Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter2

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62. Dhyaayatho vishyaan pumsaH sangah theshu upajaayathe

sanghaathsanjaayathe kaamaH kaamaath kroDho abhijaayathe

 

63. kroDhth bhavathi sammohaH sammohaath smrthivibhramaH

smrthibhramSaath budDhinaSah budDhinaaSaath vinaSyathi

 

By the mind dwelling upon the sense objects attachment is created for them and from that the longing desire to possess them springs up and the desire gives way to anger .From anger delusion arises and the delusion causes loss of memory which results in destruction of reasoning power and as a result the man is destroyed.

 

Krishna now traces the descent of man from the state of infinite bliss which is his real nature. dhyayato vishayaan pumsah sangastheshoopajaayate. This is the first step by which one descends from his mansion of bliss. When we think about an object continuously, DhyaayathaH, we get attached to it. This is sanga .Then we start desiring it sangaat sanjaayate kaamah, which, when thwarted , results in anger kaamaat krodho abhijaayate. Then comes sammoha delusion. When the intellect is clouded with anger one is not .able to think straight. That is, we imagine something which is not there and that is delusion. sammohaat smrti vibramah.'. From sammoha arises confusion of memory. When angry we forget whom we are talking to, and what they have been to us in the past. In the Sundarakanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, Hanuman says kruddho hanyat guroon api,. angry man will not hesitate to kill even his elders or even his preceptor. This will happen because he forgets everything except the cause of his anger, not caring whom he hurts. The confusion of memory results in the loss of reason buddhinaasah due to which he comes to ruin. As Krishna elaborates later, kaama or desire is the principal enemy of man followed by the other forces of destruction , namely ,anger , delusion pride, avarice and jealousy.

 

So what is the way out? That the only way is to cultivate the equanimity of mind

 

64. raagadhvesha viyukthaih thu vishayaan indhriyaiH charan

aathmavasyaiH viDheyaathmaa prasaadham aDhigacChathi

 

The one who contacts the sense objects with his senses fully controlled due to the absence of likes and dislikes is disciplined and self-controlled and attains equanimity of mind.

 

 

A man of discrimination, sThithaprajna, enjoys the sense objects through his senses but does not cling to them, being free from likes and dislikes. He sees a beautiful thing or hears a beautiful music and enjoys it as everyone else but his mind is not running after such sensual pleasures. This idea is well brought out by Sankara in his hymns of `bhajagovinda,' where he says,

 

`Yogaratho vaa bhogaratho vaa sangaratho vaa sangaviheenah yasya brahmani ramathe chiththam nandhathi nandhathi nandhathyeva.' Whether he is seen practicing yoga or seemingly indulgent in bhoga his inner bliss remains unalloyed. He is always happy because his mind is revels ever in Brahman. This is what is meant by prasaadham aDhigacChathi. This is made clear in the next sloka.

 

65.prasaadhe sarva duhkhaanaam haaniH asya upajaayathe

prasannachethasaH hi aaSu buddhiH paryavathishtaThe

 

When the serenity of mind is achieved all sorrow of the samsara come to an end because the mind is established in Brahman.

 

All sorrows are only due to the agitation of mind concerned with acquiring the objects of desire and preservation of them and the grief on losing them. All experiences whether joyous or painful bring only sorrow , former because of their fleeting nature and the latter because of their being unpleasant. When the mind is in equanimity neither the pleasure nor the pain affects the person. Then the mind becomes established in Brahman immediately.