5.21 The happiness already inside Krishna speaks
बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम्
स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते
bāhya-sparśheṣhvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yat sukham
sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣhayam aśhnute
Unattached to outward contacts, one finds the happiness that is in the self. Joined to Brahman through yoga, such a person reaches inexhaustible joy.
Explanation
The happiness is already inside, and contact is what obscures it.
Unattached to outward contacts, one finds what is in the self — and then akṣayam sukham, inexhaustible joy.
Note the adjective. The objection to ordinary pleasure in the next verse is not that it is wrong but that it runs out, and this is the contrast being set up.
Word by word
- bāhya-sparśheṣhu
- external sense pleasure
- asakta-ātmā
- those who are unattached
- vindati
- find
- ātmani
- in the self
- yat
- which
- sukham
- bliss
- saḥ
- that person
- brahma-yoga yukta-ātmā
- those who are united with God through yog
- sukham
- happiness
- akṣhayam
- unlimited
- aśhnute
- experiences
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