Shloka
मनः प्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः |
भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते ||१७-१६||Transliteration
manaḥ prasādaḥ saumyatvaṃ maunamātmavinigrahaḥ .
bhāvasaṃśuddhirityetattapo mānasamucyate ||17-16||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
17.16. The serenity of mind, the ietness, the taciturnity, the self-control, the purity of thought-all this is called mental austerity.
Shri Purohit Swami
17.16 Serenity, kindness, silence, self-control and purity - this is austerity of mind.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
17.14-16 Deva - etc. upto manasam ucyate : Honesty : uprightness, i.e., the courage regarding what needs no hiding. Which is true : This is explained by ‘Which is pleasant and beneficial’. Pleasant : at the time of [hearing] that speech. And beneficial : something in future. This type of speech, but not merely speaking what actually happened, is called ‘speaking the truth’. Purity of thought : ‘Thought’ denotes intention; its highest purity.
Sri Ramanuja
17.16 Serenity of mind, viz., absence of wrath etc., practice of benevolence, viz., the direction of the mind for the good of others, silence, viz., contorl of speech by the mind; self-control, viz., focusing the activity of the mind on the object of contemplation; purity of mind, viz., absence of thought about subjects other than the self - these constitute the austerity of the mind.
Sri Shankaracharya
17.16 Manah-prasadah, tranillity of mind, making the mind free from anxiety; saumyatvam, gentleness-that which is called kindliness of spirit, [Kindliness towards all, and also not entertaining any evil thought towards anybody.] a certain condition of the mind resulting in calmness of the face, etc.; maunam, reticence-since even the control of speech follows from the control of mind, therefore the cause is implied by the effect; so maunam means control of the mind; [Or, maunam may mean thinking of the Self, the attitude of a meditator. The context being of ‘mental austerity’, reticence is explained as control of the mind with regard to speech.] atma-vinigrahah, withdrawal of the mind-withdrawal of the mind in a general way, from everything; maunam (control of the mind) is the mind’s withdrawal with regard to speech alone; this is the distinction-; bhava-samsuddhih, purity of heart, absence of trickery while dealing with others; iti etat, these are; what is ucyate, called; manasam, mental; tapah, austerity. How the above-described bodily, verbal and mental austerities undertaken by poeple are divided into three classes-of sattva etc.-is being stated:
Swami Adidevananda
17.16 Serenity of mind, benevolence, silence, self-control, purity of mind - these are called austerity of the mind.
Swami Gambirananda
17.16 Tranillity of mind, gentleness, reticence, withdrawal of the mind, purity of heart,-these are what is called mental austerity.
Swami Sivananda
17.16 Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, self-control, purity of nature this is called mental austerity.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
17.16 मनःप्रसादः serenity of mind? सौम्यत्वम् goodheartedness? मौनम् silence? आत्मविनिग्रहः selfcontrol? भावसंशुद्धिः purity of nature? इति thus? एतत् this? तपः austerity? मानसम् mental? उच्यते is called.Commentary Just as a lake which is without a ripple on it surface is very tranil? so also the mind which is free from modifications? from wandering thoughts of sensual objects? is ite serene and calm.Saumyatvam Intent on the welfare of all beings the state of mind which may be inferred from its effects? such as brightness of the face? etc.Maunam Even silence of speech is necessarily preceded by the control of thought? and so the effect is here used to stand for the cause? viz.? the control of thought this is the result of the control of thought so far as it concerns speech? silence of the mind? ability to remain calm even amidst disturbing factors from without. Mauna is the condition of the Muni (sage)? i.e.? practice of meditation with onepointedness of mind.Atmavinigrahah Selfcontrol A general control of the mind. Asamprajnata Samadhi wherein all the modifications of the mind are controlled. The mind cannot run after the senses and the senses cannot run after their objects. In Mauna there is control of thought so far as it concerns speech.Bhavasamsuddhih Purity of nature Honesty of purpose freedom from cunningness in dealing with other people the pure state of the mind wherein there is absence of lust? anger? greed? etc.