Having restrained all these senses, one should sit in yoga with Me as the supreme goal. For the one whose senses are under control, wisdom is firmly established.
Synthesis
Having just acknowledged the violence of the senses in verse 60, Krishna now gives the solution: restrain the senses, sit in yoga, and make Me the supreme goal. The key word is 'matparaḥ' — 'with Me as the highest' — which introduces the devotional dimension into the sthita-prajña teaching. Self-control alone is insufficient; the senses must be redirected toward the divine. The verse also reveals the sequence: sense control leads to yoga (meditative absorption), which leads to established wisdom. And the anchor that makes sense control possible is the orientation toward the divine — not white-knuckled suppression but the pull of a higher attraction. This verse is the hinge between the yoga-of-knowledge and the yoga-of-devotion.
Commentaries 8 traditions
Shankara interprets 'matparaḥ' as making the Supreme Self (Brahman) one's ultimate refuge. In the context of jñāna-yoga, this means abiding in the awareness that 'I am Brahman.' The combination of sense control and Self-abidance produces the firmly established wisdom. For Shankara, this is the complete prescription for liberation.
Apply This Verse
Personal Growth
Pair every discipline practice with a positive redirection. Don't just resist the bad habit — actively cultivate the practice that represents your highest values. Control needs a destination.
Questions this verse answers
- ?"How do I combine self-discipline with devotion?"
- ?"Why do I need a higher purpose for self-control to work?"
- ?"What does 'making God my supreme goal' mean in practical terms?"
- ?"How do sense control and meditation work together?"