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Ordinary people who see only the objects with their senses, do not perceive the truth about objects. The sights do not allow them to grasp the essence of what they display. For, one has to employ his intelligence to introspect and enquire about what the senses display and how limited is their role. Unless such enquiry is taken up, they will not be able to perceive the real substance that shines as the substratum.

Dear and blessed souls:

Harih Om Tat Sat.

The day and night of the wise and the ignorant

Now we go to the next verse 2.69 where Krishna gives a striking contrast between the visible, sensory, external world and the invisible, but infinite, inner domain. He illustrates the distinction between the two as night and day. Night is fully dark. It prevents you from seeing anything clearly. In utter darkness, even with eyes open you can see nothing but darkness alone. In day, light has the power to show the objects and also to reveal itself, its presence. Darkness can only reveal its presence, not the objects around.

Krishna says, ordinary people who see only the objects with their senses, do not perceive the truth about objects. The sights do not allow them to grasp the essence of what they display. For, one has to employ his intelligence to introspect and enquire about what the senses display and how limited is their role. Unless such enquiry is taken up, they will not be able to perceive the real substance that shines as the substratum.

It is like darkness which does not allow the right vision. When you look at the outside world, you do not perceive anything beyond objects. Is the world existing by itself or is it created by the senses? Earth, water, air and fire subsist on the sky. But where does the sky itself reign? Unless this question is answered, human intelligence will not be satisfied. It will not justify its role of knowing matters properly in their true nature and light.

Mind you, in human life, knowledge or wisdom has the supreme place. To remain ignorant and deluded is the worst plight that a human can court.

Krishna emphasizes that ordinary people do not consider anything beyond the visible world. They feel the world comes first, and the mind that perceives objects comes next. Indeed, the truth is otherwise. Only when one wakes up from sleep and his senses are made to function by the mind, sight of the world follows. Does not the presence of the world depend more on the mind than on the senses? Even experientially what is the source of sensory perceptions, the world display?

And what is the mind? It is the inner presence, invisible and inaccessible to senses. It is, in fact, this inner mind that employs the senses and takes imprints of objects in itself. These inner imprints alone everyone experiences and labels as external!

Tell me now, where is the perception of objects taking place? The entire objectude is no more than an inner expression and extension of the invisible inner mind! But ordinary people are unaware of this inner domain, where alone all experiences transpire and knowledge evolves.

This is why Krishna says, the man of restraint, samyamee, the one given to spiritual wisdom, is awake in what constitutes darkness to the ordinary people. The sensory objects are external, gross, separate from oneself. They are ephemeral to the core. Whereas the inner spiritual delight arises from the Self within, without any interruption or decline. The two have no comparison at all. This is evident from the fact that those given earnestly to spiritual contemplation and inner absorption, often take to their own way of ascetic life in which there is no worldly or secular interest or pursuit. In fact, such ascetics do not lose anything at all. Instead they derive what all the others gravely miss. Their life becomes extremely beneficial to the world, as true enlightenment only flows from them, not from others!

Life of wandering ascetics

How beautifully the great Shankara describes these Self-contemplative ascetics! They wear only a loincloth to cover their nudity, and that too merely because they do not want others to feel repelled. After all, any kind of clothing calls for concern and attention to maintain it. These great ascetics do not even want that. For, throughout day and night, their sole attention and absorption are in their inmost Self, the pure sublime ecstatic Consciousness.

These ascetics delight on the declarations highlighting the profundity and majesty of Upanishads, where the sovereign Self and its abundance are well revealed and extolled. In order to preserve the body, they seek bhiksha, holy-gift of food, from householders, who consider the opportunity of offering food to ascetics a great blessing. These loin-cloth-ascetics go to just one or two houses and eat whatever they give. In that they are immensely contented. Thus, free of all grief, concern and anxiety, they travel in the sphere of their own minds and hearts. How fortunate are these wayfarers, says Shankara!

Source of supreme delight

Shankara has more to say about the ascetics’ inner abundance and fullness. They walk freely and delightfully, resting whenever they want, sometimes leaning restfully on the trunk of a shady tree. They do not carry even a vessel to receive bhiksha. Instead, they extend their own palms. And they revel in their own inner realm. Imagine the extent to which the mind can get transformed by spiritual wisdom and its dedicated contemplation! Do not underestimate the mind, or devalue the marvellous treasure it holds within you!

Viveka, the power and potential of discrimination, can bring about wholesome changes in the mind and intelligence of a human. Remember, Knowledge is the source of supreme delight. The impersonal, immortal and blissful Self, is the sole focus of a true seeker.

Reflect well upon how the sensory world becomes dark for the ascetics, while the inner spiritual domain reigns as the sole focus for all their delight and fulfilment like daylight.

How the Ocean nourishes dry land

Arjuna’s questions were four: “How do you describe a Sthita-prajña? What will the Sthita-dhee talk? How will he rest, withdrawn from everything else? And lastly, “How will he live and move in the world?” Krishna answers the last question in the next verse (2.70).

Look at the vast, deep sea. Water constantly evaporates from its surface. The vapour condenses itself to form thick clouds. They hover in the sky, winds moving them hither and thither. Getting cooled, they shed as snow and rain. Falling on the peaks of mountains, these begin to flow, forming rivulets, joined as they get down by smaller and bigger tributaries, to become broad, deep rivers passing through various terrains and finally merging in the sea itself!

It may look as though the sea will overflow by the impact of immensely gushing rivers. But nothing such happens. Sea is vast and deep to embrace the inflow, sending the slush down and absorbing the water, transfusing its own salinity to it. The whole inflow dissolves into the sea. The entire process becomes a harmonious whole, nourishing the land and people – a feat the sea by itself cannot hope to fulfil.

The saline water drops its salinity while turning into vapour. Coming down as fresh shower, it flows from the yonder heights to the plains below, reaching the purified water to vast stretches of land helping human habitation as well as its agricultural ventures. See how water goes up, travels in the sky and comes down, generating a cycle of its own, enriching and sustaining the earth with the desired vegetation and inhabitants. The whole creation thus becomes vibrant and benevolent.

At no point of time, the sea is adversely hit either by sending vapour up or by the huge inflow of rivers gushing to find their own level. The whole process is a benign mission to grace vegetation as well as the creatures upon earth.

How the Knower lives and moves in the world

Krishna says: “As is the sea, so will be the Sthita-dhee, in his mission of living and moving in the world, amidst the society to benefit it with his grandeur.”

All his interactions, like vapour from the sea, emerge from the inner expanse. Though his body is limited, the sentience, cid-ākāśa, it hosts, is like the sea in depth, vastness and treasure. Just as vapours and clouds, snow and rain, are nothing but water itself – all activities and their outcomes are no different from the Consciousness that abides within him. As in the river-water, which has many foreign elements as well as slush in it, Sthita-dhee’s interactions too will collect various adverse elements. But remember, there is nothing but sentience for him in all the stages and phases.

Illustration of the ocean highlights the Knower’s dimension. In his interactions too, no matter what all and whom all he involves, the substance is Consciousness alone. All interactional results, however different they may sensorily appear to be, contain no other than sentience or Consciousness.

Note, the incoming elements as well as the outgoing expression is but the same substance – water in the case of the sea, and sentience in the case of Knower’s interactional life.

Steadiness unassailable

Understand this well. Sthita-dhee is not led to any kind of agitation or affectation. Every interaction as well as its outcome only reinforces his Sthita-dhee-state. He remains stable, deep and wholesome. Interactions only act as a fillip, immensely rewarding in every way. To say the least, Sthita-dhee becomes an embodiment of interactional harmony, grandeur and ecstasy.

The point seekers should not miss is that interactions emerge from Sthita-dhee; they subsist on his mind; and also terminate therein. There is nothing any time in the interactions, besides his inner presence – the unaffected Consciousness. The interactional responses and reactions are, in reality, in and of the Sthita-dhee alone. What he assimilates is his own mind’s reactions, like the sea its rivers.

So nothing truly external, gross or different enters his inside. What he encounters is only his own responses to the objects and situations outside. No objects as such enter him within. Only his own reactions to objects arise and subside within every time. The sole idea of separation, difference and grossness falls to the ground. The entire interactions surface within him, also dissolve every time within himself.

In fact, there is nothing to enter him or exit from him any time. The whole idea of interaction and its tormenting effects gets blown off by the power of his spiritual realization. Naturally peace and quiet alone reign in him – sa shantim aapnoti. He becomes ceaselessly quiescent, no more a desirer, hater or otherwise! What an unassailable steadiness, stability and poise!

Thus, there is nothing alien or overwhelming for the Sthita-dhee in all the interactions he does. Everything, any time only enhances and refines his inner assimilation and harmony, resulting in the ineffable ecstasy of the Soul!