BG 2.60
SYNONYMS
yatatah — while endeavoring; hi — certainly; api — in spite of; kaunteya — O son of Kunti; purushasya — of a man; vipascitah — full of discriminating knowledge; indriyani — the senses; pramathini — agitating; haranti — throw; prasabham — by force; manah — the mind.
TRANSLATION
The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.
In the second chapter, we are now moving towards the end of the second answer and then to the third answer.
So, in the second answer, there were four questions: sthita-prajnasya ka bhasha…kim prabhasheta. The question “ka bhasha” is answered in 2.55, and then “kim prabhasheta” is answered in 2.56 & 2.57. Now, we are discussing the third question, which is answered in 2.58 to 2.63. After that, there is the question “kim asita,” which deals with how a person controls and regulates the senses, and then “vrajeta kim” will be answered from 2.64 onwards.
yatato hyapi kaunteya,
Yatato, which means endeavoring, hy api kaunteya, O Kaunteya, even when a person is certainly endeavoring, purushasya vipascitah, the kind of person vipascitah, a person who has discrimination and the capacity to know what is right and wrong, even for such a person, indriyani pramathini, pramatha is like madness, a storm, indriyani pramathini, wild and impetuous senses, haranti prasabham manah, they forcibly drag away and steal the mind, prasabham manah.”
In this context, Krishna is not talking about ordinary individuals who are controlled by their senses. There are three categories: Vikarmis, Karmis, and Yogis.
Vikarmis chase after sense gratification and defy or falsify dharma in the process. For example, people who engage in extramarital or premarital relationships fall into this category.
Karmis seek sense gratification but through religious means. They aspire for heavenly pleasures (2.43, Avipaschita is used). They believe that the sense gratification promised by the Vedas in heaven is the ultimate goal of life. Such people are called Avipaschita, as they fail to understand that there is a higher goal beyond sense gratification. They remain in bodily consciousness, and higher happiness is available by elevating to spiritual consciousness.
So Avipaschita people are the Karmis higher than them are Yogis.
Yogis are vipaschita. They understand that material enjoyment leads to suffering and bondage, perpetuating illusion. Therefore, they strive to break free from it. Even such individuals, who possess vision and discrimination, and who endeavor to peruse spiritual reality and strive to control themselves, find that their senses are wild and overpowering. The senses forcefully drag away the mind (indriyani pramathini) and completely seize it (haranti prasabham manah).
Even the Yogis, who possess discrimination (vipaschita) and endeavor to control their senses (yatato), experience the strong pull of the senses. This may also apply to most of us or even be a higher category for us, as we often perceive sense gratification within the boundaries of Dharma. However, someone who is striving to break free from sense gratification may wonder what happens to them.
Such individuals are striving to live according to knowledge. In the hierarchy of sense objects, senses, and mind, the mind is the center of all the senses. The senses are connected to the sense objects. Krishna describes in 15.9 that the five senses (hear, sight, touch, fragrance, taste) are centered around the mind, just as the five fingers are centered around the palm. The senses are internally connected to the mind.
When we expose ourselves to sense objects, the senses drag the mind away through desire. This is created by the perception of sense objects, which forcefully draws the mind outward. When the mind goes towards the sense object, our desire further ignites. It becomes fueled and further ignited, leading us to be drawn towards the sense object; as a moth runs towards fire. Krishna mentions in verse 2.58 to withdraw the senses like a tortoise withdraws its limbs. Krishna states that; however, one strives to do so, the senses are so powerful that they drag the mind outward (haranti prasabham manah).
An example of this is Vishwamitra Muni, who, when the jingling sound of an ankle bell entered his mind, it kindled his imagination. Once the imagination is triggered, it bursts upward and fills with fantasies of pleasure.
Often, discussions on sense control are presented from a male perspective, but the Srimad Bhagavatam also addresses the female perspective.
Srila Prabhupada continues the discussion on the process of Krishna Consciousness and talks about the higher taste. For example, Yamuna Acarya’s experience indicates that the pleasure derived from Krishna Consciousness is so lofty that everything else becomes insignificant.
For a devotee, anything that distracts from Krishna becomes a source of dismay. Even when someone is relishing the joy of Krishna Consciousness, they may get thoughts of sexual pleasure. However, we should not mistake such thoughts as a sign of falling down. We live in a material world, and sometimes past memories or influences can trigger impure thoughts. When these thoughts arise, we become disturbed, but the right response is to reject them. Even an advanced devotee may get impure thoughts, but they discard them and pay no attention. However, for a materialistic person, when such thoughts arise, they welcome them. These are two extreme examples of pure devotees and materialistic persons.
A sadhaka is in between; sometimes they say yes, and sometimes they say no. Most of the time, a sadhaka says, “Wait, not now. When nobody is around, we will see.” Everyone is exposed to temptation, although the degree may vary. Since materialists actively search for sense gratification, they are more exposed. We have to go through this journey of initially welcoming temptation (from a materialistic point of view) to eventually rejecting it (from a pure devotee’s point of view).
Even if we get wrong thoughts, it doesn’t mean that we have fallen down. What we need to do is to drive away the wrong thoughts by filling the mind with thoughts of Krishna. Immoral and sensual thoughts will not find any place in our consciousness when the mind is filled with thoughts of Krishna. The transition from a materialistic mindset to pure devotion is a long journey but not an impossible one. Every time we say no to temptation, we become stronger. Every time we turn away from temptation, we come closer and closer to Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada emphasizes that to act on a thought is wrong, not just getting it. Intelligence means to eliminate the thought before it grows into action. The next verse will illustrate how thoughts can grow into disastrous proportions if we are not careful. However, if the thoughts have not turned into actions, the problem is far lesser.
In Srila Prabhupada’s purport, he explains that Krishna consciousness is such a transcendentally nice thing that material enjoyment automatically becomes distasteful. It’s as if a hungry person has satisfied their hunger with a sufficient quantity of nutritious food. When we turn towards Krishna and fix our minds on Him, we experience a deep inner happiness that makes us feel content and satisfied. The Srimad Bhagavatam states that Bhakti leads to Par Ish Anubhav, the experience of the Supreme Lord, and then one becomes detached from external things.
Srila Prabhupada is more concerned about how to apply these verses in our lives
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