BG 2.69

ya nisa sarva–bhutanam

tasyam jagarti samyami

yasyam jagrati bhutani

sa nisa pasyato muneh

SYNONYMS

ya — what; nisa — is night; sarva — all; bhutanam — of living entities; tasyam — in that; jagarti — is wakeful; samyami — the self-controlled; yasyam — in which; jagrati — are awake; bhutani — all beings; sa — that is; nisa — night; pasyatah — for the introspective; muneh — sage.

TRANSLATION

What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.

Here’s the edited version of your text:

“Now, this is a metaphorical verse.

Ya nisa sarva-bhutanam, ‘Nisa’ (night) for all living beings, tasyam jagarti samyami, is the time of awakening for the regulated ones (samyamis). Yasyam jagrati bhutani, and that is the time of awakening for all living beings, sa nisa pasyato muneh, that is the night for the wise.

So, what is Sri Krishna talking about here?

In this context, Krishna is not referring to a chronological or time-based perspective, nor geographic factors like night in India and day in America. Instead, ‘night’ symbolizes a period of inactivity or lack of stimulation/interest, while ‘day’ represents activities and interests. For materialists, sense gratification is the primary interest, which is considered ‘night’ for spiritualists. The spiritualists understand this pursuit of repeated sensory enjoyment as Punha-Punah Charbita Charbananam (chewing the chewed) since such pleasures have already been experienced in lower species. Human life is meant for something higher, beyond mere sensual gratification.

For spiritualists, the ‘day’ is marked by self-realization, chanting, reading scriptures, and developing a loving relationship with Krishna, leading to newer and deeper happiness. Materialists may find these practices incomprehensible, as they involve sitting and uttering sounds for hours. They may question the value of such endeavors. However, for spiritualists, the goal is not fame but ‘prema’ (love of Krishna). Although devotees may excel in Krishna’s service and achieve success, they do not get entangled in the same way as materialists. Their ultimate goal is spiritual advancement.

When Srila Prabhupada met with Ambarish Ford, the grandson of Henry Ford, he asked about the whereabouts of Henry Ford, highlighting the impermanence of material wealth.

Materialistic people possess intelligence, which drives technological advancements, but they often divorce themselves from the ultimate reality of being eternal beings in need of eternal happiness. When Srila Prabhupada calls certain people ‘fools and rascals,’ it is from a spiritual perspective. He appreciates their material intelligence while pointing out the ultimate futility of material pursuits.

The section then addresses ‘Kim Vrajeta’—how one can control their senses. After the previous verse, which advises controlling all the senses, someone might question the point of leading such a disciplined life and wonder about the enjoyment available. This verse explains that spiritual enjoyment differs significantly from material enjoyment, and it is inappropriate to impose materialistic notions of enjoyment onto spiritual life. There are two classes of people with different definitions of enjoyment, and the journey of a ‘sadhaka’ (spiritual practitioner) involves transitioning from a materialistic definition of enjoyment to a spiritual one.”