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Chapter 2: Contents of the Gétä Summarized

Bg 2.60
TEXT 60
yatato hy api kaunteya
purusasya vipascitah
indriyani pramathini
haranti prasabham manah
SYNONYMS
yatataù—while endeavoring; hi—certainly; api—in spite of; kaunteya—O son of Kunté; puruñasya—of the man; vipaçcitaù—full of discriminating knowledge; indriyäëi—the senses; pramäthéni—stimulated; haranti—throws forcefully; prasabhaà—by force; manaù—the mind.
TRANSLATION
The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.
PURPORT
There are many learned sages, philosophers and transcendentalists who try to conquer the senses, but in spite of their endeavors, even the greatest of them sometimes fall victim to material sense enjoyment due to the agitated mind. Even Viçvämitra, a great sage and perfect yogé, was misled by Menakä into sex enjoyment, although the yogé was endeavoring for sense control with severe types of penance and yoga practice. And, of course, there are so many similar instances in the history of the world. Therefore, it is very difficult to control the mind and the senses without being fully Kåñëa conscious. Without engaging the mind in Kåñëa, one cannot cease such material engagements. A practical example is given by Çré Yämunäcärya, a great saint and devotee, who says: "Since my mind has been engaged in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Kåñëa, and I have been enjoying an ever new transcendental humor, whenever I think of sex life with a woman, my face at once turns from it, and I spit at the thought."
Kåñëa consciousness is such a transcendentally nice thing that automatically material enjoyment becomes distasteful. It is as if a hungry man had satisfied his hunger by a sufficient quantity of nutritious eatables. Mahäräja Ambaréña also conquered a great yogé, Durväsä Muni, simply because his mind was engaged in Kåñëa consciousness.

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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada