BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:60

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:60

 

yatato hy api kaunteya

purusasya vipascitah

indriyani pramathini

haranti prasabham manah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

yatatah--while endeavoring; hi--certainly; api--in spite of;

kaunteya--O son of Kunti; purusasya--of a man; vipascitah--full of

discriminating knowledge; indriyani--the senses;

pramathini--agitating; haranti--throw; prasabham--by force; manah--the

mind.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly

carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring

to control them.

 

PURPORT

 

There are many learned sages, philosophers and transcendentalists who

try to conquer the senses, but in spite of their endeavors, even the

greatest of them sometimes fall victim to material sense enjoyment due

to the agitated mind. Even Visvamitra, a great sage and perfect yogi,

was misled by Menaka into sex enjoyment, although the yogi was

endeavoring for sense control with severe types of penance and yoga

practice. And, of course, there are so many similar instances in the

history of the world. Therefore, it is very difficult to control the

mind and senses without being fully Krsna conscious. Without engaging

the mind in Krsna, one cannot cease such material engagements. A

practical example is given by Sri Yamunacarya, a great saint and

devotee, who says:

 

yad-avadhi mama cetah krsna-padaravinde

nava-nava-rasa-dhamany udyatam rantum asit

tad-avadhi bata nari-sangame smaryamane

bhavati mukha-vikarah susthu nisthivanam ca

 

"Since my mind has been engaged in the service of the lotus feet of Lord

Krsna, and I have been enjoying an ever new transcendental humor,

whenever I think of sex life with a woman, my face at once turns from

it, and I spit at the thought."

 

Krsna consciousness is such a transcendentally nice thing that

automatically material enjoyment becomes distasteful. It is as if a

hungry man had satisfied his hunger by a sufficient quantity of

nutritious eatables. Maharaja Ambarisa also conquered a great yogi,

Durvasa Muni, simply because his mind was engaged in Krsna

consciousness (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi

vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane).

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.