Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 62, discusses how dwelling on the pleasures of sense objects creates a mental loop that leads to trouble.
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंस: सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |
सङ्गात्सञ्जायते काम: कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ||
dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate
Translation: While contemplating on the objects of the senses, one develops an attachment to them. Attachment leads to desire, and from desire arises anger.
When we repeatedly contemplate that there is happiness in some object, the mind becomes attached to it. This attachment then breeds desire. Desire, in turn, gives rise to two further problems: greed and anger. Simply thinking about the enjoyment of sensory experiences triggers this downward spiral towards the twin evils of greed and anger.
Anger clouds judgment, much like morning mist obscuring the sunlight. In a fit of rage, people make decisions they later regret because the haze of strong emotions clouds their intellect. This clouded intellect leads to a bewildered memory, causing individuals to forget the difference between right and wrong and become swept away by their emotions. The bewilderment of memory ultimately destroys the intellect. With a destroyed intellect, one is ruined.
क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोह: सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रम: |
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ||
krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛiti-vibhramaḥ
smṛiti-bhranśhād buddhi-nāśho buddhi-nāśhāt praṇaśhyati
Translation: Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.
Verse 2.63 thus illustrates the path of decline from divinity to immorality, starting with the contemplation of sense objects and ending with the destruction of the intellect. The entire downward spiral towards ruin begins with the idea of finding happiness in sensory experiences. However, the desire for happiness is as natural to the soul as thirst is to the body. The key here is to harness this desire, to steer it in the right direction – towards God. Spiritual attachment and desire are not to be abandoned; instead, they are highly commendable. In fact, they should be nurtured and strengthened to purify the mind, offering a path of transformation and enlightenment.
Attachment and aversion are two sides of the same coin. Aversion is simply a negative attachment. When the mind is free from both attachment and aversion and fully absorbed in devotion to God, one is blessed with divine grace and experiences God's unparalleled bliss.
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Bhagavad Gita [English]- 30.03.2024
