Devanagari
यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः ।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ५८ ॥
Verse text
yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ
kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas
tasya prajṣā pratiṣṭhitā
Synonyms
yadā
—
when
;
saṁharate
—
winds up
;
ca
—
also
;
ayam
—
he
;
kūrmaḥ
—
tortoise
;
aṅgāni
—
limbs
;
iva
—
like
;
sarvaśaḥ
—
altogether
;
indriyāṇi
—
senses
;
indriya-arthebhyaḥ
—
from the sense objects
;
tasya
—
his
;
prajṣā
—
consciousness
;
pratiṣṭhitā
—
fixed.
Translation
One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
58. When he draws his senses away completely from sense objects like a turtle withdrawing its limbs, he is situated in prajṣa.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
58. When he easily withdraws all his senses completely from sense objects like a turtle withdrawing his limbs, he is situated in prajṣa.
Purport
The test of a yogī, devotee or self-realized soul is that he is able to control the senses according to his plan. Most people, however, are servants of the senses and are thus directed by the dictation of the senses. That is the answer to the question as to how the yogī is situated. The senses are compared to venomous serpents. They want to act very loosely and without restriction. The yogī, or the devotee, must be very strong to control the serpents – like a snake charmer. He never allows them to act independently. There are many injunctions in the revealed scriptures; some of them are do-not’s, and some of them are do’s. Unless one is able to follow the do’s and the do-not’s, restricting oneself from sense enjoyment, it is not possible to be firmly fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The best example, set herein, is the tortoise. The tortoise can at any moment wind up its senses and exhibit them again at any time for particular purposes. Similarly, the senses of the Kṛṣṇa conscious persons are used only for some particular purpose in the service of the Lord and are withdrawn otherwise. Arjuna is being taught here to use his senses for the service of the Lord, instead of for his own satisfaction. Keeping the senses always in the service of the Lord is the example set by the analogy of the tortoise, who keeps the senses within.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
This verse answers the question, “How does he sit?” (kim āsīta)
He withdraws his senses such as the ear from the objects of the senses such as sound. Stopping the movement of the independent senses towards the external objects, he establishes them without movement internally. This is the “sitting” of the person situated in prajṣā. An example is given. He does so, just as the turtle fixes his senses such as mouth and eyes within itself by its will.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Six verses now answer the third question “How does he remain, suppressing his senses? (kim āsīta)”
When this yogī (ayam) completely withdraws without effort the independent senses such as the ear from the sense objects such as sound, then he is known as sthita prajṣa (tasya prajṣā pratiṣṭhitā). An example is given. Just as a turtle withdraws his head, hands and feet into his shell, the sthita prajṣa remains with senses situated within, withdrawn from sense objects. That is how he sits (this is his sense control).
Surrender Unto Me
And how is he able to do that? Is he tortured? No!