Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingयदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता
yadā sanharate chāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśhaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaAnd when one fully withdraws their senses from the objects of the senses, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs, then their wisdom remains established.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
कछुवा अपने अंगों को जैसे समेट लेता है वैसे ही यह पुरुष जब सब ओर से अपनी इन्द्रियों को इन्द्रियों के विषयों से परावृत्त कर लेता है? तब उसकी बुद्धि स्थिर होती है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiयदा संह रते चायम्
कूर् मोऽङ् गानीव सर्वशः
इन्द्रि याणीन्द्रि यार् थेभ्यः
तस्यप् रज्ञा प्रतिष् ठिता
॥ ५८ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthayadāwhen
sanharatewithdraw
chaand
ayamthis
kūrmaḥtortoise
aṅgānilimbs
ivaas
sarvaśhaḥfully
indriyāṇisenses
indriya-arthebhyaḥfrom the sense objects
tasyahis
prajñādivine wisdom
pratiṣhṭhitāfixed in
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA2.58What is the tortoise teaching the yogī?
And when one fully withdraws their senses from the objects of the senses, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs, then their wisdom remains established.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.