Gyaneshwari -Sant Gyaneshwar
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Chapter-3
Karmayoga
33. Even the man of knowledge acts according to his nature. (All) beings follow their nature; what can restraint achieve?Those who being subject to prakriti indulge the senses, cavil at my teaching and ignore it, they think it commonplace and disregarding it call it simply a rhetorical eulogy (arthavada) loquaciously (191-195). Know this without doubt that they are intoxicated with delusion, filled with the poison of sense-objects and sunk in the bog of ignorance. Just as a corpse has no use for a gem placed in its hand, or a blind person does not know for certain when it dawns, or as the crow derives no benefit from the rise of the moon, so the ignorant person does not like discriminating knowledge. Moreover O Arjuna, you should not converse with such persons who are not well-disposed to spiritual truth. They not only do not accept my teaching but also denounce it. Tell me, can the moth bear sun-light (196-200)? When the moth hugs the flame, it meets with sure death. In the same way self-indulgence leads to self-destruction. So a wise man should not pamper his senses even out of curiosity. Tell me, can one safely play with a serpent or keep company with a tiger? Can one possibly digest a dose of virulent poison? If fire breaks out while playing with it, it soon flares up beyond control. So if a person indulges his senses, he does not fare well. Truly speaking, O Arjuna, why should we toil to acquire the means of sensuous enjoyment for this body which is dependent on qualities (201205)? Why should we pile up provisions with great effort and maintain this body from birth to death? Why should we exhaust ourselves to amass wealth and then nurture this body in utter neglect of our duty? And when this body which is the aggregate of five elements returns to them, where do we seek the reward of our exertion? Therefore, know that the maintenance of the body is open plunder; and so we should not pay much attention to it. |
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