Sense Control

BG.2.14

मात्रास्पर्ाा स्तु कौन्तेय र्ीतोष्णसुखदु ुः खदाुः ।

आगमापाययनोऽयनत्यास्ताां स्तस्तयतक्षस्व भारत ॥ १४ ॥

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

Synonyms
mātrā-sparśāḥ — sensory perception; tu — only; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; śīta — winter; uṣṇa —
summer; sukha — happiness; duḥkha — and pain; dāḥ — giving; āgama — appearing; apāyinaḥ —
disappearing; anityāḥ — nonpermanent; tān — all of them; titikṣasva — just try to tolerate; bhārata — O
descendant of the Bharata dynasty.

Translation
O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due
course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from
sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
 BG. 2.59

यिषया यियनितान्ते यनराहारस्य दे यहनुः ।

रसिर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परां दृष्ट्वा यनिताते ॥ ५९ ॥

viṣayā vinivartante
nirāhārasya dehinaḥ
rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya
paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

Synonyms
viṣayāḥ — objects for sense enjoyment; vinivartante — are practiced to be refrained from; nirāhārasya —
by negative restrictions; dehinaḥ — for the embodied; rasa-varjam — giving up the taste; rasaḥ — sense of
enjoyment; api — although there is; asya — his; param — far superior things; dṛṣṭvā — by
experiencing; nivartate — he ceases from.

Translation
Though the embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects
remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in
consciousness.
 BG. 2.60

यततो ह्ययप कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य यिपयितुः ।

इस्तियायि प्रमाथीयन हरस्तन्त प्रसभां मनुः ॥ ६० ॥

yatato hy api kaunteya

puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ
indriyāṇi pramāthīni
haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ

Synonyms
yatataḥ — while endeavoring; hi — certainly; api — in spite of; kaunteya — O son of
Kuntī; puruṣasya — of a man; vipaścitaḥ — full of discriminating knowledge; indriyāṇi — the
senses; pramāthīni — agitating; haranti — throw; prasabham — by force; manaḥ — 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.
 BG. 2.62

ध्यायतो यिषयान्ुांसुः सङ्गस्तेषूपर्जायते ।

सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामुः कामात्क्रोधोऽयभर्जायते ॥ ६२ ॥

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ

saṅgas teṣūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ
kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

Synonyms
dhyāyataḥ — while contemplating; viṣayān — sense objects; puṁsaḥ — of a person; saṅgaḥ —
attachment; teṣu — in the sense objects; upajāyate — develops; saṅgāt — from
attachment; sañjāyate — develops; kāmaḥ — desire; kāmāt — from desire; krodhaḥ —
anger; abhijāyate — becomes manifest.

Translation
While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and
from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.
 BG. 2.63

क्रोधाद्भियत सम्मोहुः सम्मोहात्स्मृयतयिभ्रमुः ।

स्मृयतभ्रां र्ाद् बुस्तिनार्ो बुस्तिनार्ात्प्रिश्ययत ॥ ६३ ॥

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ

sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ
smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo
buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati

Synonyms
krodhāt — from anger; bhavati — takes place; sammohaḥ — perfect illusion; sammohāt — from
illusion; smṛti — of memory; vibhramaḥ — bewilderment; smṛti-bhraṁśāt — after bewilderment of
memory; buddhi-nāśaḥ — loss of intelligence; buddhi-nāśāt — and from loss of
intelligence; praṇaśyati — one falls down.

Translation
From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When
memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again
into the material pool.
 BG. 2.67

इस्तियािाां यह चरताां यन्मनोऽनुयिधीयते ।

तदस्य हरयत प्रज्ाां िायुनाा ियमिाम्भयस ॥ ६७ ॥

indriyāṇāṁ hi caratāṁ
yan mano ’nuvidhīyate
tad asya harati prajñāṁ
vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi

Synonyms
indriyāṇām — of the senses; hi — certainly; caratām — while roaming; yat — with which; manaḥ — the
mind; anuvidhīyate — becomes constantly engaged; tat — that; asya — his; harati — takes
away; prajñām — intelligence; vāyuḥ — wind; nāvam — a boat; iva — like; ambhasi — on the water.

Translation
As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which
the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence.
 BG. 3.42

इस्तियायि पराण्याहुररस्तियेभ्युः परां मनुः ।

मनसस्तु परा बुस्तियो बुिेुः परतस्तु सुः ॥ ४२ ॥

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ
manasas tu parā buddhir
yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

Synonyms
indriyāṇi — senses; parāṇi — superior; āhuḥ — are said; indriyebhyaḥ — more than the
senses; param — superior; manaḥ — the mind; manasaḥ — more than the mind; tu — also; parā —
superior; buddhiḥ — intelligence; yaḥ — who; buddheḥ — more than the intelligence; parataḥ —
superior; tu — but; saḥ — he.

Translation
The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is
still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.
 BG.3.43

एिां बुिेुः परां बुद्वा सांस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।

र्जयह र्त्रुां महाबाहो कामरूपां दु रासदम् ॥ ४३ ॥

evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā

saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā
jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho
kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam

Synonyms
evam — thus; buddheḥ — to intelligence; param — superior; buddhvā — knowing; saṁstabhya — by
steadying; ātmānam — the mind; ātmanā — by deliberate intelligence; jahi — conquer; śatrum — the
enemy; mahā-bāho — O mighty-armed one; kāma-rūpam — in the form of lust; durāsadam — formidable.

Translation
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O
mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa
consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
 BG.5.22

ये यह सांस्पर्ार्जा भोगा दु :खयोनय एि ते ।

आद्यन्तिन्त: कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुध: ॥ २२ ॥

ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogā
duḥkha-yonaya eva te
ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya
na teṣu ramate budhaḥ

Synonyms
ye — those; hi — certainly; saṁsparśa-jāḥ — by contact with the material senses; bhogāḥ —
enjoyments; duḥkha — distress; yonayaḥ — sources of; eva — certainly; te — they are; ādi —
beginning; anta — end; vantaḥ — subject to; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; na — never; teṣu — in
those; ramate — takes delight; budhaḥ — the intelligent person.

Translation
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.
 BG. 6.6

बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मै िात्मना यर्जत: ।

अनात्मनस्तु र्त्रुत्वे ितेतात्मै ि र्त्रुित् ॥ ६ ॥

bandhur ātmātmanas tasya

yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
anātmanas tu śatrutve
vartetātmaiva śatru-vat

Synonyms
bandhuḥ — friend; ātmā — the mind; ātmanaḥ — of the living entity; tasya — of him; yena — by
whom; ātmā — the mind; eva — certainly; ātmanā — by the living entity; jitaḥ —
conquered; anātmanaḥ — of one who has failed to control the mind; tu — but; śatrutve — because of
enmity; varteta — remains; ātmā eva — the very mind; śatru-vat — as an enemy.

Translation
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has
failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
 BG.6.19

यथा दीपो यनिातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता ।

योयगनो यतयचत्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मन: ॥ १९ ॥

yathā dīpo nivāta-stho

neṅgate sopamā smṛtā
yogino yata-cittasya
yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ

Synonyms
yathā — as; dīpaḥ — a lamp; nivāta-sthaḥ — in a place without wind; na — does not; iṅgate —
waver; sā — this; upamā — comparison; smṛtā — is considered; yoginaḥ — of the yogī; yata-cittasya —
whose mind is controlled; yuñjataḥ — constantly engaged; yogam — in meditation; ātmanaḥ — on
transcendence.

Translation
As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled,
remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent Self.
 BG.6.25

र्नै: र्नैरुपरमेद्बुद्ध्या धृयतगृ हीतया ।

आत्मसांस्थां मन: कृत्वा न यकयिदयप यचन्तयेत् ॥ २५ ॥

śanaiḥ śanair uparamed

buddhyā dhṛti-gṛhītayā
ātma-saṁsthaṁ manaḥ kṛtvā
na kiñcid api cintayet

Synonyms
śanaiḥ — gradually; śanaiḥ — step by step; uparamet — one should hold back; buddhyā — by
intelligence; dhṛti-gṛhītayā — carried by conviction; ātma-saṁstham — placed in transcendence; manaḥ —
mind; kṛtvā — making; na — not; kiñcit — anything else; api — even; cintayet — should think of.

Translation
Gradually, step by step, one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence sustained
by full conviction, and thus the mind should be fixed on the Self alone and should think of nothing
else.
 BG.6.26

यतो यतो यनिलयत मनििलमस्तस्थरम् ।

ततस्ततो यनयम्यैतदात्मन्येि िर्ां नयेत् ॥ २६ ॥

yato yato niścalati

manaś cañcalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet

Synonyms
yataḥ yataḥ — wherever; niścalati — becomes verily agitated; manaḥ — the mind; cañcalam —
flickering; asthiram — unsteady; tataḥ tataḥ — from there; niyamya — regulating; etat — this; ātmani — in
the Self; eva — certainly; vaśam — control; nayet — must bring under.

Translation
From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly
withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.
 BG.6.34

चिलां यह मन: कृष्ण प्रमायथ बलिद् दृढम् ।

तस्याहां यनग्रहां मन्ये िायोररि सुदुष्करम् ॥ ३४ ॥

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa

pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva su-duṣkaram

Synonyms
cañcalam — flickering; hi — certainly; manaḥ — mind; kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa; pramāthi — agitating; bala-vat —
strong; dṛḍham — obstinate; tasya — its; aham — I; nigraham — subduing; manye — think; vāyoḥ — of
the wind; iva — like; su-duṣkaram — difficult.

Translation
The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is
more difficult than controlling the wind.
 BG. 6.35

श्रीभगिानुिाच
असांर्यां महाबाहो मनो दु यनाग्रहां चलम् ।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय िैराग्येि च गृह्यते ॥ ३५ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho
mano durnigrahaṁ calam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya
vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate

Synonyms
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said; asaṁśayam — undoubtedly; mahā-bāho — O
mighty-armed one; manaḥ — the mind; durnigraham — difficult to curb; calam — flickering; abhyāsena — by
practice; tu — but; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; vairāgyeṇa — by detachment; ca — also; gṛhyate — can be
so controlled.

Translation
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless
mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.
 BG.16.21

यत्रयिधां नरकस्येदां द्वारां नार्नमात्मन: ।

काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादे तत्त्रयां त्यर्जेत् ॥ २१ ॥

tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ
dvāraṁ nāśanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas
tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet

Synonyms
tri-vidham — of three kinds; narakasya — of hell; idam — this; dvāram — gate; nāśanam —
destructive; ātmanaḥ — of the self; kāmaḥ — lust; krodhaḥ — anger; tathā — as well as; lobhaḥ —
greed; tasmāt — therefore; etat — these; trayam — three; tyajet — one must give up.

Translation
There are three gates leading to this hell – lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give
these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.