Gita : Ch-2. Slo-15.








Srimad Bhagavad-Gita : 


Chapter-2. (Samkya-yogam )


Slokam-15. ( O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation. )




yam   hi   na   vyathayantyete   purusham    purusharshabha,



samaduhkhasukham    dhiram   somrtatvaya    kalpate.




 purusharshabha   =   best   among  men  Arjuna;

ete   =   these  {  indriya  (  senses )   and   vishaya  (  objects )   relationships  };

sama-duhkha-sukham   =   ( one  who  )   consider   joy   and   sorrow   evenly   (  as  one  and  equal  );

dhiram   yam   purusham   =   and   having   strong   mind,  that  man;

na   vyathayanti   =   is  not  disturbed   and  distressed;

sa  amrtatvaya   =   he   for   atma-sakshatkaram   (  liberation  );

kalpate   hi   =   is   considered   eligible.  





Anyone who is steady in his determination for the advanced stage of spiritual realization and can equally tolerate the onslaughts of distress and happiness is certainly a person eligible for liberation. In the varnasrama institution, the fourth stage of life, namely the renounced order (sannyasa) is a painstaking situation. But one who is serious about making his life perfect surely adopts the sannyasa order of life in spite of all difficulties. The difficulties usually arise from having to sever family relationships, to give up the connection of wife and children. But if anyone is able to tolerate such difficulties, surely his path to spiritual realization is complete. Similarly, in Arjuna's discharge of duties as a kshatriya, he is advised to persevere, even if it is difficult to fight with his family members or similarly beloved persons. Lord Caitanya took sannyasa at the age of twenty-four, and His dependants, young wife as well as old mother, had no one else to look after them. Yet for a higher cause He took sannyāsa and was steady in the discharge of higher duties. That is the way of achieving liberation from material bondage.


Here the results of the action are being described by this prescription. In this way one without attachment to the senses does not grieve. Inside one is equipoise and peaceful. Contrarily by being attached to the physical body everything is influenced by sorrow. The adjective purusa is used when one is not subject to sorrow. Why is there no grief? Because of being equipoise in both pleasure and pain. How is this possible? It is possible by being determined. 


The results gained is described by this prescription. Not by the merely being equipoise and dispelling all sorrow does one become self realised; but this indicates the correct process. When one has relinquished all conceptions of being the physical body one becomes naturally filled with the spiritual attributes that are inherent of the soul. Fixed in this awareness one is known as a purusa, thus this has been written in Pravritta scripture. The word pura in purusa signifies full, so full in noble attributes and full in wisdom the meaning of the word purusa is illuminated. 


If one were to question what would be the result if one ignores the connection between the senses and the sense objects Lord Krishna answers this by explaining that one who is performing their natural duty in life which is prescribed in the Vedic scriptures according to their own individual qualifications, without desiring any gratification for their actions; what then can deter this living entity and cause them to deviate irresponsibly. The spiritually intelligent, living entity, possessing patience, whom remains equal in happiness and unhappiness becomes eligible for immortality, by which lives highest goal is acquired of ones individual spiritual nature devoid of the imperfections connected with the physical body such as of old age, disease and death. 


Rather than attempting to adopt a technique or remedy to try to purify the contacts of the senses with the sense objects; one should simply tolerate them as this leads to prodigious results. The Supreme Lord is declaring that whomever the sense objects are unable to overpower, subdue or afflict and who is equipoise in pleasure and pain not being attached to either due to spiritual knowledge becomes a fit candidate for immortality. which is liberation from the material bondage of birth and death due to the acquisition of spiritual knowledge. 

To be continued  ....

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