Sthitaprajna - Chapter 2 Verses 66 to 68

[Guest guest]

Dear Ramji,

 

Hari Om!

 

I did not receive commentary for Verses 64 and 65! If I am the only one

missing that "ascending path" :-) please post them to me through personal

mail. Thank you.

 

-mAdhava

[Guest guest]

Verses 66 to 68:

 

nasti buddhir ayuktasya na cayuktasya bhavana

na cabhavayatah santir asantasya kutah sukham

 

There is no knowledge of the self to the unsteady and to the unsteady no

meditation is possible, and to the un-meditative there can be no peace

and to the man who has no peace, how can there be happiness?

 

indriyanam hi caratam yan mano 'nuvidhiyate

tad asya harati prajnam vayur navam ivambhasi

For the mind which follows in the wake of the wandering senses, carries

away one's discrimination, as the wind carries away a boat on the

waters.

 

tasmad yasya maha-baho nigrhitani sarvasah

indriyanindriyarthebhyas tasya prajna pratisthita

 

Therefore, Oh Arjuna, his knowledge is steady whose senses are

completely restrained from sense-objects.

 

When the mind indulges in sensory perceptions, we lose our sense of

balance and mental peace (verse 66). Sthitaprajna implies realization

of the "Absolute Reality," though such realization may be possible, it

can't be described. Gita stresses that sensory perceptions are the

concrete walls between the human and the Divine. Unless we break the

concrete wall, we can't visualize Divinity. Sensory perceptions create

the illusion of joy, sorrow, good, bad, like and dislike.

 

Verse 67 is a beautiful poem with deep insights and it illustrates the

destructive power of the rowing senses. What will happen to a ship

without the navigator on the deep sea? Powerful wind that carries the

ship will cause the ship to capsize. Similarly, the sense organs without

any control will make life helpless and purposeless. Ships in deep seas

are subject to unexpected dangers from the strong currents of the wind.

Human lives without any control on senses are likely to lose peace by

the formidable influence of sensual pleasures. Verse 68 reinforces the

message that the perfect yogi has complete control of the senses over

the sense-objects.

 

Subtle messages in Gita require background knowledge on Hindu

scriptures! Vedavyasa, the author of the Gita verses in written form,

has skillfully organized a Hindu Philosophical Course with theoretical

and applied components. He has discussed the philosophical concepts in

Bhagavad Gita and the practical aspects of Mahabharat and Puranas.

Characters of episodes in Mahabharat and Puranas became role models to

illustrate the conceptualized Dharma and values in Gita. Vyasa knew that

uniform ethical behavior (dharma) was necessary to protect law and order

in the society. Yudhistra, the hero of Mahabharat rigorously obeyed

Hindu Dharma and values that represent the ‘good'. Dhruyodhana, the

villain embodied Adharma (opposite of Dharma) and a symbolic

representation of ‘evil.' Vyasa dramatized the nature of good and evil

using episodes through the roles of heroes, villains and supporting

characters. Public learnt 'good' and 'evil' using the Puranic stories

and chose and practice what they liked (Swadharma). The genius in Vyasa

has composed an objective Gita, a subjective Mahabharat, and informative

volume of eighteen Puranas to establish and preserve the Hindu Dharma

and Values. Vedavyasa, the greatest intellect and revolutionary of all

times, had the VISION to protect and preserve the Hindu Culture. He

completed this monumental task with utmost care and with artistic

perfection. Moral standards and Values of the Hindu Civilization,

established by great sages such as Vedavyasa were responsible for

helping India withstand the invasion of foreign culture and religions.

[Guest guest]

Ram Chandran <chandran

 

 

Verses 64 & 65

raga-dvesa-vimuktais tu visayan indriyais caran

atma-vasyair vidheyatma prasadam adhigacchati

 

But the self-controlled man, moving among the objects with the senses

under restraint and free from attraction and repulsion, attains to

peace.

 

prasade sarva-duhkhanam hanir asyopajayate

prasanna-cetaso hy asu buddhih paryavatisthate

 

In that peace all pains are destroyed: for the intellect of the

tranquil-minded soon becomes steady.

 

Sthitaprajna (Perfect Yogi) has no attachment or aversion and has the

Purity of Spirit (verse 64).

Sthitaprajna attains the "WISDOM" which is free from illusory sorrows

(verse 65). Bhagavan insists that we can attain peace, happiness,

discriminating intelligence and concentration only by freeing the mind

from sensory perceptions.

 

This is our job to develop our own ethical values (Mamadharma) and

discipline our life. Swami Chinmyanada explains the role of Gita in

shaping our daily life in the book, "A Manual of Self-unfoldment,"

published by the Chinmaya Mission. Gita strongly suggests us not to have

any preconceived notions! Prejudices reflect our attachment to objects

and they initiate hatred and anger. The moment we allow the sense organs

to take control, we lose our discriminatory power, the gift of God and

destroy our identity! When flowers bloom, they don't get any pleasure!

They give pleasure to the surroundings! They use their sense organs to

eat and drink (fertilizer and water!) with no preconception to the food

they eat, the air they breathe, the light they catch, the wind they

touch or the water they drink! Any person who can give happiness to all

without prejudice will certainly attain tranquility. Will anybody ever

challenge that this is not true? Let me clarify what I mean by

"flexible."

 

Flexibility means developing an attitude to be happy with what we have

and not to demand objects that we don't have. Also, we do need to

develop skills and attitude to encounter different environments. Let me

give a recent experience of my son who filled up an application for a

summer job. There were lots of questions in the application form to

evaluate his work habits. Persons with greater number of skills with the

flexibility to undertake more tasks in a diverse work environment get

selected for a job. Vasana is a complex terminology and requires

careful scrutiny. It is almost impossible to explain what it really

means because it is highly personal! The presence or absence of an

object is not a necessarily a cause for Vasana but the root cause is the

attachment to the object. Attachment is a twin evil. When we become a

slave to an object of our liking, we create hatred toward other objects.

Due to our attachment to french fries, we show our dislike for

broccoli. Some childhood Vasanas are no more a threat to matured

adults. The Hindu Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Siva are symbolic

reminders to the endless cycle of the creation, perpetuation and

destruction of Vasanas. A simple method to destroy a Vasana is to

develop a Vasana for another object. Ideally, we have to find a way not

to create any Vasana. According to Gita, if we divert our attachment

toward the Supreme we can get liberation from the cycle of creation,

perpetuation and destruction.

 

"Madhava K. Turumella" wrote:

> "Madhava K. Turumella" <madhava

>

> Dear Ramji,

>

> Hari Om!

>

> I did not receive commentary for Verses 64 and 65! If I am the only one

> missing that "ascending path" :-) please post them to me through personal

> mail. Thank you.

>

> -mAdhava

>