Monthly Archives: December, 2015

While intuitively we all know that we must master our senses to advance spiritually, it is interesting to know the view point of our scriptures like Bhagavad Gita.  The Bhagavad Gita says we have 5 organs of perception (eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin) and there are 5 sense objects (which give out colour, sound, smell, taste and touch). These sense objects are discussed at length at various places with the terminology as मात्रा, विषय, गोचर, इन्द्रियार्थ.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु  कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु:खदाः |
आगमापायिनोऽनित्याः  तांस्तितीक्षस्व भारत || 2.14

The sense organs when they come in contact with their respective sense objects gives rise to feelings of heat and cold, pleasure and pain in us which are transient in nature. These feelings come and go and are not permanent.  Says Lord Krishna “O Arjuna (Bharat) ! just bear & tolerate it ( तितीक्षस्व ) “.

Our mind ponders over the inputs received through the sense organs and we respond with one of the organs of action (hand, legs, mouth, reproductory and excretory).

So how should we be leading our life with the sense organs doing their job is beautifully explained in the following two verses where Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna how to be स्थितप्रज्ञ and develop stability of mind.

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