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Chapter 02, Verse 67
श्रीभगवानुवाच:
इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते |
तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि || 2.67 ||
sri-bhagavan uvaca:
indriyanam hi caratam yan mano’nuvidhiyate |
tad asya harati pragyam vayur navam ivambhasi || 2.67 ||
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
श्रीभगवानुवाच: (sri-bhagavan uvaca) |
The Supreme Lord said: This marks Krishna’s first direct
speech in the Bhagavad Gita, where he begins guiding
Arjuna.
|
|
इन्द्रियाणाम् (Indriyanam)
|
Of the senses |
|
हि (hi) |
Indeed |
|
चरताम् (caratam) |
Roaming, wandering |
|
यत् (yat) |
Which |
|
मनः (manah) |
The mind |
|
अनुविधीयते (anuvidhiyate) |
Follows |
|
तत् (tat) |
That |
|
अस्य (asya) |
His |
|
हरति (harati) |
Takes away, steals |
|
प्रज्ञाम् (pragyam) |
Wisdom, intelligence |
|
वायुः (vayuh) |
Wind |
|
नावम् (navam) |
A boat |
|
इव (iva) |
Like |
|
अम्भसि (ambhasi) |
On water |
Translation
“The person who has the uncontrolled mind who follows after his wandering senses, the senses will carry away that man, as wind sweeps away a boat upon the water.”
Context of the Verse
Krishna goes on to state that an uncontrolled mind, swayed by the senses, leads to loss of wisdom.
Key Teachings in This Verse
The Senses Are Always Roaming (Indriyanam Caratam); which means our senses are always attracted to objects of desire. If the mind runs after the thoughts, it loses its focus. Senses Out of Control Cause the Disappearance of Wisdom (Tad Asya Harati Pragyam); the same way a powerful gust can take a boat, the senses take someone far away from wisdom. It is well-known that a person whose senses cannot be controlled by them is likely to be confused and distracted.
Why Self-Discipline Is Important?
It takes self-control to settle the mind and direct the heart to the higher wisdom. The distracting noises of the world can make the mind wander.
Relevance to Arjuna
Krishna tells Arjuna that if he allows his senses to have him, he will perish and will lose both his wisdom and clarity of thought. Overcome by feelings and diverting thoughts, Arjuna needs to ground his hope deep into the ground of greater knowledge and disciplined thought.
Explanation
So, if your intelligence depends on nothing is fixed then the mind moves to any of the senses, just like wind in the top of the boat. Contemplation for a moment even on sense object of any of the senses. Then you will again fall in the sense enjoyment material world.
Chapter 02, Verse 68
तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः |
इन्द्रियाणि इन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 2.68 ||
tasmad yasya maha-baho nigrhitani sarvasah |
indriyani indriyathebhyas tasya pragya pratisthita || 2.68 ||
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
तस्मात् (tasmat) |
Therefore |
|
यस्य (yasya) |
Whose |
|
महाबाहो (maha-baho) |
O mighty-armed (Arjuna) |
|
निगृहीतानि (nigrhitani) |
Completely restrained |
|
सर्वशः (sarvasah) |
In all ways |
|
इन्द्रियाणि (indriyani) |
The senses |
|
इन्द्रियार्थेभ्यः (indriyathebhyah) |
From sense objects |
|
तस्य (tasya) |
His |
|
प्रज्ञा (pragya) |
Wisdom |
|
प्रतिष्ठिता (pratisthita) |
Is firmly established |
Translation
“Thus, O Arjuna, he who, controlling his senses and keeping “them” from their respective objects; he alone has such wisdom.”
Context of the Verse
Self-control leads to wisdom and therefore Krishna summarizes what has been taught so far and provides a clear instruction.
Key Teachings in This Verse
Restraint of the Senses (Nigrhitani Sarvasah); one must not allow the senses to control the mind. Restraining the senses in all ways leads to stability.
Wisdom is Firmly Established (Pragya Pratisthita); a person with self-discipline has steady wisdom.Such a person is not easily disturbed by external distractions.
Relevance to Arjuna
Krishna tells Arjuna that self-mastery leads to wisdom. If Arjuna controls his senses, his mind will be steady and wise, allowing him to act with clarity on the battlefield.
Explanation
So just like the enemies are cured by a higher power, higher force by human endeavours efforts, it is not possible to control the senses. So, when the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, Lord Power controls the senses. But when we engage in some in certain practice as described here, controlling the senses, then there would be a reaction from the people around us. And what is that reaction? Very nicely, Krishna explains.
Chapter 02, Verse 69
या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी |
यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः|| 2.69 ||
ya nisa sarva-bhutanam tasyam jagarti samyami |
yasyam jagrati bhutani sa nisa pasyato muneh || 2.69 ||
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
या (ya) |
That which |
|
निशा (nisa) |
Night |
|
सर्वभूतानाम् (sarva-bhutanam) |
For all beings |
|
तस्याम् (tasyam) |
In that |
|
जागर्ति (jagarti) |
Stays awake
|
|
संयमी (samyami) |
The self-controlled one |
|
यस्याम् (yasyam) |
In which |
|
जाग्रति (jagrati) |
Remain awake |
|
भूतानि (bhutani) |
Living beings |
|
सा (sa) |
That |
|
निशा (nisa) |
Night |
|
पश्यतः (pasyatah) |
For the wise one |
|
मुनेः (muneh) |
The sage |
Translation
“That which is night to all beings, in that the self-controlled person is awake; and that in which all beings are awake, is night for the wise sage.
Context of the Verse
Krishna uses a powerful metaphor to contrast an enlightened person with the worldly-minded.
Key Teachings in This Verse
The Wise See What Others Cannot. What is dark (night) to the common people is light to the one who controls himself, the yogi. Spiritual wisdom, which most people who seek material pleasures also ignore.
The Wise Have No Use for Worldly Pleasures. What normal human beings see as valuable (wealth, fame, sensory pleasures) is like night (dark, unimportant) to a realized sage. A sage spring forth in spiritual wisdom and the materialistic descend further into the darkness of ignorance.
Relevance to Arjuna
We have access to the immortal wisdom of Krishna when he explains to Arjuna that “jnana” or the path of wisdom is not understood by all. He should not be led by the ordinary perception of the world, but rather see through to the heart of the matter, the underlying reality of things, and then act appropriately.
Explanation
So, people may say Oh, what is your life? What do you mean by Krishna consciousness? That yoga you practiced since a few / some. You have been studying Bhagavad Gita. Your life has been changed. Now you do not relish in material enjoyment anymore. Now people would say like this, they would sneer sometimes also and Krishna is saying that this is natural. The moonlit day becomes the moonless evil night for materialists, the spiritualist does not love this kind of object, as it has a material contribution to a very low order that is expected of the 3rd grade that only show problems and high diversities in life.
However, for a materialist whatever is there in the outer sense objects is invaluable for inner spiritual enjoyment. A materialist is graceful, or rather believes not upon the spirituality, the spirit, soul. A spiritualist does not hold any worth in the material identities as they all are nothing but dresses and unreal. Needless to say, what is day time for spiritualist is night time for materialists.
When people, but if people like they should do such a question, why your course like of life which seems like totally gone, then we can give them this wonderful logic which Krishna is giving here.