Bhagavat Gita a detailed study-chapter4The truth about action

[Guest guest]

26. Srothraani indhriyaNi anye samyamaadhishu juhvathi

Sabshaadheen vishyaan anye indhriyaagnishu juhvathi

Others offer the senses ear in the fire of restraint. Some others offer the sense objects like sound etc. in the fire of senses.

 

27. sarvaaNi indhriyakarmaaNi praanakarmaNi cha apare

aathmasamyamayogaagnou juhvathi jnaanadheepithe

 

Some others offer all the functions of the senses and the vital airs in the fire of the yoga of restraint kindled by knowledge.

 

Here Krishna elaborates yet another kind of discipline , namely, self control, indriya nigraha, which, when done as a yajna leads one to samaadhi. When mind is integrated in Brahman it is samaadhi. For that to happen the mind must turn away from the sense experience. This control of the mind from running after sense objects is described as a yajna of which three stages are required.

 

 

1. Srothraaneendhriyaanyaadhaou samyamaagnishu juhvathi, sacrifice the ear and other senses in the fire of restraint. Restraining the senses is described as offering them in the fire of restraint. Once the senses are restrained when they contact the sense objects it is like sacrificing the sense objects like sound, in the fire of senses, 2.sabdhaadheen indhriyaanyanyeindhriyaagnishu juhvathi. The sense objects do not create any reaction as the senses are restrained already.

3.The next stage is when all the activities of the senses sarvaaneendhriya karmaani and of the vital breaths praanakarmaani are sacrificed in the fire of aathmasamyama, self restraint, kindled by knowledge. Jnanadheepithe.

Aathmasamyama is the state of samaadhi when there is no activity of the senses or vital breath because the mind is integrated in Brahman consciousness. It is akin to the deep sleep state where body, mind and intellect do not exist and hence no activity can be ascribed to them, yet it is different, since it is not under the influence of ignorance as in deep sleep but it is full of awareness born out of jnana. This is what is implied by the word jnanadheepithe., illumined by jnana.