Gita : Ch-5. Slo-22.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :


Chapter-5. ( Karma-sanyasa-yogam )


Slokam-22. ( An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kuntī, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them. )



Ye   hi   samsparsaja    bhoga    duhkhayonaya    eva    te,


adyantavantah    kaunteya    na    teshu    ramate     budhah.




samsparsaja    bhoga    ye  =  by    contact    with    the   material    senses     those   enjoyment;

te   duhkhayonaya    eva  =   certainly   sources of    distress;

hi  =  why   because;

(te)    adyantavantah  =  they   have    a   beginning    and    a   end;

kaunteya  =  Arjuna;

budhah    teshu     na    ramate  =  intelligent   person   never   take    delight   in    them.




It can be understood how a person being free from desires is no longer attached to sensual pleasures and focusing within and realising the atma or eternal soul is able to experience unlimited bliss. But the question which may be raised is how can one become unattached to the desire for sensual pleasures from the very beginning? Lord Krishna explains that all pleasures in the material world have a beginning and an end. When pleasures are first enjoyed they give an acute illusion of happiness but due to indomitable time when such pleasures come to an end as they all must they are the cause of acute misery. For this reason the spiritually intelligent who are endowed with the faculty of discriminative knowledge do not indulge in sense pleasures knowing them to be temporary and binding.

The question may be raised that if moksa or liberation from material existence leads to the cessation of enjoyment of the senses how can it be considered as desirable for humans? Anticipating such a doubt Lord Krishna reiterates that pleasures which come from contact with the objects of the senses can be a source misery even at the time of enjoyment. These pleasures are difficult to gain because they are fleeting and fickle. They are difficult to maintain because they are wanton and frivolous and they are difficult to sustain due to competition, jealousy, reprisals, etc. Because all pleasure is temporary having a beginning and an end; the discriminating individual does not become attached and hanker for them.

The word samsparsaja means contact of the senses with their objects this precipitates anticipation for material pleasures which gives the illusion of happiness by such contact which actually are but a source of misery, pain and suffering. Lord Krishna is stating that because they are temporary having a time of beginning and a time of ending, contact with sense objects is shunned by those of spiritual intelligence who know such contacts are of a transitory nature.

Material sense pleasures are due to the contact of the material senses, which are all temporary because the body itself is temporary. A liberated soul is not interested in anything which is temporary. Knowing well the joys of transcendental pleasures, how can a liberated soul agree to enjoy false pleasure?

For achieving renunciation, desire for enjoyment of the senses is detrimental and censured.


To be continued  ....