Gita.05.28 – Controlling the external and the internal brings liberation

Transcript

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Gita 5.28 yathe indriyamanau buddhir unirmoksha parayanaha vigathe icchha bhaya krodho yaha sada mukte evasaha so this is a continuation of the summary description of the path of Ashtanga Yoga which Krishna started describing in the previous verse and which will be described in greater detail in the next chapter so in the previous verse Krishna talked about externals in terms of shutting out sense objects focusing the eyes and the eyebrows and regulating the breath in this verse Krishna speaks about the internals yathe indriyamanau buddhir yathe indriya to control to regulate regulate the senses mind manau buddhir senses mind and intelligence these three will remember from the third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita 3.40 these three are the places where lust is situated Krishna is saying we control these three yathe indriyamanau buddhir unirmoksha parayanaha the Muni the sage is moksha parayanaha is dedicated to the pursuit of liberation vigathe icchha bhaya krodho yaha sada mukte evasaha desire fear and anger Krishna has talked about these three things twice now in 4.10 and also in 2.56 they are slightly different with raga bhaya krodha both places it was so raga can be equated with icchha and then bhaya krodha are the same vigathe icchha bhaya krodho yaha sada mukte evasaha so one who is freed from these things yaha sada one is always like this mukte evasaha such a person is mukta such a person is liberated so essentially Krishna is stating over here that he Krishna is stating over here that the person who is internally detached like this and he is situated like this always throughout the life yaha sada mukte evasaha that person is you see I am not saying that the person will attain mukti that person is already mukta this is something similar to what was stated in 5.19 even in this world the person has conquered over what will exist in the world one who is situated in sameness equanimity similarly Krishna states over here yaha sada mukte evasaha such a person is liberated so the exercise of the externals is for the purpose of purifying and conquering the internals so Ishtang yoga with its yogic postures and its breathing exercise in pranayama are widely practiced nowadays but many people practice this primarily for their physical health looks that is a gross underutilization of the potential of yoga here Krishna is stating that or urging us to practice this for the purpose of purification for the purpose of elevation for the purpose of liberation ultimately yaha sada mukte evasaha so it’s extraordinary statement that if we do this Krishna is saying we will stay liberated so what all does he state yathendriyamano buddhair senses mind and intelligence are the interfaces between the soul and the world and it is through these that the soul’s consciousness gets misdirected towards the world so when these are brought under control then that misdirection of consciousness towards external sensual things external tempting things that stops yathendriyamano buddhair and how does one get this determination extraordinary will power that is needed for completely conquering the senses the mind and the intelligence that comes by pondering the imminent destruction of the body the imminent arrival of death and the necessity of attaining liberation as the only means to transcend the misery of death it’s almost impossible to give up the negative to give up anything unless we have something else in fact something better to take up so here the muni is not just giving up the externals towards which the senses the mind and even the materially contaminated intelligence are attracted yogi is also pursuing the ultimate reality that is the liberated state of existence where one perceives and relishes the ultimate reality here what kind of voksha is being pursued is not mentioned earlier the word brahma nirvana was used which usually from the words refers to impersonal liberation but here it is just moksha parayanaha by understanding this world is a place of misery the sage strives for liberation moksha parayanaha and we can be parayana devoted for various things sold out there can be narayan parayana the bhagavatam this phrase comes or in bhagavad gita 16.12 this is and also there is shriti parayanaha 13.26 so devoted to hearing so here it is devoted to the attainment of moksha now the practices of yoga especially strong yoga may seem very demanding and excruciating but what makes them endurable ultimately elevates one to a level of purity where they become relishable so that endurance and transcendence comes because seekers are focused on the pursuit of liberation moksha parayanaha and naturally once they’ve decided that they want to pursue liberation then the forces that track them to the world on that misdirect their consciousness towards the world they keep that under control whichever those forces may be itchha bhaya krodha so desire itchha is the desire to enjoy this world bhaya and krodha refer to different intellectual misconceptions itchha refers to emotional misdirection now bhaya and krodha of course are emotions but those emotions have come because of intellectual misconceptions bhaya is fear of personal existence shriti prabhupada explains in the 4.8 parapura and krodha refers to frustration caused by in better aid skepticism where one keeps rejecting rejecting rejecting but doesn’t accept anything positive so itchha bhaya krodha so all those three mental dispositions which keep us which though featuring different emotions they keep the direction of our consciousness towards matter and metal existence but the pursuer of liberation bhaya moksha parayanaha directs the consciousness towards the Supreme Lord who is the object of liberation and by such focus by being moksha parayanaha and who can always be like this yah sada mukta evasaha person who is liberated attains such a person who is controlled the senses mind and intelligence who has freed oneself from desire anger and fear who has devoted oneself to pursuit of liberation such a person yah sada mukta evasaha the moksha and mukti mean essentially the same thing so moksha parayanaha becomes mukta evasaha attains liberation so you’ve seen in a moment that sometimes exalted some some senior leaders they