Verse-60
Chapter 2 — Sānkhya Yog
Verse 60
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
yatato hyapi kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ
indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ
🕉 English Translation
📜 Translation
English
O Arjun! Due to the balance of inner longing the senses of turbulent nature succeed in forcibly carrying away the mind of a wise, who is labouring for perfection.
This verse carries deep inspirations and at the same time words of caution for the seeker. Illustrating through the example of tortoise, immediately on the slightest approach of the sensual objects the fact of withdrawing the senses from them has been stated in the previous verse. See the profundity of the thoughts of the Gita. Of its own kind, it is an extremely significant verse. The external sensual attractions have been given up with obstinacy, or forcefully and discerningly.
But the cumulative longing of the sensual attraction which resides inside, on several occasions becomes a problem and impels towards sensual pleasures. Even to the extent that a seeker who is labouring to progress on the path of spirituality, his mind is also attracted by old longings towards the objects of the senses and sometimes the situation becomes extremely overwhelming! The mind starts wandering from spiritual devotion to them; The seeker finds himself to be helpless.
'Purushashya vipaschitah'–the indication is towards the wise man. It is good to be wise; one should be so. One intellect should be discerning; it is extremely desirable. But the impression of previous actions and thoughts accumulated inside and the longing for sensual objects should be annihilated, for that is necessary. The support of discriminative intellect which should be able to distinguish between true and false, Self and not Self, sentient and insentient. Comprehending the Reality in the right perspective turn away the mind from insentient and falsity and establish oneself firmly and completely in the Lord who is Truth Consciousness Himself.