gṛhasthasya kriyā-tyāgo
gṛhasthasya kriyā-tyāgo
vrata-tyāgo vaṭorapi
tapasvino grāma-sevā
bhikṣor indriya-lolatā
āśramāpasadā hy ete
khalv āśrama-viḍambanāḥ
deva-māyā-vimūḍhāṁs tān
upekṣetānukampayā
It is abominable for a householder to give up his prescribed duties, for a brahmacārī not to follow his vows, for a vānaprastha to engage in village activities, or for a sannyāsī to be addicted to sense gratification. They are outcastes of their āśramas, cheaters of the āśramas. One should neglect giving them mercy, since they are bewildered by the Lord’s māyā.
Lolatā means greed. One should neglect them concerning compassion. This means that when they die, one does not give them teachings on the truth out of mercy, since such teachings will be useless to them.
|| 7.15.40 ||
ātmānaṁ ced vijānīyāt
paraṁ jñāna-dhutāśayaḥ
kim icchan kasya vā hetor
dehaṁ puṣṇāti lampaṭaḥ
If a person cleansed by knowledge knows the ātmā is different from the body, with what desire and for what reason does that enjoyer nourish the body?
Among these the sannyāsī is particularly criticized. The potential case is used to show that he has obtained disturbance in his practice. If he has purified his mind by knowledge he should concentrate on the self, different from the body. Then what does he desire? He nourishes the body, filled with greed for enjoying the tongue. Lampaṭaḥ also suggests that he is greedy for sex life.
|| 7.15.41 ||
āhuḥ śarīraṁ ratham indriyāṇi
hayān abhīṣūn mana indriyeśam
vartmāni mātrā dhiṣaṇāṁ ca sūtaṁ
sattvaṁ bṛhad bandhuram īśa-sṛṣṭam
The jñānīs say that the body is a chariot. The senses are the horses; the mind, the master of the senses, is the reins; the objects of the senses are the destinations; intelligence is the chariot driver; and consciousness, which spreads throughout the body, made by the Lord, is the seat for the charioteer.
The body and senses which are the cause of obstacles for the inattentive person are useful for the attentive yogī. This is the meaning conveyed through the śruti metaphor ātmānaṁ rathinaṁ viddhi śarīraṁ rathameva ca: know that the body is a chariot and the soul is the passenger. This is now explained in six verses.
The mind is the master of the senses. It is called the reins. The sense objects are the paths, the places for the senses to go. The citta (sattvam) is called large (bṛhat) because it pervades the body. It is the seat for the charioteer. Without the citta, the body becomes incoherent. The creator of the seat, or the citta, is the Lord. Īśa-sṛṣṭam also modifies all items. All are created by the Lord.
|| 7.15.42 ||
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