SB 5.11.4 The holy name is the goad for controlling the elephant-like mind

Transcript

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Bhagavad Gita 5.11.4 If you are describing how the mind is like an uncontrolled elephant, like Niranakusham, Ankusha is the elephant god, which enables the mahout, the person who is riding the elephant, to control the elephant, and when there is no such god, then the elephant grows wild, and the elephant takes the mahout in dangerous and disastrous directions, so similarly the cordless condition of the elephant is compared to the mind that is unsheltered in Krishna, so just as the elephant can get different kinds of desires and can run in various directions with no control, when there is no god, similarly the mind can get influenced by various passing or lasting influences, which stem from the three modes, and accordingly Aathnoti can become expanded or Pushalam Chetaramba, so sometimes when the mind is influenced by goodness, we may engage in auspicious activities, and when engaged in passion or ignorance, we may engage in Pushalam Chetaramba, but either way, both kinds of activities are material, and both keep us under the control of the mind, where we remain vulnerable to further attacks by the mind, which may be even worse than what we are subjected to at present, so we need the Ankusham to control the mind, and that Ankusham is the holy name, is the remembrance of Krishna that is most easily and effectively possible by the holy name, so when we chant the holy name, essentially what we do is, turn our mind over to Krishna, so the elephant cannot be controlled by our beating, we don’t have the power to beat it, but the gourd is made in such a way that it is sharp and it can touch the elephant at the right points, where it’s vulnerable, and that sensitive area of the elephant’s body, where it is exposed to the gourd, it forces the elephant to come back on track, similarly, the mind is so formidable, that we by our own efforts can’t control it much, although it may not seem to always be leading us to disaster, but from a spiritual perspective, any activity that does not connect with Krishna is a waste of time, within the religious perspective, activities in goodness, or activities which are materially considered good, may not be auspicious, but from a spiritual perspective, they are, so as long as our mind is lifted on Krishna, then the mind can drag us anywhere and everywhere and bring us to disaster, so material disaster is also possible, if a person drinks and then drives a car and kills someone or kills oneself, or a person engages in a collective activity that will bring complications and reactions, but even if that doesn’t happen on the negative side, still all of us are vulnerable to the mind, and today it may seem to be acting continually by being in goodness, but tomorrow or maybe a few moments later the mind may start acting in passion and ignorance and drag us away, therefore, at all times, we need to recognize that we need Ankushyam, we need the word to control the mind, and as compared to the hugeness of the elephant, the word may seem tiny, but it has the power to control the elephant, similarly, as compared to the major and mass problems that the mind puts us into, the holy name may seem insignificant, what can this utterance or sound vibration do, but actually the holy name connects us with Krishna, and when we are connected with Krishna, at that time it becomes possible, it will definitely happen that we will be able to gain control over the mind by the almighty power of Krishna, so, by remembering how the holy name is like an essential and indispensable rod for controlling the elephant-like mind, we can motivate ourselves to take shelter of the remembrance of Krishna,