Secret Of Controlling The Senses Bhagavad Gita .2.66

[Paramananda das]

Chapter 2. Contents of the Gita Summarized

TEXT 66

nasti buddhir ayuktasya na cayuktasya bhavana na cabhavayatah santir asantasya kutah sukham

SYNONYMS

na asti--there cannot be; buddhih--transcendental intelligence; ayuktasya--of one who is not  connected (with Krsna consciousness); na--neither; ca--and; ayuktasya--of one devoid of Krsna consciousness; bhavana--mind  fixed in happiness; na--neither; ca--and; abhavayatah--one  who is not fixed; santih--peace; asantasya--of the unpeaceful; kutah--where is; sukham--happiness.

TRANSLATION

One who is not in  transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady  intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there  be any happiness without peace?

PURPORT

Unless one is in Krsna consciousness  there is no possibility of peace. So it is confirmed in the Fifth Chapter  (5.29) that when one understands that Krsna is the only enjoyer of all  the good results of sacrifice and penance, and that He is the proprietor of all  universal manifestations, that He is the real friend of all living entities,  then only can one have real peace. Therefore, if one is not in Krsna  consciousness, there cannot be a final goal for the mind. Disturbance is due to  want of an ultimate goal, and when one is certain that Krsna is the enjoyer,  proprietor and friend of everyone and everything, then one can, with a steady  mind, bring about peace. Therefore, one who is engaged without a relationship  with Krsna is certainly always in distress and is without peace, however much he  may make a show of peace and spiritual advancement in life. Krsna consciousness  is a self-manifested peaceful condition which can be achieved only in  relationship with Krsna.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Krishna makes his statement clear by stating the effects of the opposite condition.

For one who has not controlled the mind (ayuktasya), there is no intelligence, no prajna, fixed on the soul. For one who not having such prajna arising from controlled mind, meditation on the Supreme Lord (bhavana) also is not possible. Not performing meditation (abhavayatah), he does not have peace, the cessation of agitation from sense objects. This peaceless person does not have bliss (sukham) from the soul.

from Secret Of Controlling The Senses"

68/12/19 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 2.62-72

66: "One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a  controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility  of peace, and how can there be any happiness without peace?"67

Prabhupada: Everyone in this  material world, they are after peace, but they don't want to control the senses.  It is not possible. Just like you are diseased, and doctor says that "You take  this medicine, you take this diet," but you cannot control. You are taking  anything you like, against the instruction of the physician. Then how you can be  cured? Similarly, we want cure of the chaotic condition of this material world,  we want peace and prosperity, but we are not ready to control the senses. We do  not know how to control the senses. We do not know the real yogic principle of  controlling the senses. So there is no possibility of peace. Kutah santir  ayuktasya. The exact word is there in the Bhagavad-gita. If you are not engaged  in Krsna consciousness, there is no possibility of peace. Artificially, you may  try for it. It is not possible. Go on.

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary Lord Krishna now reveals the controlling of the senses as a means of  attaining spiritual intelligence in a converse way. The Lord states that one  with an uncontrolled mind can never possess spiritual intelligence even if well  versed in the Vedic scriptures and the teachings of the bona-fide preceptor in  the line of Vedic disciplic succession in one of the four authorised Vaisnava  sampradaya's. Why is this true? Because with an uncontrolled mind it is not  possible to have spiritual intelligence, without spiritual intelligence one  cannot meditate and without meditation it is not possible to realise the  Ultimate Truth. So one who has an uncontrolled mind is bereft of this, for one  who cannot meditate, who is unable to enlighten themselves within there is no  peace and where there is no peace how can there be happiness.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary Lord Krishna is explaining the defects due to the absence of happiness as  referred to in this verse. Without being happy there is no possibility of  concentration of the mind. Without concentration of the mind there can be no  meditation and without meditation it is not possible to have inner awakening or  soul-cognition. Therefore it has been declared that these things are not  possible for one without concentration. Santih or peace refers also to  liberation. Santi, moksa or liberation and nirvana all have a similar meaning  denoting termination of the samsara or worldly existence.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary One who is unable to concentrate and focus their mind in meditation on Lord  Krishna is known as ayukta devoid of spiritual intelligence. One who  attempts to control their senses by their own efforts without securing the grace  of the Supreme Lord merited by devotion. To these living entities no clear,  definitive illumination in consciousness can develop; ergo , because one will  not be able to internally realise the ultimate reality of the Supreme Lord  through the medium of the eternal soul as having name, form, qualities,  pastimes, abode and sweetness. Thus without being able to comprehend and  contemplate on the nature of the eternal soul there can be no tranquillity. Nor  is it possible to dispel the compulsive urge and inclination to experience  sensual objects. To those who are not tranquil, who are addicted to sensual  objects and who are submerged in sense gratification; how can they ever possibly  attain eternal blessedness and transcendental bliss. Again as stated previously  are the disastrous consequences that result in the inability to govern the  tempestuous senses.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary In order to strengthen the previous verse Lord Krishna points out all the  contrary results incurred by one with an uncontrolled mind. One who has not  subdued their senses by controlling their mind is bereft of determinative  resolve. The intellect of one with spiritual intelligence determines the truth  ascertained in the Vedic scriptures. It is not possible for an undisciplined  living entity to have belief of the calibre necessary to contemplate matters  relating to the ultimate truth. Without having understanding of God there is no  peace and also no end to attachment for sensual objects. How can there possibly  be permanent happiness which is inexhaustible and unaffected not in the least by  sorrow if one is lacking peace of mind. Although material happiness is surely  derived by experiencing worldly objects, the deceptive results of this perilous  interaction is very succinctly summed up subsequently in verse 38 of the final  chapter of Bhagavad-Gita.