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Madhva on Bhagavad-gita, II.55
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: Madhva on Bhagavad-gita, II.55
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From: mpt@mail.utexas.edu (michael tandy)
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Date: 21 Apr 1995 01:10:20 GMT
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From news@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu Thu Apr 20 20: 59:22 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Translation:
"He is called a man of steady wisdom (sthitaprajna) who has
banished all sensuous desires and rests in complete bliss in
God through His grace."
Commentary:
This verse describes the chief characteristics of the Aparoksa
jnani, viz., renunciation (vairagya) and constant joy in the
grace of the Lord. The long term "sarvan" does not mean all
desires without any exception should be banished. The Lord does
not advocate the destruction of the mind (manonasa). The sense
of the word "all" must be limited to such of those desires that
impede God-realization. It cannot apply to good desires like God's
grace, desire for Vaikuntha, and the desire to lead a dharmic
life. One has not to forget that the characteristics enumerated
refer to the seer in general and not merely to the seer in trance.
The term "manogatan" appears to be superfluous at the first
reading. The seat of desires (iccha) according to the Nyaya school
is the Atman and not "mind" as the Gitacarya holds. The Vedantins
argue that if the desires were to be the intrinsic characteristics
of the Atman, they can never be annulled in mokasa. So they must
be in the transient sense organ "manas." The happiness of the
sthita-prajna does not rest on the pleasures derived from the
gratification of the senses. It is derived from the inward grace
of the Lord. he needs no outward source of joy.
The term "manogatan" has for its parallel the Upanisadic statement
which the Gita seeks to paraphrase. The passage is:
"yada sarve pramucyante kama ye 'sya hrdi sthitah" (when all the
desires of the heart vanish)
Some non-dualistic commentators refer to a passage in the Upanisad
listing the names of the desires that have to be banished which
constitute the mind. The passage states "All is mind, desire,
resolution, doubt, belief, unbelief, courage, weakness, shame,
reason, and fear."
"kamassankalpo vicikitsa sraddha 'sraddhadhrtiradhrtihrirdhirbhir
-ityetat sarvam mana eva"
To take on this list and seek their banishment is tantamount to
the destruction of the mind. If the mind is destroyed he will
have nothing to concentrate on God or ask for more love, more
light, and more grace. The chain of desires that must be
banished is enumerated by the Lord Himself, a few verses ahead.
(Gita, 2.62, 2.63
This list, viz., the sense objects, attachment, desires, anger,
delusion, confusion, and loss of reasoning ending in ruin--these
are the sinister tenants that must be banished from the mind.
There is no need for the total destruction of the mind. The
relevance for the enumeration of the characteristics of the
seer has a double significance. It indicate not merely the
characteristics of the seer but also the qualities that a sadhaka
must cultivate to have God's vision. The term "prajahati" is
significant in describing the spontaneous, voluntary, and natural
giving up of the sensual desires by the seers. The3y don't need
any deliberate effort. They reveal these listed virtues and do not
need to strive to deliberately realise them.
In Sri Madhva's opinion, the definition of the seer is set forth
in the above verse and is amplified and explained and elaborated
in the succeeding 3 verses, 56,57, and 58.
-mpt
