Sastra Caksusa

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TEXT 67
indriyanam hi caratam yan mano 'nuvidhiyate tad asya harati prajnam vayur navam ivambhasi
SYNONYMS
indriyanam--of the senses; hi--certainly; caratam--while herding over; yat--that; manah--mind; anuvidhiyate--becomes constantly engaged; tat--that; asya--his; harati--takes away; prajnam--intelligence; vayuh--wind; navam--a boat; iva--like; ambhasi--on the water.
TRANSLATION
As a boat on the water is  swept away by a strong wind, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses  can carry away a man's intelligence.
PURPORT
Unless all of the senses are engaged in  the service of the Lord, even one of them engaged in sense gratification can  deviate the devotee from the path of transcendental advancement. As mentioned in  the life of Maharaja Ambarisa, all of the senses must be engaged in Krsna  consciousness, for that is the correct technique for controlling the mind.
Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur
This verse examines the person with no intelligence due to lack of control of the mind (ayuktasya buddhih na asti described in the previous verse).
Among all the senses moving towards their respective sense objects, the mind follows after one sense. In this way a person follows each of the senses. Such a mind takes away the intelligence or prajna of the person, just as unfavorable wind takes a boat off course which is being steered somewhere on the water
gita-128
Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Visnuswami
Sridhara Swami's Commentary
The reason why one who is uncontrolled is devoid of knowledge is now being  stated in this verse. Whichever one of the wandering senses the uncontrolled  mind follows, that sense by itself enslaves the mind and carries away all  discrimination making one restless for the object of desire. As the wind  effortlessly snatches away a boat on the ocean whose helmsman is not in control;  similarly the senses of one who is uncontrolled snatches away even their mundane  intelligence.
Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Madhvacarya
Madhvacarya's Commentary
In this verse Lord Krishna gives an analogy on the condition of those who  meditate on their senses. One may ask the question, Do not the senses perform  the activities energised by the Supreme Lord? This is only partly true because  wisdom is an essential ingredient of meditation and when one is pursuing the  senses then wisdom is lost and one is out of control like a ship in a storm  causing the senses to lose their essential purpose.
Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Ramanuja
Ramanuja's Commentary
When the senses are rambling about in pursuit of their delights and one  allows their mind to follow in hot pursuit after them, then the mind will be  deprived of its inherent intelligence and will completely forget all the things  that lead to ones highest good. Instead of inducing a strong will to pursue  spiritual development one will develop a strong will for sensual enjoyment. Thus  Lord Krishna gives this fitting analogy of a ship in the ocean being tossed  about violently hither and thither by tempestuous winds. The conclusion of this  rational is explained in the next verse.
Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Nimbaditya
Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary
Lord Krishna declares that one who is unable to control their mind and senses  cannot be in possession of determinate reason. This is because any one of the  rambling senses which the mind attaches itself to in pursuit of sense objects  has the power to deviate one, taking away even their common sense and compelling  them to be oblivious to their highest good which is realisation of the soul. The  example given of an unfavourable wind forcibly propelling astray a boat in the  water, completely deviating it from its destination is quite apropos.

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