Summary:

Chapter 2, Verse 59: When one stops feeding the mind with old stories, the senses naturally return to objectivity and dispassion. Transformation requires persistent effort to shift from the “super-highway” of habitual conditioning to the deliberate “country-road” of wisdom. Initially uncomfortable, this shift demands repetitive redirection of thought patterns, contrary to pop spirituality's simplistic advice. Neuro-science confirms the brain's malleability, making wisdom attainable through consistent exposure to knowledge. 

Chapter 2, Verse 60: Sense organs are turbulent, vicious, and powerful (pramāthīni), forcefully taking control without permission. They can overpower even a discerning person (vipaścit) making great effort (yatataḥ) to master them. The Panchatantra story of “The Monk and the Mango Tree” illustrates how senses can distract even dedicated practitioners, showing that mastery comes through viewing sense objects as neither to be craved nor rejected. 

Chapter 2, Verse 61: Using the Katha Upanishad chariot analogy, one must recognize the body (chariot), senses (horses), mind (reins), and intellect (driver) as gifts with responsibility. When the intellect lacks direction, the senses run wild, but a conscious charioteer can better manage them. The highest purpose is moksha—addressing our fundamental unease with reality through self-knowledge. Like a flight rising to “Final Call” status, self-knowledge eventually becomes our top priority. A yukta (discriminative person) maintains both big-picture awareness and detail focus like Krishna, whose intellect remained lucid despite lifelong challenges. 

Revision:

Sthita-prajna is one who has…

1. Firm-Knowledge:
   • One whose knowledge (is firm throughout life situations).
2. Not Overly Sensitive What Others Think:
   • Self-image isn’t affected by other’s praise and criticism. Doesn’t mean you don’t listen, but use it to refine your approach and self-reflect, thus improve your self-worth, value and influence.
3. He is like a Turtle (V58):
   • According to your will, you can spread or withdraw the limbs. This also means the jivanmukta (sthita-prajna) is balanced – both an introvert and an extrovert. Unlike just being an extrovert (engaging with world, but hasn't dealt with ones unconscious mind guiding one's decisions), nor just an introvert (withdraws from world, uneasy about situations outside comfort zone).
   • Stereotype of a Spiritual Person: Spiritual person is often conveyed as an introvert, a recluse, not enjoying company of world, indifferent to external world. According to BG – sthita-prajna is comfortable when spreads his limbs (extroverted), and comfortable withdrawing limbs (introverted). Additionally, it shows you don’t have to be one specific way to be wise.
   • To support Krishna’s implication of sthita-prajna being both extroverted and introverted — Rumi’s teacher says there’s 4 stages of evolution:
     1. We project our dissatisfaction at external world/government.
     2. We becomes self-reflective. Most think spirituality ends here.
     3. One goes back into world freely, from which they introverted. Able to give and receive love.
     4. You become a role model for others because you’re free from complexes. You’ve settled accounts with world and people recognize this in you.
4. Does not grieve: Emotional intelligence is product of your effort, seeing repeatedly the world through Krishna’s eyes until it’s habit. Initially you’ll go back to old patterns due to hard-wired brain. Thereby don’t be discouraged when people tell you, “You’ve been studying Gita, and you’re still getting angry like everyone else!”.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 59:
Manage your senses…

विषयाः विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः ।
रसवर्जम् रसः अपि अस्य परम् दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते ॥ २-५९॥
viṣayāḥ vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ ।
rasavarjam rasaḥ api asya param dṛṣṭvā nivartate ॥ 2-59॥

For the one who does not feed the senses, the senses come back to oneself, with the longing remaining behind. Having seen Brahman (when the self is known) even the longing goes away.

For one who does not feed the senses, the senses come back to oneself: (One who stops feeding mind with old stories, the mind regains objectivity/dispassion)

Worthwhile transformation doesn’t happen overnight. For example, in childhood, externally things happened and neuro-pathways were formed. It formed a super-highway of habits (“highway” stands for set conditioning where it’s difficult to randomly stop). Then in BG – you’re asked to take a turn into the country-road of wisdom (“country-road” signifies options of many lanes, more deliberate, slower pace, stopping over for small shops/lakes).

Initially it’s painful/uncomfortable to switch from highway to country-road, because of unfamiliarity and the comfort.

Case illustrating difficulty shifting to country-road:

Mom loved daughter very much, but constantly hurt by daughter’s rudeness, making mother feel as if she doesn’t know anything infront of others. Psychologist asked, “Have you said anything?”. Mother replied “no” because she doesn’t want the drama, and was willing to put up with the suffering. Psychologist asked, “Do you think your daughter is happy after she insults you?”. No! She is equally suffering. What you feel is exactly what she feels. So your keeping-quiet isn’t helping both. Psychologist advised the best choice was to say something, and to remind herself intention is to make the relationship healthier, and acknowledge first step won’t be easy because you’ve created comfort in the discomfort. Finally to keep in mind you don’t have total control over the result even after deciding to talk.

Conclusion:

Mind will prefer old familiar patterns, and for tangible transformation to take place, you’re required to persistently and repetitively bring it back to new way of thinking/doing. Reality is opposite to pop spirituality, “Be detached, let go, don’t be angry, just be in the moment, know it’s all Brahman”.

“Having seen Brahman (when self is known), even longing goes away”:

Shows nobody is automatically born wise or with the right qualifications. Neuro-science shows brain is highly malleable, re-programmable; that is your privilege to maximize. Ultimately wisdom is earned through consistent exposure and inquire into the knowledge.

NEXT VERSE: Even if you manage the senses, you'll slip once in a while — even a wise person does…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 60:
Senses even take away the wise person from their center…

यततः हि अपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः ।
इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः ॥ २-६०॥
yatataḥ hi api kaunteya puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ ।
indriyāṇi pramāthīni haranti prasabhaṃ manaḥ ॥ 2-60॥

Indeed, the powerful senses forcefully take the mind away, Kaunteya (Arjuna)! of even the person who makes effort, who sees clearly.

Description of Sense organs

Sense organs are described as turbulent, vicious, and powerful (pramāthīni — tearing, harassing). They forcefully take control without asking for permission. They even take away the mind of a discerning person (vipaścit), whose putting great effort (yatataḥ) to master them. Therefore don't feel discouraged, now knowing sense control (seeking for pleasures) is not an easy thing to master.

Panchatantra story illustrates problem of senses and mastery:

“The Monk and the Mango Tree”

There once lived a young monk who practiced meditation in a forest ashram. Near his meditation spot stood a mango tree that bore the sweetest fruits in the region.

Every day while meditating, the fragrance of ripe mangoes would reach him. Initially, he would try to ignore it. But gradually, his mind would wander – “Just one taste wouldn't hurt,” he would think. The more he resisted, the stronger the pull became. Soon he found himself spending meditation time calculating when fruits might fall or planning how to reach the higher branches.

One day, his guru noticed his distraction and said, “My son, observe the monkeys in that tree. See how they jump from branch to branch, completely controlled by their desire for mangoes. They risk falls, fight among themselves, and forget all else. Are they not slaves to their senses?”

The young monk reflected deeply on this. He realized that like the monkeys, his mind had become controlled by external objects. With renewed determination, he practiced viewing the mangoes as just another object of consciousness, neither to be craved nor rejected.

Over time, he could sit in perfect meditation even when ripe mangoes fell around him. His guru smiled and said, “Now you have become self-controlled. The mangoes haven't changed, but your mastery over your senses has made you free.”

NEXT VERSE: Solution to sense control…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 61:
Solution to sense control…

तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्तः आसीत मत्परः ।
वशे हि यस्य इन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ २-६१॥
tāni sarvāṇi saṃyamya yuktaḥ āsīta matparaḥ ।
vaśe hi yasya indriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā ॥ 2-61॥

May one who is endowed with discrimination, keeping all the sense organs in one’s hands, sit in contemplation of Me. For the one who has all the sense organs under control, the knowledge is well established.

“One who has all sense organs under control” (yasya vase indriyāṇi):

If take literally, it’s impossible to keep sense organs under constant control, and mind 24/7 on Ishvara. Therefore let’s look at the implied meaning using Katha Upanishad imaginary how to manage the senses…

Katha Upanishad – Chariot, Reins and the Horses

ANALOGY:

You are owner of a chariot. You’re given chariot (body) to undertake a journey. Need to decide where wish to take the chariot. Chariot comes with 5 horses (5 senses). Need reins (mind) to guide the 5 senses. And reins are in hands of the driver (buddhi that makes judicious decisions and takes you to destination).

PURPOSE:

First need to acknowledge, I didn’t create the mind, senses, cognitive capacity. They’re gifted to me, meaning I have a responsibility to use them as intended.  If the driver (buddhi) doesn’t know what the purpose of life is and where to go — the horses (senses) will run the show because they want to satisfy themselves. Consequently one develops no strength of character as decisions are guided by the unconscious. Never getting around to ask fundamental questions, such as, “Who am I? What do I stand for? What unique talents do I have?”.

CONTROL DOESN'T GUARANTEE SUCCESS:

Even when charioteer becomes more conscious where horses need to go, it doesn’t mean horses will automatically abide as they have a life of their own. But at least charioteer with direction is able to manage them easier.

HIGHEST USE OF SENSE GUIDANCE:

Highest use of charioteer’s steering of horses is for sake of moksha. Solving a fundamental-universal problem: I’m stuck in a reality which I’m not at ease with. Thus self-knowledge and self-growth becomes the purpose of life.

FLIGHT EXAMPLE SHOWS HOW LIFE PRIORITIES CHANGE AS YOU MATURE:

Suppose you reach the airport 3 hours early. Your flight is bottom of the announcement board. As time approaches, the flight keeps rising to the top. Until it’s blinking “Departure”. Eventually “Final Call”; where you have to give up your need for coffee/restaurant/message-chair pleasures and take action ASAP! Similarly, initially self-knowledge/self-growth starts at bottom of the board. Though time, you see importance of moksha and that you’re only searching for freedom-from-limitation. The priority of self-knowledge/self-growth rises to the top. Everything else is subservient or helps you. Without feedback from world, you never know your unconscious patterns, distorting the self-knowledge.

Endowed with Discrimination (yukta):

Therefore may you be a “yukta”, one who is endowed with discriminative ability (critical-thinking).

“Yukta” means your intellect is like an eagle — keeping big picture from the top, and also capable focusing on the details. The more your intellect does what is to be done, without impediment of past conditioning and likes/dislikes — the it’s more it's like  Krishna’s.

Example showing Krishna's life situations didn't diminish his critical-thinking skills:

1. 1. Birth: Since birth, his life was riddled with challenges. Born in jail. Raised by foster parents while real parents still in jail.
   2. Kansa Plots: Then uncle Kansa sends Putana to kill him with poisoned breast milk. Then sends Trinavarta (tried to kill him with deadly whirlwind). Also sent Aghasura (took form of snake).
   3. Disrespected: Jealously and insult from cousin, Shishupala who was to marry Rukmini, who took refuge in Krishna.
   4. Exiled: Had to move his Yadava community from Mathura to Dwarka to protect against Jarasandha’s repeated attacks.
   5. Kurukshetra bloodbath: Both Kauravas and Pandavas were Krishna’s cousins.

Throughout it all, Krishna's intellect was lucid and still cheerful/enthusiastic.

Conclusion:

To such a person (one whose knowledge is firm [prajna pratisthita]) – the sense organs are under control.

NEXT VERSE (62-63): Sequence how an intelligent man falls to state of animal. Verses also shows how to handle your your emotional life… 

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Course was based on Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.

Recorded 6 April, 2025