GITA 2.77
We are in Thirukkulandai, one of the Navathiruppati Kshetrams . The large pond here will reveal why this place has the name Perunkulam. It is just by the side of this temple. The Lord here is Sri Mayakoothan. The Lord of various Kshetrams revealed some of His qualities to Alwar. Here He exhibited the cheshtitha ascharyam character. Cheshtitham is pranks and ascharyam is astonishment. The name Sri Mayakoothan suggests the enormous and astonishing pranks of the Lord. Why should He do these pranks and what use is there for us? By involving us in His plays, or admiring His qualities or visualizing His magnificent image, our mind does not seek anything else. This interpretation is important in the present context. Our senses are all minute and at any time they can be engaged in one experience only. Our ears, for example, cannot at the same time enjoy listening to a music and also grasp the contents of a lecture. Similarly, the eyes can enjoy a dance but at the same time cannot appreciate a drama. So, the organs grasp one at a time. Therefore, we can devote our senses on the Lord- the eyes must see His beautiful image, the ears must listen to His stories, tongue should sing His praise, etc. Thus all the five senses could be concentrated on Him. When this is happening, the senses will not seek other cheap things. We will now see the 67thsloka.
indriyanam hi caratam
yan mano ’nuvidhiyate
tad asya harati prajnam
vayur navam ivambhasi
As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man's intelligence.
"As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, the wandering senses are followed by the mind; such a mind carries away a man’s intelligence."
He cites an example for the mind, which follows the sensual organs, which seek various experiences. Our organs want to enjoy sensual experiences. Eyes want to see attractive scenes. Ears want to listen to good sounds. Mouth wants to eat tasty foods, and so on. These, that is, vision, hearing, taste, scent and feeling, are all matters of interest for the organs. This is what Sri Krishna tells that every organ is interested in seeking the experience, which will please. So the materials in the world attract the senses and they run after them. While doing so, they drag the mind also along with them. This is the meaning of the first part of the sloka. The matters of the world create various desires like taste, vision, etc. The organs go after them to experience those desires. Mind follows the organs. Tad, that mind, will forcibly divert the pranja, the intellect engaged in atman perception of asya, this atman that is trying to control mind. So, even though this atman had decided its mind to perceive atman, the same mind is after the organs, which are attracted by the materialistic pleasures. So there is no mind to think of atman. Mind is present but it is engaged in pursuit of other pleasures along with the organs. Mind has the capacity to think about only one at a time. But are we not thinking of so many things at the same time? Yes, then it is called a confused mind. When mind is engaged in one thought, it is clear, but when it thinks many, it is confusion.So when a mind is trying to perceive atman and at that time if its attention is diverted by the organs, then there will not be this mind to think of atman. When this happens we will not have resolute knowledge. This is what Sri Krishna tells. The buddhi to understand atman is carried away by the mind and the organs. If Sri Mayakoothan abducts our mind it would be welcome, but when the senses carry away the mind, disaster befalls. Sri Krishna illustrates this by an example. Just as the wind blowing opposite to the direction in which a boat is sailing, will divert the boat. Here we have to regard the mind as boat, which is sailing towards atman and the winds are the organs, which divert the sailing. The method to stop this diversion is to prevent the winds blowing in the opposite direction. Since this capacity is not with us to prevent such a wind, we will have to seek asylum at the feet of Him, Who has the capacity to prevent the wind from blowing in the opposite direction. He is mightier than the wind, the Sun, the fire, the planets, this Universe and He is Sriman Narayana. By devoting ourselves to Him, our mind and senses would all get controlled. The boat also would reach its destination. Therefore, surrendering our organs in His service is the best way to control and discipline our mind and organs. Thirumangai Alwar imagining himself as a girl, is being invited by her girl friends to witness the dancing Lord. This Juggler performs the dance and the girl [Alwar] is attracted. The performance was over and the performer and all spectators leave. But the girl [Alwar] remains in the auditorium. When asked by her friends as to why she is not getting up and start for home, the Alwar, in his imaginary girl form, says that to get up and start for home, her mind should be there. It is no longer there, as it has gone along with the Juggler. When mind is not there, no one is there to order the organs to prepare to get up. The message here is that by devoting our mind and organs in His pranks and beauty, we escape our mind and organs from engaging them in the worldly desires. Similar is the experience of Nammalwar. He says that after seeing Him, the eyes follow the Lord. We think of the mortals who are all having numerous shortfalls. Whereas, His qualities do not have any deficiency, He does not have any blemish. In every sense He cannot be faulted. So by devoting in such a perfect and blemishless Him, our organs and mind will get controlled. So when we see this great pond, we should remember Him and His astonishing pranks and thereby our mind and organs will get fixed in Him and get controlled.
(continued)
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