BHAGAVAD-GITA 5:23

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 5:23

 

saknotihaiva yah sodhum

prak sarira-vimoksanat

kama-krodhodbhavam vegam

sa yuktah sa sukhi narah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

saknoti--is able; iha eva--in the present body; yah--one who;

sodhum--to tolerate; prak--before; sarira--the body;

vimoksanat--giving up; kama--desire; krodha--and anger;

udbhavam--generated from; vegam--urges; sah--he; yuktah--in trance;

sah--he; sukhi--happy; narah--human being.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the

urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger,

he is well situated and is happy in this world.

 

PURPORT

 

If one wants to make steady progress on the path of self-realization,

he must try to control the forces of the material senses. There are

the forces of talk, forces of anger, forces of mind, forces of the

stomach, forces of the genitals, and forces of the tongue. One who is

able to control the forces of all these different senses, and the

mind, is called gosvami, or svami. Such gosvamis live strictly

controlled lives, and forgo altogether the forces of the senses.

Material desires, when unsatiated, generate anger, and thus the mind,

eyes and chest become agitated. Therefore, one must practice to

control them before one gives up this material body. One who can do

this is understood to be self-realized and is thus happy in the state

of self-realization. It is the duty of the transcendentalist to try

strenuously to control desire and anger.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.