CH 5, Verse 21

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Chapter 5

Verse 21

 

Baahya-sparsheshhv asakt'aatmaa vindaty aatmani yat

sukham /

sa brahma-yoga-yuktaatmaa sukham akshayam ashnute //

 

With the Self detached from the external contacts, he

realizes the joy that is in the Self. With the heart

in union with Brahman, he enjoys imperishable Bliss.

 

LESSONS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA – 51

As taught by Parama Pujya Sri Swamiji

 

"With the Self detached from the external contacts, he

realizes the joy that is in the Self. With the heart

in union with Brahman, he enjoys imperishable Bliss."

 

He who is not attached to the external objects of

enjoyment secures the undecaying joy that exists

within his own self. Such a man stops his mind from

all wanderings in the external world and turns it

towards his Self. He knows that the external objects

of enjoyment are transient and as such the pleasure

derived from them is also transient. Happiness that is

transient lasts for a while and is then gone forever.

What is the use of such happiness? The longing for

eternal happiness, which is in the Self, can never be

fulfilled by external objects of enjoyment.

 

When a man is extremely hungry a delicious food gives

him happiness. But when his hunger is fully appeased

the same food however delicious will not give him any

joy. Rather it would create only disturbances in his

stomach. So the objects that give happiness now, give

pain afterwards. All external enjoyments are of this

nature.

 

In fact there is no happiness in the external objects.

Happiness is the nature of the Self and you can find

it only in the Self. For instance, when a man is

hungry if he cannot get something to eat he feels

unhappy and restless. But if food is readily available

the restlessness of the mind ceases. He takes the

food, satisfies his hunger and then he rests in peace.

As the vagaries and restlessness of his mind stopped

for the time being, his mind peacefully rests in his

own Self. The moment the mind leaves the Self and

starts wandering in the external object it will lose

its peace and happiness. So the seeming happiness that

man gets from external objects is the happiness that

he gets from his own Self. Not withstanding this, all

people who lead a worldly life are busy accumulating

wealth and other objects of enjoyment. This is what is

called delusion, simple but grand.

 

To withdraw the mind from external objects and turn it

within one's own Self is Brahma Yoga or union with

Brahman. When a man knows that the Brahman, who

pervades the entire cosmos, is there within him as his

own Self and, in order to realize it, he fixes his

mind firmly as his Self, he attains union with

Brahman. Then he becomes a 'Brahma yoga yukta Atma,'

i.e., his mind is ever in union with Brahman, which is

his own Self. He then enjoys imperishable Bliss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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