AVG 9.2

Chapter 9 (On Detachment and Equanimity) Verse 2
कस्यापि तात धन्यस्य लोकचेष्टावलोकनात् ।
जीवितेच्छा बुभुक्षा च बुभुत्सोपशमं गताः ॥ ९-२॥

PURPORT:
Dear one! it is only someone truly fortunate whose
desire for everlasting life, whose craving to seek newer
amusements and whose willingness to hoard knowledge
has been stilled; this stilling arises from an insightful and
choiceless witnessing of the ways of the world and its people.

TRANSLITERATION:
कस्य अपि तात धन्यस्य लोकचेष्टावलोकनात् ।
kasya api tāta dhanyasya lokaceṣṭāvalokanāt ।
जीवितेच्छा बुभुक्षा च बुभुत्सा उपशमम् गताः ॥ ९-२॥
jīvitecchā bubhukṣā ca bubhutsā upaśamam gatā ॥ 9-2॥

MEANING:
kasya (कस्य) = of whom
api (अपि) = even
tāta (तात) = a term of affection used to refer to a junior or a senior (in this case taken to mean as 'my dear son')
dhanyasya (धन्यस्य) = of a most fortunate one
lokaceṣṭāvalokanāt (लोकचेष्टावलोकनात्) = from observing the ways and behavior of the people/from understanding the ways of the world (compound of loka (लोक) meaning 'world/people of the world' and ceṣṭā (चेष्टा) meaning 'manner of life/mores/action, activity, effort, endeavor, exertion' and avalokanāt (अवलोकनात्) meaning 'observing/watching/noticing') ।
jīvitecchā (जीवितेच्छा) = desire to live (compound of jīvita (जीवित) meaning 'life/living' and icchā (इच्छा) meaning 'desire/inclination')
bubhukṣā (बुभुक्षा) = desire to enjoy
ca (च) = and
bubhutsā (बुभुत्सा) = desire to know/curiosity about
upaśamam (उपशमम्) = a peaceful condition/cessation from agitation
gatā (गताः) = attained/gone to ॥ 9-2॥

COMMENT:
The key phrase that talks to the heart of this fascinating verse is lokaceṣṭāvalokanāt (लोकचेष्टावलोकनात्), a compound of loka (the world, people of the world), ceṣṭā (customs, habits, mores and patterns in culture) and avalokanāt (emanating from the process of observing). The emphasis of the phrase is significant; briefly, it means living and being a part of the cultural pattern and being a recipient of the education imparted over the course of our lives that ultimately translates to our minds being filled with fluctuations of thoughts - often racing and competing with each other all through the course of the day and when we dream during our sleep.

The stilling of the mind refers to a process where one develops the equanimity to step outside of the constant flow of the river of thought and observe the movement of the thoughts, their patterns, their motivations, intentions and agendas (sometimes purposeless as thoughts emanate autonomously and sometimes modeled after specific choices and agendas upon the part of the thinker).

Utilizing the analogy of the river, the observer stands on the banks and witnesses the waters of thought gurgling along, rushing over the rocks, the nooks and crevices contained within the river of the mind - sans judgement, acknowledgement or denunciation - only indulging in pure observation. Once the observer of the river of thoughts becomes ever more slightly aware, it is seen that one is able to choicelessly and impartially observe a small portion of the thoughts flow by while the mind concentrates itself on judging, challenging and dwelling incessantly on the remaining larger portions.
Over time, the process of choiceless observation allows for one to slowly but surely indulge in a process where one is able to observe without judgement a larger and larger percentage of thoughts that flow by without consciously taking part or being influenced by such thoughts - in effect - not allowing for the thoughts to house themselves within the mind; just letting the flow happen harmoniously. Over time, the integrity of the process by which the observer that is witnessing and observing the thoughts only increases by its repeated application and the stilling of the mind results.

The energy that we assign to thoughts, the emotions associated with the thoughts, the constant churning that goes on within our minds about the various possibilities and permutations spun off by the original thought then subsides. The observer becomes the observed, the witnesser and the thoughts that the witnesser are having merge and become one to a degree where there is no difference between the subject (witnesser) and the object (thoughts). The state of duality that culture, education, training, acculturation and dogma that has been imposed upon the witnesser will now be shattered. Clarity results.