Chapter 2, Verse 67
indriyāṇāṁ hi caratāṁ
yan mano’nuvidhīyate
tad asya harati prajñāṁ
vāyur nāvam ivāṁbhasi
When the mind follows the senses ‘experiencing’ their objects, the
understanding is carried away by them, as the wind carries away a ship on
the waters.
When the mind is happy, you should be careful! It is not true happiness, but short-term happiness! “The understanding is carried away by them, as the wind carries away a ship on the waters.” (In the Gita, Krishna is already talking about ships. It’s amazing, you know? Much later, in the dictionaries of the west, you will find references to ships. But the ship was already mentioned five thousand years ago in Krishna’s time!) “When the mind follows the senses…”: if a man’s mind and senses are not disciplined, are not focused on the Divine, his senses will drag his mind along with them; it may affect the intellect. Drawing away from God, one will pursue the outside and automatically one will degrade oneself.
“… ‘experiencing’ their objects, the understanding is carried away.” This is true, especially when one doesn’t get attention. Take a wife who is fully in love with her husband and she doesn’t get the attention she wants. How does she become? This is not only true of women – it is true of everyone! The mind is carried away, the understanding is carried away. Deep inside, the heart is saying, “Yes, this is wrong.” You have the feeling that you are doing something wrong, but the reason is not clearly functioning. You can’t even think, you become stupid. If somebody tells you, “You are stupid,” you will not even see it, because there’s no reason. There’s no understanding! This will automatically lead to one’s downfall.
“As the wind carries away a ship on the waters.” A strong wind may affect a boat proceeding towards its destination. The boat may be diverted from its proper course and be tossed about in the high seas, with huge breakers washing the deck and then sink. In such a state, you will drown yourself. But if an expert sailor knows how to sail, he can use the wind to sail his boat and keep it on course. He can use the wind to reach his goal. It is the same for an elevated soul. An elevated soul is above good and bad. He is still in the world, he is a Jivan Mukta, but he uses everything around him as God’s instruments to attain God-Realisation. He doesn’t sit and cry, but uses the experiences of life to attain God. He sees God’s hand in every aspect of life.
Bhagavad Gita
