Chapter 2, Verse 69
Sankhya Yoga — Sanskrit shloka, transliteration, word meanings, English translation, and commentary.
Original Sanskrit verse
Transliteration
Word meanings
yā—which; niśhā—night; sarva-bhūtānām—of all living beings; tasyām—in that; jāgarti—is awake; sanyamī—self-controlled; yasyām—in which; jāgrati—are awake; bhūtāni—creatures; sā—that; niśhā—night; paśhyataḥ—see; muneḥ—sage
English translation
That which is night to all beings, in that the self-controlled man is awake; when all beings are awake, that is night for the sage who sees.
— Swami Sivananda
Listen to Shloka 2.69
Commentary
That which is real for the wordlyminded people is illusion for the sage; and vice versa. The sage lives in the Self. This is day for him. He is unconscious of the wordly phenomena. They are night for him; as it were. The ordinary man is unconscious of his real nature. Life in the spirit is night for him. He is experiencing the objects of sensual enjoyment. This is day for him. The Self is a nonentity for him For a sage this world is a nonentity. The wordlyminded people are in utter darkness as they have no knowledge of the Self. What is darkness for them is all light for the sage. The Self; Atman or Brahman is night for the worldlyminded persons. But the sage is fully awake. He is directly cognising the supreme Reality; the Light of lights. He is full of illumination and AtmaJnana or knowledge of the Self.
Commentary by Swami Sivananda
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