|| Shree Hari ||
Ram Ram
Link: — When a striver devotes himself heart and soul to God, his senses are controlled and his relish (taste) for sense enjoyments disappears. But what about those who do not devote themselves to God? The answer is provided in these two verses.
|| Gita 2:62 and 2:63 ||
dhyaayato vishayaan pumsah, sangas teshoopajaayate
sangaat sanjayate kaamah, kaamaat krodho ‘bhijaayate || 62 ||
krodhaad bhavati sammohah, sammohaat smriti-vibhramah
smriti-bhramshaad buddhi-naasho, buddhi-naashaat pranashyati || 63 ||
“Thinking constantly (chintan) on the objects of senses, a man develops attachment for them; from the attachment springs desire, and from desire (obstruction in fulfillment) ensues anger. From anger arises delusion, confusion of memory; which results in loss of reason/discrimination (Viveka), and with loss of reason/discrimination, he goes to complete ruin.”
Comment: —
‘dhyaayato vishayaan pumsah, sangas teshoopajaayate ‘ — When a man does not devote himself to God viz., when he does not think, meditate or concern himself with God, then he thinks about the objects of senses. On one side there is Paramatma (God) and another side is the world. When he leaves the dependency of Paramatma, then he takes the support of only the world and only thinks about the world, because nothing else remains except the world to contemplate on. In this manner, by continuously thinking about worldly objects, he develops attachment, attraction and liking for them. Due to this attachment, he begins to enjoy, serve, devote and implicitly rely on (sevan karnaa) those sense-objects. This enjoyment whether it be mental or physical, the resulting pleasure, enhances the liking/dearness (priyataah) for that object. Due to this enhanced liking/fondness, he repeatedly dwells on those sense-objects. Now, the enhanced attachment persists, whether he enjoys the sense-objects or not. This is a rule.
‘Sangaatsanjayate kaamah’ — By developing attraction/attachment for sense objects, the desire arises to acquire and enjoy those sense-objects.
‘kaamaat krodho ‘bhijaayate’— On continuing to get things for the gratification of desires, one develops greed and one who creates an obstacle in the possibility of its gratification, becomes a victim of anger.
Desire is such a thing that when any obstacles arise in it’s fulfillment, it surely leads to anger. If some obstacles arise in its gratification of desire for respect and honour on the ground of caste, stage of life and virtues etc., that too causes anger.
Desire is a rajasika (mode of passion) trait; delusion a tamasika (mode of ignorance) one, and anger lies between the two.
If you are angry at anytime about any thing, it means that you have attachment (raag – passion, desire, love, liking) for something or the other. If you become angry on seeing a man who does unlawful and dishonest things, then you are attached to justice, policy, ethics etc. If you get angry on one who defames you, it means that you are attached to respect, attention, honor etc. If you are enraged with a person who censures you, it proves you are attached to praise. If you are angry at one who commits mistakes, then you are attached to the pride of being flawless and so on.
‘Krodhadbhavati sammohah’— From anger, ensues delusion. In fact, delusion ensues from desire, greed, anger and attachment. Just like –
(i) Delusion born of desire, veils discrimination and so a man goaded by desire performs undesirable actions.
(ii) Out of anger, a deluded person utters harsh and pinching words, to even friends and loved ones, and engages wrong and inappropriate behaovior.
(iii) Delusion born of greed makes a man blind and he cannot distinguish between the real and the unreal, the right and the wrong and he cheats others by using fraudulent methods.
(iv) Delusion born of attachment, creates partiality as he lacks sense of equanimity.
Now the question arises, why Lord Krsna has said that delusion ensues from anger while it ensues from desire, greed and attachment, as well. If we give a serious thought, we come to know that goaded by desire, greed and attachment, a man thinks of his own selfish motive and pleasure, while in anger he thinks of doing evil to others. Thus, delusion born of anger is more disastrous, than that born of the other three. Therefore Lord Krsna has said that delusion ensues from anger.
’sammohaat smriti-vibhramah’—From delusion arises confusion of memory. It means that a man forgets his aim to attain salvation, or to follow the spiritual path, in accordance with the ordinance of the scriptures etc.
‘Smrtibhrarhsad buddhinasah’—From loss of memory arises loss of reason viz., a man cannot discriminate between right and wrong.
‘Buddhinasatpranasyati’—Loss of discrimination paves the way to self-destruction.
Therefore, it is obligatory for all strivers to devote themselves heart and soul to God, in order to escape self-destruction.
Simply by dwelling in the objects of senses, leads to attachment; attachment leads to desire; desire to anger; anger to delusion; delusion to loss of memory; loss of memory to loss of reason and finally, loss of reason leads to utter ruin. Though, it takes time to describe this order yet the rise of these propensities leading to the destruction of man is, as fast as death caused by an electric shock.
From “The Bhagavadgita – Sadhak Sanjivani” in English, page 217-219 by Swami Ramsukhdasji
