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The word ‘yuktaḥ’ refers to one whose senses, mind and intelligence are integrated with the blissful Self, making his whole personality and its interaction with the world-objects facile and smooth. One who is not integrated, will not attain Self-knowledge at all. Neither will he have meditational absorption, wherein the mind and intelligence become steady and stable. When the senses are in turbulence, how can there be peace? For the un-peaceful, can there be any happiness or satisfaction?

Dear and blessed souls:

Harih Om Tat Sat.

Seeker begins to be a Knower

In verse no. 2.65, Krishna explained how much dear, near and valuable placidity of the mind is. In placidity, all problems of the mind and heart are totally dissolved. Mind becomes like the autumn sky, free of all colours and clouds. Imagine how indescribably fine and serene such a state will be!

Intelligence of such a one, whose mind has become placid, gets established in the Self. The Self, which hitherto was but a name and concept, now becomes a full reality, the constant living presence radiating its charm and quiescence. The seeker begins to be a Knower.

He understands clearly that sensory objects have no power or potential to bring contentment or satisfaction. Contentment is emotional. It belongs to the mind. He no more looks to any sensory object with a view to gain joy, cheer or contentment. It is the placid mind that radiates cheerfulness.

The mystery is quite clear to him. This clarity makes his intelligence stable and poised. His seeking the Self becomes easy, natural and ceaseless. All the effort of the sadhaka comes to a halt, and spirituality and spiritual life become natural and facile. The change is conspicuous, transition endearing and the effect invaluable.

Integrated personality

Next verse 2.66 is a great assertion by Krishna. He again emphasizes how indispensable sensory regulation and moderation are. The senses and the objects around are like bundles of cotton near a huge blazing fire. Sole attention of the seeker is to bring about sensory regulation, as a necessary safeguard in the matter.

The word ‘yuktaḥ’ refers to one whose senses, mind and intelligence are integrated with the blissful Self, making his whole personality and its interaction with the world-objects facile and smooth. One who is not integrated, will not attain Self-knowledge at all. Neither will he have meditational absorption, wherein the mind and intelligence become steady and stable. When the senses are in turbulence, how can there be peace? For the un-peaceful, can there be any happiness or satisfaction?

The sole emphasis is on taming the senses. Human life is meant for sensory regulation, mind sublimation and intelligence illumination! This integration of body (with senses), mind and intelligence is pivotal.

Therefore, Krishna does not leave the subject of sense control. He emphatically illustrates in verse 67 how the senses have the power to forcefully rob one’s discrimination and land him in utter danger. All the senses are vibrantly animated during the waking state. If the mind lends itself to any one of them, the seeker’s discrimination is likely to be overpowered like the boat plying in broad waters by a strong wind!

What Krishna wants to point is the potential of every sensory organ in dislodging the seeker from his inner spiritual stability. When the mind is in conjunction with senses, each of them (senses) has immense power to drag the mind away. How does each sensory organ bring doom to its possessor is evident when you notice the plight of creatures around us.

Fatal sensory allurements

As Shankara states in Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi (sloka 76 ), his last composition, the deer, elephant, moth, fish and the bee are typical instances to illustrate mind’s plight in the hands of senses. Each of these beings has one sensory organ, endowed with powerful fatal attraction.

The deer has great fascination and affinity for pleasant musical sound. Knowing this, the deer-hunter plays his pipe. The deer is so much attracted by the tune that it remains still, listening to the pipe. The hunter easily shoots his arrow and the animal falls dead. See how attraction to sensory perception of sound brings the end of the animal!

Elephant catchers make a huge pit near elephants’ habitat, cover and camouflage it well, to match with the surrounding plants and herbs. A female elephant is tied close to it. The tusker comes fondly to feel her touch. The tusker’s attraction for sensory perception of touch is exceedingly powerful. Before long, she manages to make the intruder fall into the pit. Then it is the elephant catchers’ task to deal with the tusker and tame him the way they want.

The moth is so attracted to the flame of fire that it rushes to it and gets burnt.

The fish is greatly attracted to taste. The anglers exploit this by throwing a catch at the tip of the angle-bait. The fish comes to gulp in the catch, and alas, the angler pulls the fish comfortably to where he stands. The whole story is over!

See the plight of the large bee. It has uncontrollable greed for the smell of champa (plumeria) flower, which is poisonous to it. Irresistibly, it lands on the flower and enjoys the smell exclusively to breath its last.

शब्दादिभि: पञ्चभिरेव पञ्च पञ्चत्वमापु: स्वगुणेन बद्धा:।
कुरङ्गमातङ्गपतङ्गमीन-भृङ्गा नर: पञ्चभिरञ्चित: किम् ॥76॥

Deer, elephant, moth, fish, black bee, all these, bound by their own attractions, attained the state of death. What then about man allured by all the five (senses)?

If each of the five senses is adequate and powerful enough to bring about death of each being, huge as well as small, what should be the plight of the human in whom all the senses are equally powerful? The calamity the senses hold for him is fivefold. Is this not an ample warning? Does it not underscore the dire need to be amply cautious about the senses as well as mind?

Krishna almost concludes his dissertation on sensory control in the next two verses 2.67-68. He says, “O Arjuna, only the one, who keeps all the senses under his control, has the chance to become a Sthita-prajña, one of steady Consciousness.” This is the full summary of what Krishna has been saying in the form of reply to the questions Arjuna raised on Sthita-prajña.

Safeguard from the danger and calamity

It is Consciousness, pure and wholesome, that functions as the mind, intelligence and ego. These three are only functional names. The entity or presence that functions as these is only the singular Consciousness. When the mind becomes calm and still, to be absorbed in its own essence, the Consciousness itself becomes steady, unflickering and Self-absorbed. But what pull the mind away are the senses, each of which has the potential to rob the mind and land it in untold crisis.

The test for the human being is not so much in his intellectual skill and potential by virtue of which he has achieved great strides in dealing with earth, water, air, fire and sunlight. The science and technology man has been able to develop, are amazing indeed. But all this does not offer any safeguard from the danger and calamity the human meets in the hands of his senses.

We have to deal with objects constantly. But in doing so, we should not court or fall a victim to any sensory object. The stability, peacefulness and poise of the mind completely rest upon sensory control and regulation one is able to preserve throughout. Understand that our senses while revealing the objects around, also hold the power to attract and destabilize the mind. Goodness and greatness of human life, therefore, consist in the control and regulation one is able to achieve over his mind and senses.

Krishna has already said that the seeker can have sufficient control over his senses as the turtle has over its four limbs and neck. Keep always this in mind.

Discrimination and dispassion, the watchwords

So, what is the right way? See things well. But make sure that the sights are good, pleasant and promotional. Similarly hear sounds, which are not harmful. The same applies to smell, taste and touch. In every sensory contact, apply your comprehensive judgement. Discrimination and dispassion are the watchwords for a successful and elevating human life.

Do not think that the external sensory world is alone there. In fact, the outside world is the creation of the senses on your body. It is the inner mind that employs the senses and reveals the manifest world outside. Between mind, senses and the sensory world, mind alone has the prime place. Do not fail to recognize this fact and do not lower the dignity of human life.