Now Krishna starting to describe in next verse how such a person sits.

Kim Asita (seating, how he restrain his senses 58 to 63) => how he sits -> how the person regulate his senses how he restrain his senses

BG 2.58

yada samharate cayam

kurmo ‘nganiva sarvasah

indriyanindriyarthebhyas

tasya prajna pratishthita

SYNONYMS

yada — when; samharate — winds up; ca — also; ayam — he; kurmah — tortoise; angani — limbs; iva — like; sarvasah — altogether; indriyani — senses; indriya–arthebhyah — from the sense objects; tasya — his; prajna — consciousness; pratishthita — fixed.

TRANSLATION

One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness

yada samharate cayam, ca + yam, this, samharate means to draw in or to make inwards, kurmo ‘nganiva sarvasah, kurmo, tortoise, all its limbs it draws inwards, similarly indriyanindriyarthebhyas, senses one draw away from the sense object tasya prajna pratishthita, so again the same word is used prajna pratishthita, who is prajna pratishthita, that person who can withdraw the senses just as the tortoise draw its limbs inward, so here the emphasis is primarily on the practice of devotional service but Krishna has not yet talked about Himself, so He begins that by talking about how we have to withdraw ourselves from material, so in 54th verse was the question and in 55th verse Arjuna was given the answer and the characteristic was that the person is detached from external and rejoicing the internal so how does one detach oneself from external that is described in this verse that description begins from this verse, a tortoise has its limbs invulnerable but its shell is imperishable the shell is so strong that sometimes even if the elephant foot also pounds that it can resist that, so if the tortoise limbs are withdrawn then the tortoise cannot be attacked by any one. Similarly we have our senses, our senses are our weak points when the war is going on that time the enemies are always looking for the weak points for example in a cricket match the bowler knows that this batsman cannot handle the short pitch ball so the bowler will exactly ball which batsman cannot handle so enemy always try to catch the weak point so in boxing also they say the strategy is hit where it hurts so boxers give some experimental punches and while doing so they try to identify the weak point of opponent and try to hit the same point, so hit where it hurts then the person can be brought down quickly so in our situation in material world our senses are our weak points they are vulnerable so from the senses we perceive the external world and when we perceive the sense object in the external world raiding around everwhere we get caught and we get drag down so when we understand that our senses are our weaknesses then we have to guard our weaknesses so if we keep ourselves exposed then naturally we will be knocked down so the senses has to be withdrawn inwards in astang yuga there is a 5th stage called praytyahar when one draw the senses inward completely that Krishna will talk later but here He is giving general principle that we withdraw our senses and Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport that Yogi is one who can control the senses according to the plan that means we cannot withdraw the senses round the clock we have to engage the senses also but there is a plan when to engage the senses and when not to engage the senses for example with respect to speaking, a devotee speaks about Krishna there are other topics to talk about but the devotees will not talk about those topics so much because if it is not relevant to Krishna better to avoid talking similarly in seeing there is so much to see in this world everybody is trying to catch our eyes especially the whole media industry is trying to catch our eyes so a devotees understands there is no need for me to let my eyes wander around if we see a radar the radar is always scanning the horizon looking, is there some danger, is there some danger, so actually speaking our eyes are also scanning the horizon constantly our senses are scanning the horizon but because our intelligence is perverted right now so we are on the lookout for danger but we consider the danger to be an object which has to be welcomed. So we are like enemy seeking radar but when enemy comes rather than running away or driving away enemies we welcome and embrace the enemy.

We need not act like radar, looking and scanning the horizon. Instead, we need to look inward, samharate cayam, kurmo ‘nganiva sarvasah, so we withdraw our senses inwards. That is how people will be protected from entangling with sense objects. So there is weariness and there is wariness. Weariness is exhaustion tiredness and wariness is caution to be on the guard. When we let ourselves to be caught by the parade of sense objects over a period of time we feel de-energized and tired. Because there are so many desires and every desire acts like a pang in heart. It pinches like a needle, due to internal conflict between desiring something and knowing that it can’t be attained.

There is always an un-scalable gap between the fantasies and our finances. The gap alludes to the difference between what all we want to get and what all we can get. And the more we prey on the sense objects, the more we dwell on them, the more this gap widens. The whole advertising industry, what does it do? It fuels our fantasies more and more, and no matter how much we have, there is always so much more we want. That is how the advertising industry works. Consequently, due to the conflict between fantasies and finances, we feel de-energized, frustrated, and weary. Even if few people say, ‘I don’t have any financial problem, whatever I want, I can get it.’ However, due to the limitation of the body, no matter how much money we have, we can’t get everything due to physical limitations. When we let our senses dwell on sense objects, then the resulting conflict makes us weary.

So, if we don’t want to become weary, we have to become wary or cautious. If I don’t have any business, let me not look in any other directions. Why am I going to look around things in which I am not going to indulge? So, what should we do with our senses? That Krishna will talk about in the later verse. Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport right now itself how a devotee engages in Sri Krishna’s service, but the point is if we want to minimize weariness, then we have to maximize our wariness, which means caution. Do I need to look at these things? Do I need to think about these things? If I am not, then let me not do it.

Sometimes we think that I can test my spiritual advancement by exposing myself to sense objects, and when nothing happens, then I am an advanced devotee. That is not the way we are expected to test our spiritual advancement. The way to test our spiritual advancement is by checking our dedication to Krishna’s service, increasing our sacrifice and commitment in Krishna’s service. Exposing ourselves to sense objects is suicidal. Even if nothing happens externally, internally, when we expose ourselves to sense objects, impressions are created, and those impressions will trouble us in the future. So, as much as possible, we will try to avoid exposure. For example, if a tiger is sleeping, somebody will say, ‘Is this tiger dead or sleeping? I will just pinch it and find out.’ And if I pinch a tiger, after that, the tiger will not just pinch me; the tiger will wake up to devour me. So, we should not make the mistake of hibernation for termination. When the tiger is sleeping, let him sleep peacefully. And like that, we may have our lust, we may have greed, and sometimes we may be agitated by something. But now I think that now I get exposed and don’t feel agitated, we shouldn’t think that lust is dead. Lust is simply sleeping right now. So, if we let it sleep and keep practicing devotional service, then in sleep only gradually it will die. But if we try to pinch and see what happens, then it can be a disaster. So, devotees don’t expose themselves to sense objects. Even when we see that Srila Hari Das Thakur was absorbed in the holy name, he did not go to the prostitute. He did not think that he would go to the prostitute and show to the world that nothing happens to him. When the prostitute came, Srila Hari Das Thakur just continued his devotional service. So, we shouldn’t expose ourselves to sense objects unnecessarily. Of course, in our culture, there is so much exposure that is unavoidable. That is why, along with avoiding exposure or minimizing exposure, we also have to have positive engagement, which will keep us absorbed in Krishna. Krishna will talk about that in the next verses. But here, He says, first of all, minimize, just like the tortoise withdraws its senses, so withdraw from external exposure to sense objects.