Srimad BhagavadGita

With the śloka na tvevāhaṃ B.G 2.12 Kṛṣṇa started instructing Arjuna the actual soul knowledge. Starting with buddhir yoge tvimāṃ śṛṇu B.G 2.39 till now, Kṛṣṇa instructed on performing Karma yoga endowed with this knowledge about the real nature of the soul. Sri Yāmunācārya in his Gītārtha Saṃgraham 2.6 says nityātmā asaṇga karma ehā gocarā sāṃkhyayogadhīḥ | dwitīye sthitadhīlakṣā proktā tanmohāśāntaye || (In the second Chapter, in order to remove Arjuna's delusion Kṛṣṇa instructs the real knowledge about the nature of this eternal soul and knowledge about karma yoga which involves performing karmas without attachment or desire for their rewards and the fact that these two lead to steadfast wisdom called jñāna yoga). Kṛṣṇa now begins to instruct about jñāna yoga which is achieved by the practice of karma yoga and as a part of it HE talks about soul realisation in this śloka which is a reward of jñāna yoga. 

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Kṛṣṇa says,"When your intelligence specially enlightened by listening to ME and firmly placed, remains unshaken in the concentrated mind, then you will attain a vision of the soul."

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śruti vipratipannā acalā buddhiḥ yadā niścalā sthāsyasi (When this intelligence specially enlightened by listening to ME and firmly placed remains unshaken at all times) 

śruti (by listening) Taking into consideration the meaning of śrutasya in the previous śloka, the word śruti

here would mean 'listening' and not the vedas. Therefore 'śruti vipratipannā' would mean 'specially

enlightened by listening to ME'.

    vipratipannā (specially enlightened) Here knowledge is heard from Paramātma himself, who is all knowing,

all powerful, full of compassion, our eternal relative, who is free from the four defects namely ignorance,

illusion, deception, negligence. Additionally, the word sthāsyasi used later in the śloka conveys that the

knowledge thus gained makes the intelligence unshaken. Considering these, it is clear that the 'vi' prefixed

to pratipannā does not negate it. It in fact conveys that it is special.

    vipratipannā buddhiḥ The speciality of this knowledge received is that it is about the soul which is atomic

in nature, eternal and distinct from all non-conscious matter. arthenaiva viśeṣo hi nirākāratayā dhiyām

Kusumānjali (Since knowledge does not have a form, it gains speciality based on the meaning it conveys).

This intelligence gains speciality because it is about the soul.

    acalā buddhiḥ (intelligence which is firmly placed) As told bahu-śākhā hyanantāśca B.G 2.41, instead of

getting into varied things, buddhir eka this intelligence is one-pointed in the single goal called mokṣa and

hence it is always firmly placed.

    yadā niścalā sthāsyasi (remains unshaken) When this firmly placed intelligence remains continuous         

and steady like an uninterrupted single stream of oil (taila dhārā vat) at all times.

The meaning of these words can be derived in another way too.

    śruti vipratipannā (Śravanam or listening is told by these words) When the intelligence is enhanced

specially by listening from ME with attention.

    acalā After listening, when this knowledge is repeatedly contemplated upon, the intelligence becomes

steadfast.

    niścalā When this firmly placed intelligence becomes unshaken by any form of unreasonable or perverse          arguments...

Q: Where does this intelligence reside in a firmly placed manner?

A: The answer is samādhau (in the concentrated mind). By the derivation samādhīyate asminātmajñānam (it is the place where soul knowledge is steadfast) as 'samādhi' refers to the place where soul knowledge resides in a steadfast manner, the concentrated mind which is called as 'samādhi' is the place where this intelligence resides.

If one may counter this interpretation by saying, 'As the word samādhi refers to the place where intelligence is steadfast, it does not refer to the characteristics of the intelligence (i.e the intelligence being one pointed, etc.) but to the time period of samādhi, then Lakṣaṇadōṣa will occur as there is no description of the characteristics of this samādhi like its time period, etc. in this śloka or the next one. As in samādhau na vidhīyate B.G 2.44 where the word samādhi referred to the mind, here too it is appropriate to infer that it is the 'mind' which is talked about.

yadā samādhau niścalā sthāsyasi When karmas are executed without attachment to their rewards, sins/ pāpams get cleared. In this mind which is thus purified, when the actual soul knowledge remains in an uninterrupted firmly fixed manner it leads to jñāna yoga. Thus karma yoga purifies the mind which then becomes the seat for uninterrupted remembrance of the soul knowledge which is jñāna yoga.

tadā yogam avāpsyasi (then you will attain a vision of the self which is the reward of jñāna yoga)

yogassannaḥ nōpāya dhyānasamgatiyuktiṣu Amarakosa 3.3.22 (the word yoga has the following meanings 1) effort, 2) means 3) concentration, 4) union, 5) skill). From the stated meanings, we come to know that the word 'yoga' in this context refers to 'the means to the result', kārye kāraṇasabdopacāraṃ

Some questions might arise in this context. They are listed and answered below.

Q1: How is it that in buddhir yoge tvimāṃ śṛṇu B.G 2.39 and other places, this buddhi yoga which was imposed as the means to the goal, is being told as the goal here? 

A: The same word yoga can have different meanings based on different contexts. In places like buddhir yoge tvimāṃ śṛṇu B.G 2.39, it refers to 'karma yoga'. In samatvaṃ yoga ucyate B.G 2.48 and such other places the word 'yoga' refers to the equipoised state. Here, per the present context it is apt to understand that performance of karma yoga and jñāna yoga leads to 'yogaṃ- realisation of the soul'.

Q2: In the śloka vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ... B.G 2.41, it is told that karma yoga is endowed with soul knowledge and then practised. Then how is it that in this śloka soul knowledge is said to be the reward of karma yoga?

A: The soul knowledge acquired from the śāstras is required for the practice of karma yoga. Performance of karma yoga leads to jñāna yoga which in turn leads to yogaṃ which is a vision or realisation of the soul. This is what is told in this śloka. The first one is the knowledge about the soul and the later is a direct vision of the soul.

Q3: Upon hearing and contemplating, one's intelligence becomes steadfast in soul knowledge which leads to the practice of karma yoga. Then why is it said in this śloka that performing karma yoga leads to steadfast knowledge?

A: With the help of scriptures and acārya's instructions, one develops firm faith in the soul entity. Then he begins to perform karma yoga. This leads to a continuous uninterrupted remembrance of the soul which is called jñāna yoga. It is this steadfast unshaken state which is called 'sthitapragñāvastha' and it is different from the earlier state of having firm faith in soul knowledge.

Q4: 'yadā sthāsyasi niścalā', as told in this śloka, the state where knowledge about the real nature of the soul gets stabilised is called jñānaniṣtha. Then what is this 'yogaṃ' which is said to be caused due to this jñānaniṣtha ?

A: In this śloka 'yogaṃ' is the direct vision of the soul also called as soul realisation. The continuous uninterrupted remembrance of the soul leads to this soul realisation. Hence the two are different. First is the accurate knowledge about the soul entity acquired from the śāstras. The latter is the practice called jñāna yoga which is the continuous remembrance of the soul leading to soul realisation.

Summary:

In this śloka Kṛṣṇa tells us that firm faith in the knowledge about the soul gained from the śāstras leads to karma yoga. Performance of karma yoga leads to jñāna yoga which is the uninterrupted remembrance of the soul. Jñāna yoga leads to the actual vision of the soul called soul realisation.