०६ इन्द्रियनिग्रहः

The wise man should put forth an effort to restrain his organs roaming among alluring objects; just as the driver restrains the horses.—(88)

इन्द्रियाणां संयमे यत्नम् आतिष्ठेद् इत्य् एतावाञ् छास्त्रार्थः । परिशिष्टो ऽर्थवादः, आ संध्योपासनविधेः (म्ध् २.१०१) । संयमः प्रतिषिद्धेषु विषयेषु प्रवृत्तिपरिहारो¹ ऽप्रतिषिद्धेष्व् अप्य् अतिसक्तिवर्जनम् । तत्र प्रतिषिद्धपरिहारस् तैर् एव प्रतिषेधैः सिद्धः । अप्रतिसिद्धेष्व् अप्य् अतिसक्तिनिषेधार्थो ऽयं श्लोकसंघातः । एतद् एवाह । विचरतां विषयेषु स्वातन्त्र्येण वस्तुशक्त्या प्रवर्तमानानाम् । अपहारिषु विषयेष्व् अपहरन्त्य् आकर्षन्त्य् आत्मसात्कुर्वन्ति पारतन्त्र्यम् आपादयन्ति पुरुषं त अपहारिणो² विषया मनोहरा य उच्यन्ते । तत्र विचरतां विविधं विशेषेण चरताम् । यदीन्द्रियाणि विशेषेण न चरेयुर् अपरिहारिणो ऽपि तदा विषयाः किं कुर्युः । भवन्तु वा निरङ्कुशानीन्द्रियाणि, यदि विषयाः प्रत्याख्यायिकास् तथापि सुसंयमः पुरुषेणात्मा । यतस् तूभयं सापराधम् अतो यत्न आस्थेयः, दुर्नियमानि ह्य् एतानि ।

• नियन्तेव वाजिनाम् । यन्ता सारथिर् अश्वानां यथा रथयुक्तानां स्वभावतो विचलनशीलानां संयमे नियमे यत्नं करोति, ते³ न तदानिच्छया उन्मार्गेण वहन्ति, विधेयतां तस्य भजन्त, एवम् इन्द्रियाणि विधेयीकर्तव्यानि ॥ २.८८ ॥

All that the teaching means is that “one should strive to restrain his organs”: the rest of the text is merely descriptive, up to the verse where we have the injunction regarding the Twilight Prayers (101).

‘Restrain’—means the avoiding of addiction to prohibited objects and the avoiding of excessive addiction to even those objects that are permitted. That the prohibited tilings should be avoided we learn from those prohibitions themselves: hence the present verse and the verses that follow should be taken as laying down the avoiding of over-addiction to even such things as are not prohibited.

This is what is meant by the expression—‘roaming a many objects,’—i.e., in course of their natural functioning.

‘Alluring.’—Things that attract, draw to themselves, overpower, the man, are called ‘alluring objects,’ those that captivate the mind. Roaming among these means ‘functioning among them in manifold ways.’ If the organs did not operate among them, what could even the most alluring objects do? Or, even if the organs were devoid of all restraint, if the objects themselves were repellant, it would he a very simple matter for the agent, to restrain himself. As a matter of fact, however, both are at fault (the objects are alluring and the organs are operative among them); hence it becomes necessary to put forth special effort, the organs being hard to control.

‘As the driver restrains the horses.’—‘Driver’ is the charioteer. Just as the charioteer puts forth special effort to coutrol the horses that are naturally restive, and are prone to run wild along the wrong way, and the horses become obedient to him,—in the same way one should curb the organs to his own will.—(88)

This verse is quoted in Bālambhaṭṭi (Vyāvahāra, p. 606).

Medhātithi (p. 116, 11. 11-12)—Pariśiṣṭorthavādaḥ āṣandhyopāsanavidhiḥ—i.e. upto verse 100, all this is mere Arthavāda. But on p. 110, he says that verse 97 contains a vidhi.

It is interesting to note that what Medhātithi has called Arthavāda, Hopkins calls ‘elaborate interpolation’ (note on verse 91).

Gautama-Dharmasūtra, 3.9—‘One who behaves like this keeps the senses under control attains the regions of Brahman.’

Gautama-Dharmasūtra, 11.4.—‘Pure, with senses under control, equipped with fully qualified-aids.’

Kaṭha-Upaniṣad, 3.6.—‘He who is equipped with knowledge, with mind composed, has his senses under control; just as good horses are under ṭhe control of the charioteer.’

Bhagavadgītā, 2.67-68.—‘When the mind follows in the wake of the roaming sense-organs, it deprives him of his wisdom; just as the storm destroys the boat in water. Therefore that man whose sense-organs have been withdrawn from the objects of sense, has his wisdom firmly established.’

088 A wise man should strive to restrain his organs which run wild among alluring sensual objects, like a charioteer his horses.

Those eleven organs which the ancient sages have named I shall now fully describe in due order.—(89)

संख्यानिर्देशो ऽयं प्रमाणान्तरगम्यो न शास्त्रार्थः,⁴ सौहार्देन तु व्युत्पाद्यते । तानि पूर्वे मनीषिण आहुः । परस्तान् नामतः कर्मतश् च वक्ष्यामि । आनुपूर्व्यम् अनाकुलता । पूर्वग्रहणान् नेयं तार्किकैर् एव व्यवस्था कल्पिता, किं तु पूर्वेषाम् अप्य् आचार्याणां स्थितैव । एताम् अजानन्तो नागमिका⁵ इति लोकैर् उपहस्यन्ते,⁶ इत्य् अतो ऽयं वेदितव्यः⁷ । प्रसिद्धाः पदार्था व्याख्याताश् च प्राक् ॥ २.८९ ॥

This enumeration of the organs is as laid down in other sources of information; and the present text is not intended to lay down the number of organs. The description is provided by our author only on account of his good will towards his audience. The organs have been named by the ancient sages; and I shall now describe their names and also their function.

‘In due order.’— Implies absence of confusion.

The reference to the ‘ancient sages’ is meant to indicate that the enumeration of the organs is not something invented by the logicians, it was something already known among the ancient teachers. In fact, people not knowing this are ridiculed by men as ‘not learned in the scriptures’; hence these should be properly understood.

The meaning of the words of the text are well known, and have been already explained.—(89)

**(Verses 89-92)
**

Sāṅkhya-sūtra, 2. 17-20.—‘The eleven rudimentary elements are its products;—the internal organ, along with the five organs of action and ṭhe five organs of sensation constitute the group of eleven;—the Manas is of the nature of both.’

Sāṅkhya-Kārīkā (26-27).—‘The organs of sensation are the Eye, the Ear, the Nose, the Tongue and Skin; and speech the hands, the feet, the arms and the reproductive organs are the organs of action.’

Śaṅkha (7. 25).—‘Eye, Ear, Skin, Taste, Nose should be known as the organs of sensation in the body; the two hands, ṭhe two feet, the reproductive organ, the tongue (organ of speech) and the arms are the five organs of action in the body.’

Kāmandaka (1. 31, 33).—‘The Auditory, the Tactile, the, Visual, the Gustatory and the Olfactory organs,—these five and the arms, the penis, the arms, the legs and the organ of speech constitute what is called the conglomeration of sense-organs. The soul and the mind are styled the internal senses:… by the conjoint action of these two, volition is engendered.

089 Those eleven organs which former sages have named, I will properly (and) precisely enumerate in due order,

(They are) the Ear, the Skin, the Eyes, the Tongue and the Nose as the fifth; the Anus, the Generative Organ, the Hands and Feet, and Speech described as the tenth.—(90)

श्रोत्रादीनि प्रसिद्धानि । अधिष्ठानभेदाच् चक्षुषी इति द्विवचनम् । अन्यत्र तदाधारायाः शक्तेर् एकत्वाद् एकवचनम् । उपस्थः शुक्रोत्सर्जनः पुंसो रजस्⁸ तदाधारश् च स्त्रियाः । द्वन्द्वनिर्दिष्टयोः प्राण्यङ्गत्वाद् एकवद्भावः (पाण् २.४.२) । वाक् ताल्वादिः⁹ शब्दाभिव्यञ्जकः शरीरावयववचनः । नामनिर्देशो ऽयम् ॥ २.९० ॥

The Ear and the rest are well known. We have ‘Eyes’ in the Dual, in view of the two different substrata (of the Visual Organ); in other places we have the singular number in view of the fact that the Faculty itself, subsisting in the said substrata, is one only.

The ‘Generative Organ,’—the organ secreting the semen (in males), and the ovule and its receptacle (in females).

‘Hands and feet’—‘Hastapādam’;—the copulative compound has been put in the singular number according to Pāṇini 2. 4. 2, by which copulative compounds consisting of terras expressive of limbs of living beings are put in the singular.

‘Speech’ here stands for that part of the body which consists of the Palate and the rest, and serve to manifest sound.

This verse mentions the names (of Organs).—(90)

This verse is quoted (along with 92) in Aparārka (p. 982) as enumerating the sense organs.

**(Verses 89-92)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 2.89].

090 (Viz.) the ear, the skin, the eyes, the tongue, and the nose as the fifth, the anus, the organ of generation, hands and feet, and the (organ of) speech, named as the tenth.

Of these the five beginning with the Ear in due order they call “Organs of Sensation’; and five of these, beginning with the Anus, “Organs of Action.”—(91)

कार्यम् इदानीम् एषाम् आह स्वरूपावधारणार्थम् । न हि तानि प्रयक्षानि । बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि¹⁰ बुद्धेर् इन्द्रियाणि¹¹ जनकानि कार्यकरणानि । कार्यकरणसंबन्धे षष्ठी । श्रोत्रादीन्य् अनुपूर्वशः । आदिशब्दस्य प्रकारार्थता मा विज्ञायीति । अनुपूर्वशः क्रमेणेत्य् अर्थः । क्रमश् च संनिवेशापेक्षो भवत्य् अतः पूर्वश्लोकोक्ता व्यवस्थाश्रीयते । कर्मेन्द्रियाणि । परिस्पन्दात्मकम् अत्र कर्म विवक्षितम् ॥ २.९१ ॥

The author now proceeds to describe the functions of the organs, with a view to determine their precise nature. [This is necessary, because] they are not perceptible.

‘Organs of Sensation’;—i.e., the organs productive of sensation; they bring about effects in the form of sensations. The Genitive (in the compound ‘buddhīndriyāṇāṃ’) denotes the relation of cause and effect.

‘Beginning with the Ear, in due order’;—the phrase ‘in due order’ has been added w ith a view to prevent the notion that the term ‘ādi’ signifies kind. “Order” again is in accordance with position; hence what is meant is the order in which the organs have been mentioned in the foregoing verse.

‘Organs of action’;—it is the ‘action’ of motion that is meant here.—(91)

**(Verses 89-92)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 2.89].

091 Five of them, the ear and the rest according to their order, they call organs of sense, and five of them, the anus and the rest, organs of action.

The Mind is to be regarded as the eleventh, which, by its own quality, is of two-fold nature; and on this being subdued, both the aforesaid five-mentioned groups become subdued.—(92)

एकादशसंख्यापूरकं मन इन्द्रियाणाम् । स्वो गुणो मनसः संकल्पः । तेनोभयं शुभम् अशुभं वा संकल्प्यते । अथ वा बुद्धीन्द्रियेषु कर्मेन्द्रियेषु स्वविषयप्रवृत्तौ संकल्पमूलत्वाद् उभयात्मकम् उच्यते । यस्मिञ् जिते एतौ बुद्धीन्द्रियवर्गः कर्मेन्द्रियवर्गश् च पञ्चकौ प्राक्प्रदर्शितपरिमाणौ जितौ भतः । तत्त्वाख्यानम् एतत्¹² ॥ २.९२ ॥

The Mind is what completes the number, which is the number of sense-organs.

The ‘own quality’ of Mind is volition, desire; it is with the Mind that people will or desire both what is good and what is bad. [This is what is meant by its being ‘of twofold nature’]. Or, the Mind may be regarded as ‘of two-fold nature’ in the sense that it partakes of the character of both sets of organs—those of sensation as well as those of action; as the functioning of both these sets of organs is rooted in volition.

‘On this being subdued,’ both five-membered groups,—i.e., the group of the organs of sensation, as well as that of the organs of action, which have been described above,—become subdued.

This only describes a real fact.—(92)

**(Verses 89-92)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 2.89].

092 Know that the internal organ (manas) is the eleventh, which by its quality belongs to both (sets); when that has been subdued, both those sets of five have been conquered.

By attachment to the organs one incurs evil, without doubt; while by subjugating those same he attains success.—(93)

प्रसङ्गस् तत्परता । तेन हेतुभूतेन दोषं¹³ दृष्टम् अदृष्टं च ऋच्छति प्राप्नोति । नात्र संशयो निश्चितम् एतत् । संनियम्य तानि इन्द्रियाणि ततः सिद्धिम् अभिप्रेतार्थावाप्तिं श्रौतस्मार्तकर्मणाम् अनुष्ठानफलं निःशेषं गच्छति प्राप्नोति ॥ २.९३ ॥

‘Attachment’ means addiction; ‘by’ this, as the means, one ‘incurs’—attains—‘evil,’ [visible] as well as invisible. There is no doubt in this; it is absolutely certain.

‘By subjugating these’—organs—one subsequently ‘attains success,’—the attainment of the desired end; i.e., he acquires in its entirety all the fruits of the performance of acts enjoined in Śruti and in Smṛti.—(93)

‘Doṣam’—‘Guilt’ (Nārāyaṇa);—‘evil, visible and invisible’—(Medhātithi and Kullūka) i.e. misery and sin;—‘evil, in the shape of rebirths’ (Rāghavānanda).

‘Siddhim’—‘Success, in the form of the rewards of all acts’ (Medhātithi);—‘final release’ (Nārāyaṇa and Rāghavānanda);—‘all human ends, Final Release and all the rest’ (Govindarāja and Kullūka).

**(Verses 93-95)
**

Dakṣa-smṛti (7. 12 and 16).—‘He whose mind is addicted to objects never attains Yoga; therefore the Yogin should make an effort to avoid addiction to objects.’

Vaśiṣṭha-smṛti (30.10-11).—‘As one grows old, his hairs fade fade also his teeth; but longing for life and longing for wealth never fade, even while the man is fading away. That which cannot be avoided by foolish-minded persons, that which does not fade even while the man is fading away, that which is a mortal disease,—such Desire when one renounces, then alone does he attain happiness.’

093 Through the attachment of his organs (to sensual pleasure) a man doubtlessly will incur guilt; but if he keep them under complete control, he will obtain success (in gaining all his aims).

Never is desire appeased by the enjoyment of desires; it only waxes stronger, like fire by clarified butter.—(94)

तिष्ठतु तावद् विषयाभिलाषः, शास्त्रोपदेशान् न क्रियते । किं तु दृष्टम् एव सुखं तावन् निवृत्तेर् भवति । तथा हि सेव्यमाना विषया अपि अधिकं गर्द्धम् उत्पादयन्त्य् उदरपूरं भुक्तवतस् तृप्तस्यातिसौहित्यम् अपि गतवतो भवति हृदयसमीहा- “किम् इति शक्नोमि अन्यद् भोक्तुम्,” अशक्त्या तु न प्रवर्तते । ततो नैषा भोगेन शक्या निवृत्तिर् न कदाचित् कामो ऽभिलाषः कामानां काम्यमानानां स्पृहणीयानाम् अर्थानाम् उपभोगेन सेवया शाम्यति निवर्तते । भूयो ऽधिकतरं वर्धते । हविषा घृतेन कृष्णवर्त्मा अग्निर् इव ।

• दुःखरूपश् चाभिलाषः । अनुपभुक्तरसस्य त्व् अभिलाषानुत्पत्तिः । तत्त्वप्रसंख्यानम् एतत् । उक्तं च ।

• यत् पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवस् स्त्रियः ।

• नालम् एकस्य तत् सर्वम् इति मत्वा शमं व्रजेत् ॥ २.९४ ॥

That no longing for sensual objects should be entertained by reason of the teaching of the scriptures may rest aside for the present; in fact there is even apparent happiness proceeding from the cessation of desires. When sensual objects are enjoyed, they only tend to produce stronger desires. For instance, even after a man has eaten his fill, even to the distension of the stomach, and is fully satisfied, there is still a longing in his heart—‘why cannot I eat more?’—and it is only through sheer inability that he does not eat more. This shows that desire can never cease by enjoyment.

‘Desire’—longing.

‘Of Desires’—i.e., of things desired, longed for.

‘Enjoyment’—addiction to.

‘Is appeased’—ceases.

‘Stronger’—more and more..

‘By ghṛta’—by clarified butter.

‘Kṛṣṇavartmā’—Fire.

Longing is a form of pain; until one has experienced a certain taste, he has no longing for it.

This verso only describes the true state of things. It has been thus described—‘Whatever corns and grains, gold, cattle and women there are on the earth are not enough to satisfy a single person;—pondering over this, one should betake hi mself to tranquil restraint.’—(94)

**(Verses 93-95)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 2.93].

094 Desire is never extinguished by the enjoyment of desired objects; it only grows stronger like a fire (fed) with clarified butter.

As between one who would attain all these, and another who would renounce them all, the renunciation of desires surf asses the attainment of

पूर्वोक्तं हेतुत्वेनोपजीव्यायं निगमश्लोकः पठितः । यदा सेवया वर्धते कामः अतो य एतान् कामान् कामी सर्वान् प्राप्नुयात् सेवेतानेकमण्डलेश्वर इव तरुणः, यश् चैतांश् त्यजति केवलानि ईषद् अपि न स्पृशति नैष्ठिक एव बालः । तयोर् यः प्रापको भोक्ता तस्मात् स विशिष्यते, अतिशयेन श्रेष्ठो भवति, यः परित्यजेद् इति । एतच् चात्मप्रत्यक्षम् ॥ २.९५ ॥

The present verse formulates the conclusion deduced from th e reasons adduced in the foregoing verses. [The sense being] in as much as Desire only waxes stronger by fulfilment, hence if a pleasure-seeking person—in the shape of a young king—‘? hould attain’—he addicted to—‘all those’ desires;—while another person—in the shape of the life-long celibate—‘renounces them all,’—i.e., does not touch even the slightest thing;—between these two, the latter surpasses the attainer, the enjoyer. That is, the man who renounces pleasures is vastly superior.

This is self-evident.—(95)

This verse is quoted in Bālambhaṭṭi (Vyāvahāra, p. 606).

**(Verses 93-95)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 2.93].

095 If one man should obtain all those (sensual enjoyments) and another should renounce them all, the renunciation of all pleasure is far better than the attainment of them.

These (organs), being contaminated with objects, are not capable of being subjugated by mere abstinence, as they are by ever present knowledge.—(90)

यद्य् एवम् अरण्यवास एव तर्हि प्राप्ते,¹⁴ न हि तत्र विषया संनिधीयन्ते । असंनिहिताश् च न सेविष्यन्ते । तदर्थम् आह- नासेवया इन्द्रियाणि नियन्तव्यानीति । निःसुखः स्यात् । अथ च स्मरन्ति- “न¹⁵ पूर्वाह्णमधंदिनापराह्णान् अफलान् कुर्याद् यथाशक्तिधर्मार्थकामेभ्यः” (ग्ध् ९.४६) । न च शरीरधारणम् असेवया भवति । किं तु गर्द्धनिषेधो ऽयम् उच्यते । स च गर्द्धः सत्याम् अपि सेवयां¹⁶ ज्ञानेन विषयगतदोषज्ञानेन “अस्थिस्थूणं स्नायुयुतम्”¹⁷ (म्ध् ६.७६) इत्यादिशास्त्रोक्तेन, स्वसंविदा च विपाकविरसतया । किं विपाकफलम् एवादिदोषभावनया वैराग्याभ्यासेन¹⁸ क्रमेण स्पृहा निवर्तते । न तु सहसैव त्यक्तुं शक्यते । किं तु नित्यशः नित्यकालम् । ज्ञानविशेषणम् एतत् । प्रदुष्टानि प्रवृत्तानि । दोषत्वात् प्रवृत्तान्य् एव प्रदुष्टान्य्¹⁹ उच्यन्ते²⁰ । अयं शस्²¹ तत्र तत्र, नित्यशः अनुपूर्वशः सर्वशः पूर्वश इति, व्यासमनुप्रभृतिभिर् महामुनिभिः प्रयुज्यते । तस्य साधुत्वे यत्नः कर्तव्यः । तत्र शस्विधौ “एकवचनाच् च वीप्सायाम्” (पाण् ५.४.४३) इति पठ्यते । तत्र वीप्सार्थः कथंचित् द्योतयितव्यः । अन्ये तु शसस् तिष्ठत्यर्थस्य क्विपि रूपं वर्णयन्ति । क्रियाविशेषणं चैतत् नपुंसकम् । नित्यस्थितेन ज्ञानेनेत्य् अर्थः ॥ २.९६ ॥

“Well, if this is so, then the right course, would appear to be that one should retire to the forest; as there will be no objects within reach; and being beyond reach, they would naturally never be sought after.”—With a view to such notions, the text adds that the organs should not be subjugated by mere abstinence; as in that case the man would have no pleasures at all, while the Smṛti has distinctly declared that—‘Acquiring merit, wealth and pleasures, one should see that his mornings, mid-days and evenings are not useless’ (Gautama, 9.46); and further, the continuance of the body itself would become impossible, by total abstinence. What therefore is meant is to prohibit excessive longing; and even though one may enjoy pleasures, this excessive longing ceases under the influence—(a) of ‘knowledge,’ of defects in the objects, as described in the scriptures, such for instance as in 6.76 below,—(b) of one’s own experience, whereby the said pleasures are found to be unpleasant in their consequences,—and (c) of the constant and gradual practice of nonattachment arising from the due examination of the effects of the pleasures. It is not possible for the said longing to be renounced all at once..

‘Ever present’;—this qualifles ‘knowledge.’

‘Contaminated’—active, since objects are beset with defects, the addiction to them is called ‘contamination.’

The ‘śas’ used here is one that is frequently used by Vyāsa, Manu and other great sages,—in such expressions as‘nityaśaḥ,’ ‘anupūrvaśaḥ,’ ‘sarvaśaḥ,’ ‘pūrvaśaḥ,’ and so forth. But exceptional efforts have to be made in order to establish the correctness of such usage. And in as much as the rule regarding the use of the affix ‘śas’ as laid down in Pāṇini 5. 4. 43, is that it is added to singular nouns, in the sense of repetition,—it is necessary to make the words in question imply, somohow or other, the notion of repetition. Other people have explained the expression ‘ś as’ as a noun formed from the root ‘ś as’ to stand, with the affix ‘kvip’; and the word thus formed would be neuter and would be treated as an adverb, the meaning being—‘by knowledge which is ever-standing.’—(96)

‘Asevayā”—‘avoidance of excessive longing for pleasures’—(Medhātithi); ‘avoidance of places where pleasures are to be obtained’ (Kullūka);—‘abstinence from pleasures’ (Govindarāja, Nārāyaṇa and Nandana).

This verse is quoted in Bālambhaṭṭi (Vyāvahāra, p. 606).

Śaṅkha-smṛti (7. 10-11).—‘That man the Gods regard as a Brāhmaṇa, who is disgusted with birth, with death and with mental and physical ailments. The impurity of the body, the reversal of pleasure and pain, residence in the womb,—from all this one becomes freed.’

096 Those (organs) which are strongly attached to sensual pleasures, cannot so effectually be restrained by abstinence (from enjoyments) as by a constant (pursuit of true) knowledge.

The Vedas, Renunciation, Sacrifices, Restraints and Austerities never attain fulfilment for one whose disposition is vitiated.—(97)

अयम् अत्र विधिर् एव । वेदास् तद्विषयम् अध्यननजपादि । त्यागो दानं लक्षणया । अथ वाप्रतिषिद्धस्यापि मधुमांसभक्षणादेर् निवृत्तिः फलदेत्य् (च्ड़्। म्ध् ५.५६) अनेन वर्जनम् । विप्रदुष्टो भावश् चित्तं यस्य तस्य । सिद्धिं न गच्छन्ति फलसाधकानि न भवन्ति, कस्मिंश्चिद् अपि काले । अतो ऽनुष्ठानकाले नाभिप्रेतादिगतमानसेन भवितव्यम् । शक्यं तर्हि सर्वेतरविकल्पतिरस्करेण कर्मणि मन आधेयम् । अङ्गं हि कर्मसु विषयचिन्तात्यागो ऽनेन वाक्येन विहितः । तदभावे कर्मनैष्फल्यं स्यात् । एष हि भावदोषो यत् कर्मानुष्ठाने प्रवृत्तस्य तत्परतात्यागेन व्यसनेषु मनो ऽवधानम् ॥ २.९७ ॥

The present verse is clearly injunctive.

‘The Vedas’—i.e., the study and recitation of them.

‘Renunciation’—means charity, figuratively; or, it may mean the renouncing of the taking of even such meat and wine as are not prohibited, under the impression that such abstention brings its own reward.

He whose ‘disposition’—i.e., mind—‘is vitiated.’

‘Never attain fulfilment’—they do not bring about their due results, at any time. From this it, follows that at the time of the performance of the said acts, one should not allow his mind to turn towards objects of sensuous enjoyment; for it is only thus that he may disregard all other thoughts and concentrate his mind upon the act itself.

What this text enjoins is that one should avoid of all thought of sensual objects,—this avoidance being a necessary accompaniment of all acts; as in its absence the act becomes futile. The ‘vitiation of disposition’ consists in the fact that at the time when the man is engaged in the performance of an act, he ceases to have his mind concentrated upon that act, and allows it to turn towards vice.—(97)

Medhātithi (p. 119,1. 3)—‘ayamatra vidhiḥ’—It is not consistent with what he has said before (p. 116,11. 11-12), to the effect that up to verse 100 it is all Arthavāda.

Āpastamba-Dharmaṣūtra (1.2.6).—‘For those non-Śūdras whose actions are not wicked—there is Upanayana, Vedic Study, Fire-laying and other acts leading to rewards.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (5. 1).—‘The term Tapas is Applied to the observances;—transgression thereof leads to the trickling away of Knowledge and Religious Acts.’

097 Neither (the study of) the Vedas, nor liberality, nor sacrifices, nor any (self-imposed) restraint, nor austerities, ever procure the attainment (of rewards) to a man whose heart is contaminated (by sensuality).

That man is to be known as having subjugated his sense-organs, who, on having heard, or touched, or seen, or tasted, or smelt, anything, neither rejoices nor grieves.—(98)

श्रुत्वा वंशगीतादिध्वनिम्, “त्वं बृहस्पतिः” इत्यादिवचनं श्रुत्वा, न हृष्यति । रूक्षपरुषाक्रोशवाचः श्रुत्वा न ग्लायति, न मनोदुःखं भजति²² । ग्लानिः खेदः । स्पृष्ट्वा राङ्कवकौशेयादिवस्त्रम् अजलोमकुतपं च समत्वेनानुभवति । एवं सुवेषतरुणीजननटप्रेक्षासु शत्रुदर्शने च समः । बहुघृतं क्षीरषष्टिकान्²³ कोद्रवांश् च समं भोजने । देवदारुतैलं कर्पूरादि च तुल्यं जिघ्रतः । तथा कर्तव्यं यथा केवलैर् मानसैः सुखदुःखैर् न स्पृश्यते । एवं तेन जितानीन्द्रियाणि भवन्ति । न त्व् अप्रवृत्त्यैव । इयत्पर्यन्तः संयमः आश्रयणीयः ॥ २.९८ ॥

ननु च ब्रह्मचारिणा स्त्रीसंबन्धो यत्नेन वर्ज्यः, संस्कृतभिक्षालाभस् तु किम् इति निषिध्यते । अत आह ।[^३०१]

‘Having heard,’—such things as the sound of the flute, singing, etc., or such flattering words as ‘you are Bṛhaspati himself,’—‘does not rejoice.’

‘Does not grieve’—does not suffer mental sorrow; ‘grief’ means sorrow.

‘Having touched’;—such things as garments made of the hair of the Raṅku deer, or of silk, or of the wool of sheep and goats, he touches with equal feelings. Similarly he has exactly the same feelings in regard to the sight of beautiful young women or of enemies; he eats with equal feelings food cooked with plenty of butter and milk, as well as coarse rava grains; he has the same feelings when smelling such things as the oil of Devadāru and the oil of camphor, etc.

The man should behave so that he is not touched by mental joy or sorrow; it is thus that his organs become subjugated; and not by mere inactivity. So that restraint should be practised up to the said point.—(98)

Objection—“Contact with women alone having been prohibited for the Religions Student, why should the taking of nicely cooked food received in alms be prohibited for him?”

In answer to this we have this next verse:—

Śaṅkha-smṛti (7. 8-9).—‘One should never mind it—whether his body is smeared with sandal-paste, or ripped by an axe, or he attains prosperity or adversity. Equally friendly towards all beings, looking equally upon gold and Upon a clod of earth, fixed in contemplative meditation, the Brāhmaṇa attains the highest state.’

Viṣṇu-smṛti (96. 23).—‘While one arm is being ripped with an axe and another is being smeared with sandal-paint,—and while, on the one hand, he meets with prosperity, and on the other, with adversity,—he should not mind either.’

Bhagavadgītā (2. 57).—‘He who has no attachment to, anything, and on meeting with happiness, neither rejoices nbr‘is grieved, his wisdom is firm.’

Bhagavadgītā (5. 20).—‘One should not rejoice on coming by happiness; nor should he become ruffled on coming by unhappiness; he whose mind is firm, never deluded, he knows Brahman, and rests in Brahman.’

098 That man may be considered to have (really) subdued his organs, who on hearing and touching and seeing, on tasting and smelling (anything) neither rejoices nor repines.

From among all the organs, if one happens to ooze out, then thereby his wisdom oozes out, just like water from one part of the leathern bag.—(99)

निर्धारणे षष्ठी । एकम् एव यदीन्द्रियं क्षरति, स्वातन्त्र्येण स्वविषये वर्तमानं न निवार्यते, ततो ऽस्य क्षरति प्रज्ञा धैर्यम् इन्द्रियान्तरविषयम् अपि । दृतिश् छागादिचर्मोदकाद्याहरणभाजनम् । तस्य संवृतेष्व् अपीतरेषु यद्य् एकस्माद् उदकं पादात् स्रवति, सर्वं रिच्यते । ज्ञानाभ्याससंभृतं धैर्यं सम्यक्ज्ञानम् एव वा । विषयगृध्नुतया तद्गतमानसस्य न तत्त्वतो युक्तिशास्त्रगम्या अर्थाः सम्यक् पर्तिभासन्ते ॥ २.९९ ॥

[In the term ‘indriyāṇāṃ’] the Genitive has the force of specification.

If even one organ happens to ooze out;—i.e., if on functioning freely in regard to its object, it is not checked,—then ‘his wisdom oozes out’;—i.e., his steadiness in regard to the other organs also (disappears).

‘Leathern bag’;—a vessel for carrying water, made of the skin of the goat and other animals. Even though all the other parts of this bag be closed, if water trickles out of a single part of it, the whole bag becomes empty.

In the same manner, the man’s steadiness acquired through continuous practice of wisdom,—or even true wisdom and knowledge itself—(becomes entirely lost). That is, being addicted to several objects, he has his mind always turned towards them, so that the subjects dealt with by reasonings and scriptures do not present themselves to him in the right manner.—(99)

‘Prajñā’—‘Wisdom, control over the senses’ (Medhātithi, Govindarāja, and Rāghavānanda);—‘knowledge of truth’ (Kullūka).

‘Pādāt’—This may be taken literally in the sense of foot; as Hopkins rightly remarks—“The hide often is used in oriental countries complete, each leg being made water-tight.” This is indicated by Medhātithi’s remarks also.

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 493) where the ‘dṛti’ is explained as a ‘leathern bag.’ It is quoted to show that during studentship the strict observance of the vows and restraints is essential.

Kaṭha, (3. 7).—‘He who is devoid of wisdom, his mind not firm,—his organs get beyond control,—like vicious horses under the charioteer.’

Bhagavadgītā, (3. 67).—‘When the mind follows in the wake of the roaming senses, it deprives him of his wisdom, and it is lost like the boat at sea.’

099 But when one among all the organs slips away (from control), thereby (man’s) wisdom slips away from him, even as the water (flows) through the one (open) foot of a (water-carrier’s) skin.

Having brought the host of organs under control, and having also subdued the mind, one should accomplish all his purposes, taking care not to injure his body.—(100)

उपसंहरति । सत्य् अपीन्द्रियत्वे मनसः प्राधान्यात् पृथग् उपादानम् । ग्रामः संघातः । विधेयीकृत्येन्द्रियाणि²⁴ तथा मनः । सर्वान् अर्थाञ् श्रौतस्मार्तकर्मसाध्यान् संसाधयेन् निष्पादयेत् । तनुं शरीरम् अक्षिण्वन्न् अपीडयन् । योगतः युक्त्या । सहसा कस्यचित् कठिनासनकृष्णाजिनादिप्रावरणात्²⁵ पीडा भवति सुकुमारप्रकृतेः²⁶ । तदर्थम् इदम् उच्यते । येषां सुशीलितं सुसंस्कृतं भोजनं मृदुशय्यादि, न तैः सहसा तत् त्यक्तव्यम् अपि तु क्रमेण सात्म्यताम् आनेतव्यं तद्विपरीतम् । योगः क्रमेण प्रवृत्तिर् उच्यते । तत्र च योगतो वशे कृत्वेति²⁷ संबन्धः । यथास्थानम् एव वा योगत इति योजनीयम् । युक्त्या औचित्यतः शरीरं नापनयेत् । यद् उचितं शरीरस्य न तज् झट् इति निवर्तयेत् । तात्पर्यं वा योगः²⁸ । तृतीयर्थे तसिः । तात्पर्येण शरीरं रक्षेत् ॥ २.१०० ॥

The present verse sums up the section.

Even though the Mind also is an ‘organ’ yet it is mentioned separately by reason of its importance.

‘Grama,’ ‘host,’ means group.

Having brought under subjection the organs and the Mind, ‘me should accomplish’—bring about—‘all his purposes’—all those results that are accomplished by means of rites laid down in Śrutis and Smṛtis.

‘Not injuring’—causing pain to—his body.

‘Yogataḥ,’ ‘taking care,’—i.e., by careful means. This is added with a view to such cases in which a person with delicate constitution suffers great pain if, all on a sudden, he takes to such austere ways of living as sleeping upon hard beds and wearing the deer-skin and so forth. The sense is that people, who are accustomed to well-cooked and delicious food, and to soft beds, etc., should not abandon these all at once; they should only gradually accustom themselves to things other than those they are accustomed to.

The term ‘Yoga’ may stand for well-graduated activity. In this sense the epithet ‘Yogataḥ is to be construed with ‘having brought under control.’

Or, we may construe the epithet just as it stands, the meaning being that ‘he should have recourse to such methods as not to injure his body.’ That is, he should not hurriedly renounce what may be necessary for his body.

Or again, ‘Yoga’ may stand for care; and the ‘tasi’ affix in this case has the sense of the instrumental; the sense being ‘he should protect his body with care.’—(100)

‘Yogataḥ’—(a) ‘By careful means’ (construed with ‘akṣiṇvan’ or ( b) ‘gradually’ (construed with ‘vaśekṛtvā’)—(Medhātithi);—‘By the practice of yoga’ (Nārāyaṇa and Nandana).

This verse is quoted in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 122).

Vyāsa-ṣmrti (4.13), (also Vṛddha Śātātapa, 61).—‘Having brought his senses under control, wherever a man may live,—that place is Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa and Puṣkara.’

Vyāsasmṛti (4. 60-61).—‘One does not become heroic by obtaining victory in battle; nor does he become learned by study; nor an orator by mere eloquence; nor liberal by making gifts of wealth; by conquering the organs does one become heroic; by following Dharma, learned,—by truthfulness, an orator; and liberal, by doing good to all beings.’

Vaśiṣṭha-smṛti (25. 8).—‘Wisdom is attained by Yoga; Yoga is the characteristic of Dharma; Yoga is ever the highest penance; therefore one should be always addicted to Yoga.’

Bhagavadgītā (5. 28).—‘The wise man, having his senses, Manas and Buddhi under control, having his heart fixed upon Liberation, with all his desires, fear and auger gone,—is ever free.’

100 If he keeps all the (ten) organs as well as the mind in subjection, he may gain all his aims, without reducing his body by (the practice) of Yoga.