Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter2-

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70. aapooryamaaNam achalaprthishTam

samudhram aapah pravisanthi yadhvath

thadhvath kaamaa yam pravisanthi sarve

sa Saanthim aapnothi na kaamakaamee

 

The one, in whom all the desires (objects of desire enter as the waters enter into the sea which remains full and undisturbed by them , he alone acquires peace and not one who longs for the fulfillment of desires.

 

When the waters , aapaH, of the rivers enter, praviSanthi, into the sea they do not create any change either in the content or in the form of the sea which remains always full, aapooryamaaNam, and undisturbed,achalaprathishTam. Similarly, kaamaaH, the objects of desire , the sense objects, enter into the mind of a sThithaprjna, meaning that, the sight, smell etc do exist in him and his senses do contact the sense objects but he is unperturbed and unchanged like the ocean by the waters entering into it. He remains calm, sa Santhim aapnothi, while enjoying the sense experiences without being affected by them. In him all enjoyments merge themselves like the rivers entering the ocean. But the man who is agitated by desires never gets peace.

 

In this sloka the word kaamaaH is not used in the meaning of desire but means the objects of desire.kaamyathe ithi kaamaH, that which is desired.

 

Sankara says in Bajagovindam about such a sthithaprajana,

 

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. On the other hand it is only the man who has not controlled his mind gets agitated by the desires.

This and the next slokas answer the question of Arjuna, sThithaDheeH kim vrajetha, how does a sThithprajna behave.

 

71.vihaaya kaamaan yaH sarvaan pumaan charathi nissprhaah

nirmamo nirahankaaraH sa Saanthim aDhigaCChathi.

The one who moves about giving up all desires, without ego and sens of possessions attains peace.

 

The description of a sthithaprajna comes to a close with a portrait of the man of wisdom one whose senses are completely restrained from their objects and who, having given up all desires moves freely without attachment, ego and possessiveness. This reflects the sloka at the outset of the description of sThithaprajana, `prajahaathi yadhaa kaamaan ,'

which has given the reason for his peace mentioned here. He is aathmani eva aathmanaa thushTaH, reveling in the bliss of the self.

 

nissprhaH- withour desire of any sort.This is achieved by being nirmamaH- Giving up the sense of possession, the concept of 'mine.' Only the feeling of my body, my wife, my house etc. creates desire for the sense objects. This arises because of ego, the concept of `I.' ahankara, arising from the identification with body, mind and intellect, which is the root cause of all evil. The Sthithprajna is nirahankaaraH, withut ego. Hence he gets peace, Santhim aDhigacChathi, says the Lord.

 

 

72.eshaa braahmeesThithih paarTha na enaam praapya vimuhyathi

sThithvaa asyaam anthakaale api brahma nirvaaNam rcChathi

 

This is the state of Brhaman consciousness on attaining which one does not lapse back into delusion. Staying in this till the end of his life he attains Brahman.

 

The delusion comes only from the identification of oneself with body, mind and intellect. When the real nature of the self is known, there is no more delusion.as in the case of Arjuna. The man of real wisdom , shithprajna, moves about in the world as described in the previous sloka until he leaves his body and staying in this braahmi state till the end he then attains mukthi.Staying in this state till the end of his life is possible only when the detachment from desres and freedom from ego is hundred percent because if the aspirant slips he is carried away by the senses as mentioned earlier. But when his intellect is established formly in the supreme being, there is no more lapses.

 

Ramanuja explains the word antha kale api as, even if one attains this state at the end of his life. This meaning is inkeeping with the words of Krishna later `kshipram bhavathi dharmaatmaa sasvath saanthim nigacchathi.'

 

Thus ends the second chapter on sankhyayoga. Next Krishna starts elaborating on karmayoga.