VERSE NUMBER 60 OF SAMKHYA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER TWO

SAMKHYA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE

VERSE NUMBER 60

Text in Transliteration:

yatato hy api kaunteya purushasya vipaschitah

indriyaani pramaatheeni haranti prsabham manah

Text in English:

The excited senses, O son of Kunti, impetuously carry away the mind of even a wise man, striving for perfection.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANADA:

Treacherous are the senses. They are as impetuous as wild horses newly harnesse. Riding on them is risky to life,. The major portion of the spiritual discipline to which an aspirant subjects himself is actually the warfare that he carries on with the wayward senses. Innumerable are the defeats that he suffers at their hands at the initial stage. Repentance so much spoken of by a section of theologians as a means to win the mercy of the Maker is none other than the moral man chewing the cud of the rebuffs and reverses that he has had from the restive senses.

Conquest of the senses is the means for the attainment of excellence here and hereafter. The refinement of an individual or a society is measured by the yardstick of sense-control.

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AS QUOTED BY SWAMI CHIDBHAVANADA:

    People who live in localities infested with venomous creatures should always be alert and mindful of the danger. Even so, people intent on spiritual growth should gurard themselves against indulgent senses tainted with lust and greed.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIVANANDA:

   The aspirant should first bring the senses under control. The senses are like horses. If you keep the horses under your perfect control you can reach your destination safely. Turbulent horses will throw you down on the way. Even so the trubulent senses will hurl you down into the onject of the seinses and you cannot reach your spiritual destination, viz., Param Dhama (the supreme abode) or the abode of eternal peace and immortality or Moksha (final liberation) (Cf. III.33, V.14)

Comments of the blogger:

Though the senses are like wild horses, they can be reined even in this age. For the Kali Yuga, the marga or path is to sing the name of the Lord. This can supremely of use to not just aspirants but ordinary people too. The trick is we must not worship always the pantheon of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Choose one Name of the Ultimate Reality, whether it is Siva, or Vishnu or the Dhevi, or Lord Ganesh or Vinayaka; chant the name continuously as you go through the daily life. This is ideal for people belonging to other religions too. The Hindus may worship any number of deities, there is nothing wrong in it. All roads lead to Rome. But the trick is to choose an ishta Dhevata or deity and chant His or Her name continuosly even among our daily life. We can do it except when we are reading, or writing or sleeping! The homemakers may chant the name of their chosen God or Goddesses in the midst of their cooking and cleaning and washing and scrubbing. This is the easiest way of salvation in the Kalki yuga. We need not perform great yagyas in this yuga. Chanting is enough for the kalki yuga. Focussing the mind on the individual God or Goddesse’s name bring perfect peace and inner satisfaction, which all the gadgets in the world cannot give. We can make this innings or re-birth very useful.

And another thing is to leave the house in the evenings and go for a walk up to the nearby temple and spend time there with family. This may seem not possible. But if we can make it a regular practice, our senses can be reined. But those who cannot visit the temples daily may do so at weekends. Even if it is not possible, chant the name of your chosen deity, first outwardly and then it will become a habit at some point of time; then we need not chant the name outwardly, it will go on inwardly in the midst of our daily works. This is a sidhi.

TV viewing may be reduced, and the time spent on costly gadgets may be spent by memorizing the various songs of devotion written by Great Masters. Memorizing and group rendering in the family is a great thing. If it is not possible, chanting of the holy name individually will do handsomely.

Mahatma Gandhi memorized almost three quarters of the Bhagavat Gita! When he saw self-shaving took up almost ten minute every day, he used the time to memorize two stanzas every day morning at the time of shaving!