers. Here he gives the image: like a tortoise, the wise one draws the senses away from their objects, and the mind becomes steady.
Why this verse still matters
You open your phone to check one message, then three more tabs, then a video you did not mean to watch. The day starts leaking away the moment your attention keeps reaching outward.
The takeaway
You do not need to chase every attraction. Real steadiness begins when attention comes home.
Word-by-word translation
यदा (when) / संहरते (withdraws) / च (and) / अयम् (this one) / कूर्मः (tortoise) / अङ्गानि (limbs) / इव (like) / सर्वशः (from all sides) / इन्द्रियाणि (the senses) / इन्द्रियार्थेभ्यः (from sense-objects) / तस्य (of that one) / प्रज्ञा (wisdom) / प्रतिष्ठिता (steadfast)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge, which contains 72 verses.
Explore related themes: indriya nigraha (14 verses)