Gita Rahasya -Tilak
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CHAPTER V
THE CONSIDERATION OF HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS
(SUKHA-DUHKHA-VIVEKA) This is what is meant by the' statement in the Gita [1] that he who merely chokes up the impulses of the organs but contemplates objects of pleasure by his mind is a hypocrite, and he who conquers the desiring frame of mind by means of mental control, and allows all his mental impulses to carry on their various activities for the benefit of the world is the real superman. The external world, or the activities of the organs are not something which- we have brought into existence, but they are self-created ; and' however self -controlled a samnyasi may be, yet, when his hunger becomes uncontrollable, he goes out to beg for food [2]; or when he has sat for a considerable length of time in one place, he gets up and stands for some time. If we see that however much there is of mental control, one cannot, escape the inherent activities of the organs, then the wisest course is seen to be not to perversely attempt to destroy the- impulses of the organs, and at the same time all Actions and all kinds of Desire or Discontent [3], but to give up the hope for the result by controlling the mind, and to look upon pain and happiness as a like [4], and to perform all Actions desirelessly and for the benefit of the world as prescribed by the Sastras. Therefore, the Blessed Lord first tells Arjuna in the following stanza : karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana I ma karmaphalahetur bhuh ma te sango 'stvakarmam II [5]. that, in as much as you have been born in this world of Action, therefore, " your authority extends only to the per- formance of Actions' ' ; but bear in mind that this your authority extends only to the performance of Action which ought to be- performed (that is, to kartavya). The word 'eva' which means 'only', clearly shows that the authority of man does not extend to anything other than karma, that is, to the result of the karma. But the Blessed Lord does not leave this important matter to be understood merely by inference, and He again, and in per- fectly clear words, says in the second quarter of the stanza, that, "your authority never extends to the result of the Action", be- cause, getting or not getting the result of the Action is not a. matter which is within your control, but is always in the gift . of the Paramesvara or is dependent on the entire Effect of Causes (karma-vipaka) in the world. |
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