Timeless Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita

2.61 Having restrained them all he should sit steadfast, intent on Me; his wisdom is steady whose senses are under control.

तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः | वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ||२-६१||

2.62 When a man thinks of the objects, attachment for them arises; from attachment desire is born; from desire anger arises.

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते | सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ||२-६२||

2.63 From anger comes delusion; from delusion loss of memory; from loss of memory the destruction of discrimination; from the destruction of discrimination he perishes.

क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोहः सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः | स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ||२-६३||

2.64 But the self-controlled man, moving among the objects with the senses under restraint and free from attraction and repulsion, attains to peace.

रागद्वेषविमुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् | (or वियुक्तैस्तु) आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ||२-६४||

2.65 In that peace all pains are destroyed; for the intellect of the tranil-minded soon becomes steady.

प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते | प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बुद्धिः पर्यवतिष्ठते ||२-६५||

2.66 There is no knowledge of the Self to the unsteady and to the unsteady no meditation is possible, and to the unmeditative there can be no peace, and to the man who has no peace, how can there be happiness?

नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना | न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ||२-६६||

2.67 For the mind, which follows in the wake of the wandering senses, carries away his discrimination, as the wind (carries away) a boat on the waters.

इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते | तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि ||२-६७||

2.68 Therefore, O mighty-armed Arjuna, his knowledge is steady whose senses are completely restrained from sense-objects.

तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः | इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ||२-६८||

2.69 That which is night to all beings, in that the self-controlled man is awake; when all beings are awake, that is night for the Muni (sage) who sees.

या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी | यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः ||२-६९||

2.70 He attains peace into whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean which, filled from all sides, remains unmoved; but not the man who is full of desires.

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् | तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ||२-७०||