April 28 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 5; Verses 5.23-5.24 (Day 119) Karma Yoga

 April 28 – Day 119

Verse 5.23-5.24

शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात् ।

कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः ॥ ५-२३॥ 

śhaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ prāk śharīra-vimokṣhaṇāt
kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegaṁ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ (23) 

ஶக்¹னோதீ¹ஹைவ ய: ஸோடு⁴ம் ப்¹ராக்¹ஶரீரவிமோக்ஷணாத்¹ |
கா¹மக்¹ரோதோ⁴த்³ப⁴வம் வேக³ம் ஸ யுக்¹த¹: ஸ ஸுகீ² நர: ||23|| 

23. He who is able, while still here in this world to withstand, before the liberation from the body, the impulse born of desire and anger—he is a Yogi, he is a happy man. 

Commentary: Yukta means ‘harmonised’ or steadfast in Yoga or self-abiding.

Desire and anger are powerful enemies of peace.  It is very difficult to annihilate them.  You will have to make very strong efforts to destroy these enemies.

When the word Kama (desire) is used in a general sense it includes all sorts of desires.  It means lust in a special sense.

While still here means ‘while yet living’.  The impulse of desire is the agitation of the mind which is indicated by hairs standing on end and cheerful face.  The impulse of anger is agitation of the mind which is indicated by fiery eyes, perspiration, biting of the lips and trembling of the body.  In this verse you will clearly understand that he who has controlled desire and anger is the happiest man in this world, not he who has immense wealth, a beautiful wife and beautiful children.  Therefore, you must try your level best to eradicate desire and anger, the dreadful enemies of eternal bliss.

Kama (desire) is longing for a pleasant and agreeable object which gives pleasure and which is seen, heard of, or remembered. Anger is aversion towards an unpleasant and disagreeable object which gives pain and which is seen, heard of, or remembered.

A Yogi controls the impulse born of desire and anger, destroys the currents of likes and dislikes and attains to equanimity of the mind, by resting in the innermost Self, and so he is very happy. (Cf. VI. 18) 

Lesson 5.3 (Verses 24-29)

Peace From Within

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः ।

स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ॥ ५-२४॥ 

yo 'ntaḥ-sukho 'ntar-ārāmas tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ
sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇaṁ brahma-bhūto 'dhigachchhati (24) 

யோ‌ன்த¹:ஸுகோ²‌ன்த¹ராராமஸ்த¹தா²ன்த¹ர்ஜ்யோதி¹ரேவ ய: |
ஸ யோகீ ப்¹ரஹ்மனிர்வாணம் ப்³ரஹ்மபூ⁴தோ¹‌தி⁴க³ச்¹ச¹தி¹ ||24|| 

24. He who is ever happy within, who rejoices within, who is illumined within, such a Yogi attains absolute freedom or Moksha, himself becoming Brahman. 

Commentary: Within means “in the Self”.  He attains Brahmanirvanam or liberation while living.  He becomes a Jivanmukta.   

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda: 

In the inner depth of one’s being is the point of contact with Brahman the absolute. It is significant, therefore, that modern science has turned its searchlight of analysis on the ‘nucleus’, the subtler-than-the-cell structure, for a knowledge of the fundamentals. No wonder, either, that herein is discovered amazing intelligence, power and order. Are we on the threshold of a scientific discovery of God?

We, too, shall find our peace and bliss, light and life, in that innermost depth where the soul is God. We shall realise that the force of God’s love holding the whole universe together is misunderstood by the soul as the source of that sense-pleasure which is easily experienced. The soul foolishly desires such pleasure, transferring it to external objects. The yogi clears this mist of ignorance and rejoices within the self.

Pleasure is not the goal of Indian ethics or religion. If personal pleasure is good (and so the goal of man), then there would be chaos in this world; for what is pleasant for one causes pain in another; and someone’s pleasure is always bought at the expense of another’s.

Kṛṣṇa, therefore, deliberately turns man’s vision away from pleasure-seeking desire. Pleasure and pain will still seek us out, on account of past karma, but if we refrain from desiring pleasure and hating pain, karma will work itself out and we shall be liberated. 

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