BhG 18.50

syntax

he kaunteya (O son of Kuntī!),
siddhim (perfection) prāptaḥ (who has obtained) yathā (as) brahma (Brahmana) prāpnoti (he obtains),
jñānasya (knowledge) yā parā niṣṭhā (which is the supreme stage)
tathā (in that manner) samāsena eva (only in summary) me nibodha (from me you must know).

grammar

siddhim	–	siddhi 2n.1 f. – accomplishment, fulfilment, perfection, success (from: √sidh – to succeed, to become perfect);
prāptaḥ	–	prāpta ( pra-√āp – to obtain, to reach) PP 1n.1 m. – obtained, who has obtained;
yathā	–	av. – as (correlative of: tathā);
brahma	–	brahman 2n.1 n. – spirit, the Vedas (from: √bṛh – to increase);
tathā	–	av. – in that manner, so, in like manner;
āpnoti	–	√āp (to obtain) Praes. P 1v.1 – he obtains, he achieves;
nibodha	–	ni-√budh (to know) Imperat. P 2v.1 – you must know;
me	–	asmat sn. 6n.1 – my (shortened form of: mama);
samāsena	–	av. (3n.1) – in summary (from: sam-√ās – to sit together, to join, samāsa – compound);
eva	–	av. – certainly, just, merely;
kaunteya	–	kaunteya 8n.1 m. – O son of Kuntī (from: kunti – the people of Kunti, kuntī – Kuntī, mother of the sons of Pāṇḍu);
niṣṭhā	–	ni-ṣṭhā 1n.1 f. – state, firmness, devotion, faith, perfection, conclusion, death (from: √sthā – to stay, to exist);
jñānasya	–	jñāna 6n.1 n. – of knowledge, of wisdom (from: √jñā – to know, to understand);
yā	–	yat sn. 1n.1 f. – which;
parā	–	parā 1n.1 f. – supreme;

textual variants

siddhiṁ prāpto yathā brahma → siddhim āpnoti ca yathā (and as he obtains perfection);
athāpnoti → tadāpnoti / prāpnoti tan (then he obtains / that he obtains);
samāsenaiva → samāsena tu (but in summary);
jñānasya → dhyānasya (of contemplation);
yā parā→ cāparā (and other, which has no higher);

Śāṃkara

pūrvoktena sva-karmānuṣṭhānena īśvarābhyarcana-rūpeṇa janitāṃ prāg-ukta-lakṣaṇāṃ siddhiṃ prāptasya utpannātma-viveka-jñānasya kevalātma-jñāna-niṣṭhā-rūpā naiṣkarmya-lakṣaṇā siddhir yena krameṇa bhavati, tat vaktavyam ity āha—

siddhiṃ prāptaḥ sva-karmaṇā īśvaraṃ samabhyarcya tat-prasādajāṃ kāyendriyāṇāṃ jñāna-niṣṭhā-yogyatā-lakṣaṇāṃ siddhiṃ prāptaḥ—siddhiṃ prāptaḥ iti tad-anuvāda uttarārthaḥ | kiṃ tad-uttaram, yad-artho’nuvāda iti, ucyate—yathā yena prakāreṇa jñāna-niṣṭhā-rūpeṇa brahma paramātmānam āpnoti, tathā taṃ prakāraṃ jñāna-niṣṭhā-prāpti-kramaṃ me mama vacanān nibodha tvaṃ niścayenāvadhāraya ity etat | kiṃ vistareṇa ? neti āha—samāsenaiva saṃkṣepeṇaiva | he kaunteya ! yathā brahma prāpnoti tathā nibodheti | anena yā pratijñātā brahma-prāptiḥ, tām idaṃtayā darśayitum āha—niṣṭhā jñānasya yā parā iti | niṣṭhā paryavasānaṃ parisamāptiḥ ity etat | kasya ? brahma-jñānasya yā parā | kīdṛśī sā ? yādṛśam ātma-jñānam | kīdṛk tat ? yādṛśaḥ ātmā | kīdṛśaḥ saḥ ? yādṛśo bhagavatā uktaḥ, upaniṣad-vākyaiś ca nyāyataś ca ||

nanu viṣayākāraṃ jñānam | na jñāna-viṣayaḥ, nāpi ākāravān ātmā iṣyate kvacit | nanu āditya-varṇaṃ bhā-rūpaḥ svayaṃ-jyotiḥ iti ākāravattvam ātmanaḥ śrūyate | na | tamo-rūpatva-pratiṣedhārthatvāt teṣāṃ vākyānāṃ—dravya-guṇādy-ākāra-pratiṣedhe ātmanas tamo-rūpatve prāpte tat-pratiṣedhārthāni āditya-varṇam ity ādīni vākyāni | arūpam iti ca viśeṣataḥ rūpa-pratiṣedhāt | aviṣayatvāc ca—na sadṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpam asya na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainaṃ [śve.u. 4.20] aśabdam asparśaṃ [ka.u. 1.3.15] ity ādyaiḥ | tasmāt ātmākāraṃ jñānam ity anupapannam |

kathaṃ tarhy ātmano jñānaṃ ? sarvaṃ hi yad-viṣayaṃ yaj-jñānaṃ tat-tad-ākāraṃ bhavati | nirākāraś ca ātmā ity uktam | jñānātmano ca ubhayoḥ nirākāratve kathaṃ tad-bhāvanā-niṣṭhā iti ? na | atyanta-nirmalatvātisvacchatvātisūkṣmatvopapatter ātmanaḥ | buddheś ca ātmavat nairmalyādy-upapatteḥ ātma-caitanyākārābhāsatvopapattiḥ | buddhy-ābhāsaṃ manaḥ, tad-ābhāsānīndriyāṇi, indriyābhāsaś ca dehaḥ | ataḥ laukikair deha-mātre eva ātma-dṛṣṭiḥ kriyate ||

deha-caitanya-vādinaś ca lokāyatikāś caitanya-viśiṣṭaḥ kāyaḥ puruṣaḥ ity āhuḥ | tathānye indriya-caitanya-vādinaḥ, anye manaś-caitanya-vādinaḥ, anye buddhi-caitanya-vādinaḥ | tato’py antara-vyaktam avyākṛtākhyam avidyāvastham ātmatvena pratipannāḥ kecit | sarvatra hi buddhy-ādi-dehānte ātma-caitanyābhāsatā ātma-bhrānti-kāraṇam iti | ataś cātma-viṣayaṃ jñānaṃ na vidhātavyam | kiṃ tarhi ? nāma-rūpādy-anātmādhyāropaṇa-nivṛttir eva kāryā, ātma-caitanya-vijñānaṃ kāryam, avidyādhyāropita-sarva-padārthākārair aviśiṣṭatayā dṛśyamānatvāt iti | ata eva hi vijñāna-vādino bauddhāḥ vijñāna-vyatirekeṇa vastv eva nāstīti pratipannāḥ, pramāṇāntara-nirapekṣatāṃ ca sva-saṃvidi tattvābhyupagamena | tasmāt avidyādhyāropita-nirākaraṇa-mātraṃ brahmaṇi kartavyam, na tu brahma-vijñāne yatnaḥ, atyanta-prasiddhatvāt | avidyā-kalpita-nāma-rūpa-viśeṣākārāpahṛta-buddhīnām atyanta-prasiddhaṃ suvijñeyam āsannataram ātma-bhūtam api, aprasiddhaṃ durvijñeyam atidūram anyad iva ca pratibhāty avivekinām | bāhyākāra-nivṛtta-buddhīnāṃ tu labdha-gurv-ātma-prasādānāṃ nātaḥ paraṃ sukhaṃ suprasiddhaṃ suvijñeyaṃ svāsannataram asti | tathā coktaṃ—pratyakṣāvagamaṃ dharmyam [gītā ity ādi |

kecit tu paṇḍitaṃ-manyāḥ nirākāratvāt ātmavastu na upaiti buddhiḥ | ato duḥsādhyā samyag-jñāna-niṣṭhā ity āhuḥ | satyam | evaṃ guru-sampradāya-rahitānām aśruta-vedāntānām atyanta-bahir-viṣayāsakta-buddhīnāṃ samyak-pramāṇeṣu akṛta-śramāṇām | tad-viparītānāṃ tu laukika-grāhya-grāhaka-dvaita-vastuni sad-buddhiḥ nitarāṃ duḥsampādā, ātma-caitanya-vyatirekeṇa vastv-antarasyānupalabdheḥ, yathā ca etat evam eva, nānyathā ity avocāma | uktaṃ ca bhagavatā yasyā jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśā paśyato muneḥ [gītā iti |

tasmāt bāhyākāra-bheda-buddhi-nivṛttir eva ātma-svarūpāvalambana-kāraṇam | na hy ātmā nāma kasyacit kadācit aprasiddhaḥ prāpyo heya upādeyo vā | aprasiddhe hi tasmin ātmani svārthāḥ sarvāḥ pravṛttayo vyarthāḥ prasajyeran | na ca dehādy-acetanārthatvaṃ śakyaṃ kalpayitum | na ca sukhārthaṃ sukham, duḥkhārthaṃ duḥkham | ātmāvagaty-avasānārthatvāc ca sarva-vyavahārasya | tasmāt yathā sva-dehasya paricchedāya na pramāṇāntarāpekṣā, tato’pi ātmano’ntaratamatvāt tad-avagatiṃ prati na pramāṇāntarāpekṣā | iti ātma-jñāna-niṣṭhā vivekināṃ suprasiddhā iti siddham |

yeṣām api nirākāraṃ jñānam apratyakṣam, teṣām api jñāna-vaśenaiva jñeyāvagatir iti jñānam atyanta-prasiddhaṃ sukhādivad eva ity abhyupagantavyam | jijñāsānupapatteś ca—aprasiddhaṃ cet jñānaṃ jñeyavat jijñāsyeta | yathā jñeyaṃ ghaṭādi-lakṣaṇaṃ jñānena jñātā vyāptum icchati, tathā jñānam api jñānāntareṇa jñātavyam āptum icchet | na caitad asti | ato’tyanta-prasiddhaṃ jñānam, jñātāpy ata eva prasiddha iti | tasmāt jñāne yatno na kartavyaḥ, kiṃ tv anātmani ātma-buddhi-nivṛttāv eva | tasmāt jñāna-niṣṭhā susampādyā

Rāmānuja

siddhiṃ prāptaḥ āprayāṇādaharaharanuṣṭhīyamānakarmayoganiṣpādyadhyānasidddhiṃ prāptaḥ, yathā yena prakāreṇa vartamāno brahma prāpnoti, tathā samāsena me nibodha / tad eva brahma viśeṣyate niṣṭhā jñānasya yā pareti / jñānasya dhyānātmakasya yā parā niṣṭhā paramaprāpyam ityarthaḥ

Śrīdhara

evambhūtasya paramahaṃsasya jñāna-niṣṭhāyā brahma-bhāva-prakāram āha siddhiṃ prāpta iti ṣaḍbhiḥ | naiṣkarmya-siddhiṃ prāptaḥ san yathā yena prakāreṇa brahma prāpnoti tathā taṃ prakāraṃ saṅkṣepeṇaiva me vacanān nibodha | pratiṣṭhitā yā brahma-prāptiḥ tām imāṃ tathā darśayitum āha niṣṭhā jñānasya yā pareti | niṣṭhā paryavasānaṃ parisamāptir ity arthaḥ

Viśvanātha

tataś ca yathā yena prakāreṇa brahma prāpnoti brahmānubhavatīty arthaḥ | saiva jñānasya niṣṭhā parā paramo ‚nta ity arthaḥ | niṣṭhā niṣpatti-nāśāntāḥ ity amaraḥ | avidyāyām uparata-prāyāyāṃ vidyāyā apy uparamārambhe yena prakāreṇa jñāna-sannyāsaṃ kṛtvā brahmānubhavet taṃ budhyasvety arthaḥ

Baladeva

siddhim iti | vihitena karmaṇā harim ārādhya tat-prasāda-jāṃ sarva-karma-tyāgāntāṃ ātma-dhyāna-niṣṭhāṃ prāpto yathā yena prakāreṇa sthito brahma prāpnoti āvirbhāvita-guṇāṣṭakaṃ svarūpam anubhavati | tathā taṃ prakāraṃ samāsena gadato me matto nibodha | jñānasya yā parā niṣṭhā pareśa-viṣayā jñāna-niṣṭhā tvāṃ prati mayocyate tāṃ ca śṛṇu