B.G 2.69

या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी। यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः ॥६९॥

yā niśā sarvabhūtānāṃ tasyāṃ jāgarti saṃyamī। yasyāṃ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśā paśyato muneḥ ॥69॥

[या (yā) - which; निशा (niśā) - night; सर्वभूतानां (sarvabhūtānāṃ) - of all beings; तस्यां (tasyāṃ) - in that; जागर्ति (jāgarti) - keeps awake; संयमी (saṃyamī) - the self-controlled; यस्यां (yasyāṃ) - in which; जाग्रति (jāgrati) - are awake; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; सा (sā) - that; निशा (niśā) - night; पश्यतः (paśyataḥ) - for the seeing; मुनेः (muneḥ) - sage;]

(What is night for all beings, the disciplined one is awake in that. What beings are awake in, is night for the sage who sees.)

Where it is night for all beings, there the self controlled is wide awake. Where the beings are awake, that is observed as night by the meditating monk.

Gīta Bhāshya 2.69

Sleeping are those who are unaware of the lord's form and characteristics. When normal beings interested in material topics are awake, it is like a night for a Jnāni. 'muni' - one who is engaged in meditation, i.e. remembering the lord. Muni observing the day as night is his accomplishment.

उक्तम् लक्षणं पिण्डीकृत्याह - या निशेति।

uktam lakṣaṇaṃ piṇḍīkṛtyāha - yā niśeti।

[उक्तम् (uktam) - said; लक्षणं (lakṣaṇam) - definition; पिण्डीकृत्य (piṇḍīkṛtya) - having summarized; आह (āha) - he said; या (yā) - which; निशेति (niśeti) - remains at night;]

(He summarized the definition and said: "That which remains at night.")

'yā nishā' verse describes the characteristics of a Sthitaprajna in a summarized form.

या सर्वभूतानां निशा परमेश्वरस्य रूपलक्षणा यस्यां सुप्तानीव न किञ्चित् जानन्ति तस्याम् इन्द्रिय संयमयुक्तः ज्ञानी जागर्ति सम्यगापरोक्ष्येण पश्यति परमात्मानम् इत्यर्थः। यस्यां विषयलक्षणायां भूतानि जाग्रति तस्यां निशायामिव सुप्तः प्रायः न जानाति।

yā sarvabhūtānāṃ niśā parameśvarasya rūpalakṣaṇā yasyāṃ suptānīva na kiñcit jānanti tasyām indriya saṃyamayuktaḥ jñānī jāgarti samyagāparokṣyeṇa paśyati paramātmānam ityarthaḥ. yasyāṃ viṣayalakṣaṇāyāṃ bhūtāni jāgrati tasyāṃ niśāyāmiva suptaḥ prāyaḥ na jānāti.

[या (yā) - which; सर्वभूतानां (sarvabhūtānām) - of all beings; निशा (niśā) - night; परमेश्वरस्य (parameśvarasya) - of the Supreme Lord; रूपलक्षणा (rūpalakṣaṇā) - characterized by form; यस्यां (yasyām) - in which; सुप्तानि (suptāni) - as if asleep; इव (iva) - as if; न (na) - not; किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything; जानन्ति (jānanti) - know; तस्याम् (tasyām) - in that; इन्द्रिय (indriya) - of the senses; संयमयुक्तः (saṃyamayuktaḥ) - endowed with restraint; ज्ञानी (jñānī) - the wise one; जागर्ति (jāgarti) - remains awake; सम्यग् (samyag) - properly; अपरोक्ष्येण (aparokṣyeṇa) - directly; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; परमात्मानम् (paramātmānam) - the Supreme Self; इत्यर्थः (ityarthaḥ) - this is the meaning; यस्यां (yasyām) - in which; विषयलक्षणायां (viṣayalakṣaṇāyām) - characterized by objects; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; जाग्रति (jāgrati) - are awake; तस्याम् (tasyām) - in that; निशायाम् (niśāyām) - in the night; इव (iva) - as if; सुप्तः (suptaḥ) - asleep; प्रायः (prāyaḥ) - generally; न (na) - not; जानाति (jānāti) - knows;]

(That which is night for all beings, being the state of the Supreme Lord, is where the wise one, with controlled senses, remains awake and directly perceives the Supreme Self—this is the meaning. In the state where beings are awake to sense objects, the wise one is as if asleep and generally does not know them.)

'yā niśā sarvabhūtānāṁ' i.e. that which is night for all beings, means, sleeping are those who are unaware of the lord's form and characteristics even to a limited extent. The wise Jnāni, at the same time is awake with well established transcendental knowledge and sees the supreme lord. When normal beings interested in material topics are awake, it is like a night for a Jnāni; he being asleep and not being aware.

मत्तादिवद् गमनादिप्रवृत्तिः। तदुक्तम् -

mattādivad gamanādipravṛttiḥ। tad uktam -

[मत्त (matta) - intoxicated; आदि (ādi) - and the like; वत् (vat) - like; गमन (gamana) - movement; आदि (ādi) - and so on; प्रवृत्तिः (pravṛttiḥ) - activity; तत् (tat) - that; उक्तम् (uktam) - is said;]

(Activity such as movement, like that of the intoxicated, is described as follows -)

Though such a person is purposeless like a drunk person, he exhibits conscious tendencies. Therefore, it is said:

"देहं तु तं न चरमम्", "देहोपि दैववशगः"

"dehaṃ tu taṃ na caramam", "dehopi daivavaśagaḥ"

[देहं (dehaṃ) - body; तु (tu) - but; तं (taṃ) - that; न (na) - not; चरमम् (caramam) - final; देहः (dehaḥ) - body; अपि (api) - also; दैववशगः (daivavaśagaḥ) - subject to fate;]

(The body is not the final one, the body too is subject to fate.)

[iti ślōkābhyām = states Bhagavata verses;]

"But this physical body in not him", "the body is under the control of the lord"

इति श्लोकाभ्याम्।

iti ślokābhyām।

[इति (iti) - thus; श्लोकाभ्याम् (ślokābhyām) - by two verses;]

-states Bhagavata verses (Bhagavata 3.28.37-38).

मननयुक्तो मुनिः। 'पश्यतः' इत्यस्य साधनमाह ॥६९॥

mananayukto muniḥ. 'paśyataḥ' ity asya sādhanam āha ॥69॥

[मननयुक्तः (mananayuktaḥ) - engaged in reflection; मुनिः (muniḥ) - the sage; 'पश्यतः' ('paśyataḥ') - of 'paśyataḥ'; इत्यस्य (ity asya) - of this expression; साधनम् (sādhanam) - means; आह (āha) - (he) said;]

(The sage, absorbed in contemplation, explained the means of the term 'paśyataḥ'.)

'muni' is the one who is engaged in meditation, i.e. remembering the lord. By stating 'paśyataḥ', i.e. he observes as night, his accomplishment is highlighted.

Gīta Tātparya 2.69

The self-controlled who is focussed on Brahman sees only him and nothing else, similar to a person seeing the wonderful object glowing in the night.

"देवेभ्योSन्ये यदा ब्रह्म पश्यन्त्यन्यन्न दृश्यते। निशायामिव सुव्यक्तं यथाSन्यैर्ब्रह्म नेयते॥ आश्चर्यवस्तुदृग्यद्वत् व्यक्तमन्यन्न पश्यति। ऐकाग्र्याद्वा सुखोद्रेकात् देवाः सूर्यवदेव च। प्रायशः सर्ववेत्तारः तत्रापि ह्युत्तरोत्तरम्॥"

"devebhyo'anye yadā brahma paśyanty anyan na dṛśyate। niśāyām iva suvyaktaṃ yathā'nyair brahma neyate॥ āścaryavastudṛg yadvad vyaktam anyan na paśyati। aikāgryād vā sukhodrekāt devāḥ sūryavad eva ca| prāyaśaḥ sarvavettāraḥ tatrāpi hy uttaro uttaram॥"

[देवेभ्यः (devebhyaḥ) - from the gods; अन्ये (anye) - others; यदा (yadā) - when; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; पश्यन्ति (paśyanti) - see; अन्यत् (anyat) - other; न (na) - not; दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen; निशायाम् (niśāyām) - in the night; इव (iva) - like; सुव्यक्तम् (suvyaktam) - clearly; यथा (yathā) - as; अन्यैः (anyaiḥ) - by others; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; नेयते (neyate) - is led; आश्चर्यवस्तुदृक् (āścaryavastudṛk) - one who sees a wonderful thing; यद्वत् (yadvat) - as; व्यक्तम् (vyaktam) - manifest; अन्यत् (anyat) - other; न (na) - not; पश्यति (paśyati) - sees; ऐकाग्र्यात् (aikāgryāt) - from concentration; वा (vā) - or; सुखोद्रेकात् (sukhodrekāt) - from the surge of happiness; देवाः (devāḥ) - the gods; सूर्यवत् (sūryavat) - like the sun; एव (eva) - indeed; च (ca) - and; प्रायशः (prāyaśaḥ) - generally; सर्ववेत्तारः (sarvavettāraḥ) - all-knowers; तत्र (tatra) - there; अपि (api) - also; हि (hi) - indeed; उत्तरोत्तरम् (uttarottaram) - higher and higher;]

(When others, apart from the gods, perceive Brahman, nothing else is visible to them. Just as in the night only what is clear can be shown by others, so too is Brahman revealed. Like someone who beholds a marvelous object and sees nothing else manifest, so too, through concentration or a surge of bliss, the gods, like the sun, perceive. Generally, all-knowers there too ascend ever higher and higher.)

"If the supreme Brahman is seen by other than the Dēvas, they don't observe anything else. It is similar to a mesmerized person seeing the wonderful object in the night. Only the Brahman who is in the front is clearly visible, and everything else is not visible, because of their concentration of mind and being immersed in its bliss. The Dēvas, similar to the Sun, may see everything based on their hierarchy."

इति ब्रह्मतर्के ॥६९॥

iti brahmatarke ॥69॥

[इति (iti) - thus; ब्रह्मतर्के (brahmatarke) - in the discussion on Brahman;]

-stated thus in Brahmatarka.