Bhagavad Gita - Daily - II 2:59 II

April 11, 2009

|| Shree Hari ||

Ram Ram

|| 2-59 ||

vishaya vinivartante, niraahaarasya dehinah

rasa-varjam raso 'py asya, param drishtvaa nivartate

" Sense-objects cease to exist, for him who detaches the senses from the sense

objects, however the taste for them may persist. This relish also disappears

when he realizes the Supreme, i.e. on realizing the Supreme, the man of stable

wisdom no longer relishes the worldly objects. "

Comment:

The subtle attachment to sense objects is called Rasa (relish), this Rasa

resides in aspirant at the ego level. As long as this Rasa remains, until then

the transcendental Rasa (love) for God does not manifest. It is due to this

rasa-budhi (desire for relish), the dependence and attraction for sense

pleasures remain. Even after the aspirant gives up sense pleasures, the

rasa-budhi still remains. Therefore leaving the sense pleasures seems like a

significant act and the aspirant may even feel proud that he has given up sense

pleasures.

Even though this rasa can go away before God realization but after God

realization it entirely and completely goes away.

From " Gita Prabodhani " in Hindi, page 58 by Swami Ramsukhdasji

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Verse 59, Chapter 2 is as follows;

VishayaaH = the sense objects

Vinivartante = turn away

Nir-Aahaara-Asya = of abstinent

DehinaH = of a man

Rasavarjam = without relish

RasaH = longing / taste / relish

Api = even

Asya = his

Param = the supreme

DruShtva = having seen / perceived

Nivartate = turns away

English translation:-

The sense objects turn away from the embodied soul who abstains from feeding on

them, but not their relish. However, even the relish ceases, when a steady

minded Yogi perceives the Supreme.

Comment:

Lord Krishna is trying to explain the difference between an outwardly show of

abstention by an ordinary person, while retaining the longing for both fulfilled

as well as unfulfilled desires versus the complete inner ablution and gradual

but steady renunciation of all worldly desires by a Yogi, whose intellect has

been firmly established in the wisdom. This process is accelerated by the

cognition of the `Param-Aatman' i.e. the Supreme Being by the Yogi.

A fine control needs to be exercised on both the five sensory organs of a

physical body as well as on the fickle mind, which run in tumultuous disorder.

Liberation from tyranny of physical organs of human body is not sufficient; one

must strive for liberation from tyranny of worldly desires as well.

" The Purusha i.e. the Brahman puts on the mask of the Prakriti i.e. the

phenomenon and allures or frightens an ignorant person. But the Enlightened One

is no longer frightened or enticed, as he transcends the allurement of the

senses. " …………. Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa

For example -

For fear of ailment or fear of death or due to any other reason, a man who is

addicted to sense-enjoyments gives up the enjoyment of one or more objects. For

the time being he abstains from the enjoyment of a particular object(s), the

object(s) practically cease to exist for him, but such a temporary renuciation

insipired as it is by constraint, fear or any other motive only. Such a

renunciation cannot bring about real cessation of attachment or attraction for

the things of the world. Thus the relish ('Rasa') at the mental level continues

even though there is no bodily enjoyment of those objects for him.

The mental makeup of a beginner in any austerity training program is similar to

that of a medical patient, who being unfit for indulgence craves for the

enjoyments that he has been denied and hopes to enjoy them soon after his

recovery. Identical is the case of a convict in a prison, who is forced to

abstain from worldly enjoyments but his hankerings after them continue to dwell

in his heart till he is released from the prison.

In order to conquer over these dwellings for unmitigated desires in the heart,

they need to be nipped in the bud. These yet to be germinated seeds, if burnt in

the first instance will have no scope of sprouting further. In the similar

manner, the vagrant mind can be conquered once for all, if there is a dawn of

the knowledge of the Supreme Being.

This is precisely the meaning of " Teshaam Aadityavat Dnyaanam Prakaashayati

Tatparam " i.e. but for those in whom ignorance is destroyed by wisdom, for them

wisdom lights up in the Supreme Self like the blazing mid-day Sun. (BG: Verse

16, Chapter 5)

As per the law of supply and demand, if there is no demand, then the supply of

sensual and material indulgences is reduced from a torrent to a trickle. The

sense objects will no longer agitate the steady and focused mind of a

practitioner of Yoga. The relish may linger for a while but eventually the Yogi

will sublimate the senses by associating them with the Sublime and finally

attain the state of Self realisation.

It reminds me of a famous Subhaashita in Sanskrit language, " SukhaarthinaH KutoH

Vidhyaa, VidhyaarthinaH KutaH Sukham. " It means a person who is merely after

sensual pleasures and the aggrandizements of objects of worldly enjoyments; he

cannot aspire to gain the knowledge of the Self. Conversely if a student is in

search of the knowledge of the Self; then he ought not to aspire for sensual

pleasures and the possessions of material comforts and enjoyments.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Shrikant Joshi.

-----------------------

|| Shree Hari ||

Ram Ram

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-----------------------------

April 12, 2009

|| Shree Hari ||Ram Ram

Link: — Lord Krsna explains in the next verse, that mere withdrawal of the senses from sense-objects, is not the mark of a man of steadfast wisdom.

|| 2-59 ||

vishaya vinivartante, niraahaarasya dehinahrasa-varjam raso 'py asya, param drishtvaa nivartate || 59 ||Sense-objects cease to exist for him, who does not enjoy them with his senses, but the taste for them may persist. This relish, also disappears from a man of stable mind, when he, realises the Supreme. 59

Comment:—

'Visaya vinivartante niraahaarasya dehinah rasavarjam'—

A man becomes an abstainer in two ways (i) Fasting by one's own will or owing to sickness, (ii) Abstaining from sense enjoyments. Here, the term has been used, to refer to a striver, who withdraws his senses from sense-objects - "niraahaarasya"

The senses of a person who is ill becomes unfit for indulgence, but craving for sense enjoyment persists in the mind. He hopes to enjoy these after recovery. In this manner the relish for enjoyment remains within. Similarly, when senses are removed/restrained from sense-objects, these objects cease for the abstinent striver, but the taste persists, the desire for pleasures persists. It means that his body and senses come under restraint, but within he is not quickly freed from these desires for pleasure.

The dispassionate strivers who have instinctively no attachment for pleasure, become free from this taste. However, the striver that is engaged in spiritual disciplines without having strong dispassion, for them , inspite of giving up sense objects, the taste for pleasure persists.

'Raso'pyasya param drshtvaa nivartate'—The relish of the man of steadfast wisdom, who realises the Supreme, disappears. It is a rule. But the contrary that with the disappearance (cessation) of relish, a striver attains steadfast wisdom, is not necessarily true.

'Raso'pyasya' means that a striver has feeling of "sense of pleasure" in his ego (I-ness). This taste (relish) in the gross element takes on the form of " attachment". Therefore, a striver should have determination that he as a striver has no attachment, no desire. It is not his work and role to desire anything. In this manner and with this sort of determination (aim) that relish does not remain , and after realizing God this relish disappears altogether.

Appendix—By accepting the existence and attaching value to pleasures, in the mind there ensues a subtle attraction, lovability and sweetness for pleasures, it is named 'Rasa' (relish). As a greedy man rejoices at heart by receiving money and a voluptuary is rejoices by coming in contact with a woman, it is called 'Rasa'. After enjoying pleasure a man declares, "Oh! how much I relished!" This is recollection of that 'Rasa' (relish). This relish abides in the assumed ego (I'ness) (cijjadagranthi). The gross form of this relish is attachment to pleasures.

So long as a man has relish for sense enjoyments, he has to depend on Prakrti (Matter) and its evolutes (actions, objects and persons). When he is free from this relish, his dependence totally perishes. His dependence on sense enjoyments stops and he is no longer a slave to them.

So long as a person accepts the existence of pleasures, attaches importance to them and has relish for them, the spiritual (unworldly) relish for God is not revealed. Not to speak of unworldly relish, he can't have the determinate intellect to attain Him (GIta 2/44). After merely withdrawing outwardly the senses from sense objects, the relish (taste) persists. By attaining Self-realization this taste disappears, this relish disappears—'pararh drstva nivartate'. It means that when a striver realizes that he is different from the world and realizes his identity with God, then the perishable taste disappears. With the disappearance (cessation) of the perishable taste, imperishable (non-stop) relish is aroused.

After Self-realization this relish for pleasures certainly disappears but even before Self-realization by being indifferent to it, by reflection, by good company and by the grace of saints, a striver can be free from this relish. The company of the enlightened exalted souls can also free a striver from this taste (relish).

The three disciplines—Karmayoga, Jnanayoga and Bhaktiyoga can free a striver from the perishable relish. When a striver starts relishing the taste of service in Karmayoga, the taste of Self-realization in Jnanayoga and the taste of devotion (love) in Bhaktiyoga, his relish for the perishable pleasures starts disappearing. As a child in childhood relishes toys but when he grows up, he starts relishing wealth, then his relish for toys naturally disappears. Similarly when a striver relishes the spiritual discipline, the relish for mundane pleasures naturally disappears.

When relish persists and pleasures are enjoyed, then a man's heart melts and he is overpowered by pleasures. But when he is freed from relish, he may come across worldly pleasures but they don't cause the least agitation in his mind (GIta 2/70). He has no such inclination that pleasure may attract him. As you put a bag of money before an animal, it does not covet for it and after seeing a beautiful woman it is not lustful. An animal doesn't know the value of money and a woman but an enlightened exalted soul knows money as well the woman (GIta 2/69), yet he is free from greed and lust. When we have an itching sensation in any organ of the body, we scratch it with our fingers, and when this sensation ends, it does not make any difference in fingers, there is no alteration in them. Similarly an enlightened soul uses the sense-objects but his mind remains the same unperturbed and free from agitation. The reason is that being free from relish, he has no inclination for enjoying pleasures. Whatever he does, he does it for the welfare of others and to comfort them. Contemplation on the sense-objects for one's own pleasure leads one to ruin or fall (GIta 2/62-63). But even the use of the sense-objects not for one's own pleasure, does not lead to bondage (GIta 2/64-65).

The perishable relish (taste) is instantaneous, it does not last long. The relish which we have for a woman or money at the beginning does not persist in the same degree afterwards. We relish the food at the beginning but after each morsel the relish decreases and finally ends and then we have a dislike for that food. But the imperishable relish never lessens but always remains the same. Enjoyment of the perishable relish results in inertness, shortage, grief, diseases, fear, commotion and other evils.

A voluptuous person can't escape these evils because pleasures certainly lead to these evils. Therefore the Lord has mentioned the perception of misery and evil in them — duhkhadosanudarsanam (GIta 13/8). The man freed from evils such as desire etc., pursues his salvation (GIta 16/21-22).

From "The Bhagavadgita - Sadhak Sanjivani" in English, page 210 - 214 by Swami Ramsukhdasji