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Chapter 5
Link:—The Lord, in the next two verses, explains that God, Who can be realized through the paths of Action and Knowledge, can also be realized through the path of meditation."[1]
sparssnkrtva bahirbahyatitscaksuscaivantare bhruvoh
pranapanau samau krtva nasabhyantaracarinau
yatendriyamanobuddhirmunirmokgaparayanalf
vigatecchabhayakrodbo yah sada mukta eva sah
Shutting out all external objects, fixing the vision between the eyebrows, making the inward and the outward breaths move within the nostrils evenly the sage, who has controlled the senses, mind and intellect, who is bent on liberation, who has cast away desire, fear and anger, is ever liberated. 27-28
Comment:-
Sparsankrtva bahirbahyan:—AII objects, except God are external. 'Shutting out external object' means, that external objects should not be thought of.
The affinity for the external objects, is renounced in the path of Action, through service, while in the path of knowledge through discrimination. Here, the Lord declares that this affinity can be renounced, through meditation. In meditation, when a striver meditates only on God, he has a disinclination for external objects. It is not the external objects, but his assumed affinity (attachment) for them, which is an obstacle to God-realization.
Caksuscaivantare bhruvoh:—Here the expression 'Bhruvoh antare', may stand for, fixing vision between the eyebrows as well as, for fixing it at the tip of the nose (Gita 6/13).
During meditation, if the eyes are completely shut, a striver may feel sleepy and if these are completely open, the scene and objects which are before his eyes, may draw his attention and create an obstacle. In order to, remove these distractions, it has been said that with half-closed eyes, the gaze should be fixed, between one's eyebrows.
Pranapanau samau krtva nasabhyantaracarinau:—The breath exhaled, is 'prana while the breath inhaled is 'apana. The speed of 'prana breath' is fast, while the speed of 'Apana breath' is slow. In order to, regulate the process of exhalation and inhalation, so that both of these may take equal time, first, the apana breath is inhaled, through the left nostril, and then the pram breath is exhaled, through the right nostril. Then, the apana breath is inhaled through the right nostril and the pram breath is exhaled, through the left nostril. This process of exhalation and inhalation, should take equal time. Through constant practice the flow of the prana and the apana breath, becomes even, gentle and subtle (thin). When, there is no sensation of air inside or outside the nostril and in the throat etc., it should be understood, that the flow of the pram breath and apana breath, has become even. When this flow bcomes even, (because of the aim of God-realization), the mind starts meditating on God. This control of the breathing process, has been described here, because it plays an important role, in the path of meditation.
Yatendriyamanobuddhih:—There are two sources of knowledge—senses and intellect. In between the two, the mind has its place. A man, is to be cautious, whether his mind is under the influence of senses or intellect or both senses and intellect. Senses, tempt the mind towards sense-objects, while intellect guides it to think of the consequences. Those people, whose minds are swayed by senses, indulge in worldly sensual pleasures, while those, whose minds are guided by intellect, do not rejoice in pleasures born of contact (Gita 5/22).
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