Sastra Caksusa

seeing through the eyes of scriptures

TEXT 60

yatato hy api kaunteya
purusasya vipascitah
indriyani pramathini
haranti prasabham manah

SYNONYMS

yatatah--while endeavoring; hi--certainly; api--in spite of; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; purusasya--of the man; vipascitah--full of discriminating knowledge; indriyani--the senses; pramathini--stimulated; haranti--throws forcefully; prasabham--by force; manah--the mind.
TRANSLATION

The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.
PURPORT

There are many learned sages, philosophers and transcendentalists who try to conquer the senses, but in spite of their endeavors, even the greatest of them sometimes fall victim to material sense enjoyment due to the agitated mind. Even Visvamitra, a great sage and perfect yogi, was misled by Menaka into sex enjoyment, although the yogi was endeavoring for sense control with severe types of penance and yoga practice. And, of course, there are so many similar instances in the history of the world. Therefore, it is very difficult to control the mind and the senses without being fully Krsna conscious. Without engaging the mind in Krsna, one cannot cease such material engagements. A practical example is given by Sri Yamunacarya, a great saint and devotee, who says: "Since my mind has been engaged in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, and I have been enjoying an ever new transcendental humor, whenever I think of sex life with a woman, my face at once turns from it, and I spit at the thought."
Krsna consciousness is such a transcendentally nice thing that automatically material enjoyment becomes distasteful. It is as if a hungry man had satisfied his hunger by a sufficient quantity of nutritious eatables. Maharaja Ambarisa also conquered a great yogi, Durvasa Muni, simply because his mind was engaged in Krsna consciousness.

Text 60

yatato hy api kaunteya
purushasya vipascitah
indriyani pramathini
haranti prasabham manah

Translation

The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

There are many learned sages, philosophers and transcendentalists who try to conquer the senses, but in spite of their endeavors, even the greatest of them sometimes fall victim to material sense enjoyment due to the agitated mind. Even Vishvamitra, a great sage and perfect yogi, was misled by Menaka into sex enjoyment, although the yogi was endeavoring for sense control with severe types of penance and yoga practice. And, of course, there are so many similar instances in the history of the world. Therefore, it is very difficult to control the mind and senses without being fully Krishna conscious. Without engaging the mind in Krishna, one cannot cease such material engagements. A practical example is given by Sri Yamunacarya, a great saint and devotee, who says:

yad-avadhi mama cetah krishna-padaravinde
nava-nava-rasa-dhamany udyatam rantum asit
tad-avadhi bata nari-sangame smaryamane
bhavati mukha-vikarah susthu nisthivanam ca

“Since my mind has been engaged in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, and I have been enjoying an ever new transcendental humor, whenever I think of sex life with a woman, my face at once turns from it, and I spit at the thought.”

Krishna consciousness is such a transcendentally nice thing that automatically material enjoyment becomes distasteful. It is as if a hungry man had satisfied his hunger by a sufficient quantity of nutritious eatables. Maharaja Ambarisha also conquered a great yogi, Durvasa Muni, simply because his mind was engaged in Krishna consciousness (sa vai manah krishna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane).

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

The effort at the stage of sadhana is very great, without power to turn back the senses completely. Pramathini means “causing agitation.”

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary
Since it is not possible without controlling the senses to be one in steady wisdom; it is strongly recommended that in the practice of ones spiritual austerities one apply themselves diligently in this regard. The senses are so turbulent that they can forcibly take the mind of even a person of discrimination, for the senses are very agitating.

Thus ends the commnentary to Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 2, verse 60, by Sridhara Swami.

Bhagavad-Gita

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary
Even men of wisdom who lack spiritual experience and resort to using the mind as their only medium of understanding are soon overpowered by the senses. What then is the impediment to those who take pride in the bodily conception? Lord Krishna use of the word pramathini meaning turbulent indicates one who is assailed by agitation.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary
Until and unless self-realisation is attained by direct soul cognition the cravings and attachments for sensual experiences will never entirely cease to exist subtly or physically. The concerted exertions of even the persevering yogi can all be to no avail against the restless and powerful senses of which any one of them can forcibly decoy the mind astray. Thus the conquest of the senses is ultimately dependent upon realisation of the eternal soul and the perception of the soul is dependent upon control of the senses. Thus Lord Krishna alludes to the difficulty there is in striving for soul cognition following jnana-nishta by knowledge only.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Thus the control over the senses is root cause of stabilising the mind. Now Lord Krishna reveals the flaws in not possessing a stable mind. One situated in spiritual intelligence with discrimination and powers of observation trying their level best to keep the mind from gravitating towards the senses and withdrawing their mind repeatedly away from objects of the senses and directing it internally within is a form of meditation. But the senses are so strong that they forcibly invade the mind, disrupt this meditation and forcibly overpower the mind and indulge it in contemplating sense gratification and bodily attachment. How is it possible that the senses can carry away ones mind while they are intently striving? It is because the senses are so restless and turbulent that they totally disregarding all ones efforts in discrimination, besieging the mind they direct it towards sensual objects that will gratify these self-same senses by engaging the mind in sense contemplation.

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