February 20 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 2; Verses 2.59 (Day 51) Sankhya Yoga

 February 20 – Day 51

Verse 2.59 

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः ।

रसवर्जं रसो ऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते ॥ २-५९॥ 

viṣhayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasavarjaṁ raso ’pyasya paraṁ dṛiṣhṭwā nivartate (2.59) 

விஷயா வினிவர்த¹ன்தே¹ நிராஹாரஸ்ய தே³ஹின: |
ரஸவர்ஜம் ரஸோ‌ப்¹யஸ்ய ப¹ரம் த்³ருஷ்ட்¹வா நிவர்த¹தே¹ ||59 || 

59. The objects of the senses turn away from the abstinent man, leaving the longing (behind); but his longing also turns away on seeing the Supreme. 

Commentary: Knowledge of the Self alone can destroy in toto the subtle Vasanas (latent tendencies) and all the subtle desires, all subtle attachments and even the longing for objects.  By practicing severe austerities, by abandoning the sensual objects, the objects of the senses may turn away from the ascetic but the relish or taste or longing for the objects will still remain. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda (verse 59):

Which shall we restrain first – the mind or the senses? If we starve the senses, they temporarily lose their keenness for sense-enjoyments. But the complacency is deceptive and often dangerous; for the taste is still lurking unperceived in the mind! Unless the mind is also controlled, we are not out of the woods. But the mind cannot be controlled unless and until the senses are under control! The two must go hand in hand for success to be achieved.

Cravings, desires, hatred, fear, anger, etc., are all deep-rooted habits formed in the citta or the subconscious mind. This throws up ripples (vṛttī) which manifest on the surface as thoughts and emotions. When the vṛttī arises, we should endeavour not to act upon it but to let it drop back into the citta itself. At the same time, we should discover and deal with the real cause.

Cravings give birth to evil actions. But the craving (and the wrong mental attitude to life) itself springs from distorted exaggerated values of worldly objects and enjoyments. Let us never forget that neither indulgence nor rejection can help us in getting complete mastery over the mind; the mind will run after only that which it has been taught to value. Hence Kṛṣṇa asks us to become ‘mat–paraḥ’ (that is, we should regard God as the only stable value in our life, worth seeking). When God is seen thus, even roots of cravings die. The world and its pleasures will then lose the glamour that tempts the worldly man and repels the ascetic. They will drop away as valueless factors in the life of a sage of steady wisdom. The mind and even the senses will seek only God and rest in him. It is then that one becomes a true devotee, directing the functions of all his senses and mind towards the realisation of God’s indwelling omnipresence. It is then that daily life becomes divine life. 

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