BG 04.27 sarvanindriya-karmani... cited

Expressions researched:
"atma-samyama-yogagnau" |"juhvati jnana-dipite" |"prana-karmani capare" |"sarvanindriya-karmani"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 4.27, Translation and Purport:

Others, who are interested in achieving self-realization through control of the mind and senses, offer the functions of all the senses, and of the life breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.

The yoga system conceived by Patañjali is referred to herein. In the Yoga-sūtra of Patañjali, the soul is called pratyag-ātmā and parāg-ātmā. As long as the soul is attached to sense enjoyment it is called parāg-ātmā, but as soon as the same soul becomes detached from such sense enjoyment it is called pratyag-ātmā. The soul is subjected to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body, and this is perceived through the breathing system. The Patañjali system of yoga instructs one on how to control the functions of the body's air in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions of the air within become favorable for purifying the soul of material attachment. According to this yoga system, pratyag-ātmā is the ultimate goal. This pratyag-ātmā is withdrawn from activities in matter. The senses interact with the sense objects, like the ear for hearing, eyes for seeing, nose for smelling, tongue for tasting, hand for touching, and all of them are thus engaged in activities outside the self. They are called the functions of the prāṇa-vāyu. The apāna-vāyu goes downwards, vyāna-vāyu acts to shrink and expand, samāna-vāyu adjusts equilibrium, udāna-vāyu goes upwards—and when one is enlightened, one engages all these in searching for self-realization.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. It doesn't matter in whatever activities you are engaged, but if you want to know whether your engagement is leading to perfection, then this is the test of perfection. What is that test of perfection? Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Whether by your work the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna, in the beginning, he wanted to satisfy himself by not fighting, and he fought to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Yes.

Indian: I wonder what is the name of the śloka where it states that,

sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi

prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare

ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau

juhvati jñāna-dīpite

(BG 4.27)

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is the number? Here.

sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi

prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare

ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau

juhvati jñāna-dīpite

(BG 4.27)

Now you have studied. What is your understanding?

Indian: I have no understanding. I want to know this. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi ātma-saṁyama. This yoga, the haṭha-yoga system means to control the senses and control the mind. Sarvāṇi karmāṇi indriyāni, karmendriya. The yoga system's basic principle is to stop the material activities. Sarvāṇīndriya karmāṇi prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare. There are the controlling of different airs passing within this body. Apāna-vāyu, prāṇa-vāyu, vyāna-vāyu. That is the yoga system, controlling the breathing. Ātma-saṁyama. The whole thing is for ātma-saṁyama, for controlling the mind and senses. If one is unable to control the mind and senses, then he is simply wasting time. And that ātma-saṁyama can be directly practiced by bhakti yoga. What is that? Now the same example can be given, that Arjuna was a fighter. So in the beginning he was considering, "Whether I shall fight or not." That was also ātma-saṁyama. But actually ātma-saṁyama was when he did not fight for his sense gratification. That is. Similarly, when we engage our senses... Because senses means they want some activity. Just like our eyes. If... The eyes want to see something beautiful. The tongue, tongue wants to taste something very sweet. The ear, it wants to hear something very melodious. In this way we have got our different senses. But the yoga system is trying to stop them. Now, just try to understand.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

But there is another instance, Ṭhākura Haridāsa. He was to be... He was also enticed by a prostitute at night, but he turned the prostitute to be a devotee. You see. At night, she came. She was induced by some of Haridāsa's opponent's party and she came, very beautifully dressed, at night, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, "How you have come here?" "Oh, you are so nice, so beautiful, so young. So I have come to embrace you." Like that, whatever. "All right. Please sit down. I shall fulfill your desire. Let me finish my chanting. Then we shall enjoy life." (laughter) So he was chanting, the morning came. So the prostitute became disturbed. "It is now..." "All right. I could not finish my chanting. So come this night, I shall fulfill." In this way, second night, third night, when she came, she surrendered: "Sir, I came with this purpose. Please save me. This is my business." So Ṭhākura Haridāsa told, "Yes, I know that. But because you came to me, therefore I stayed for three days..., three days to purify you. Now I'm glad that you are purified. You sit down here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. I am going from this place." (break) ...Viśvāmitra failed, but this bhakti-yogī, he conquered. This is karmendriya. If you want to force your senses to stop work, it is very difficult. But if you engage your senses for transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, it will be automatically, automatically stopped. That is stated. Ātma-saṁyama juhvati jñāna-dīpite. That jñāna, that jñāna means knowledge. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). If that stage of knowledge is achieved, that "Kṛṣṇa, or Vāsudeva, is everything, and I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is perfection of jñāna.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

So when that perfection of jñāna comes, then he engages his senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When your senses are purified and you engage them in the service of the Supreme Lord, Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. That is the highest perfection. So we have to engage our sense, sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi, by understanding, by coming to the, I mean to say, mature platform of knowledge. If you engage your senses in the Supreme, that is real controlling senses. Artificially if we want to control our senses, it is very difficult.

So any other questions? We are inviting that you come and let us discuss. This is a very great science, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it is the, I mean to say, the necessity for the human being. Why? When there is opportunity... This temple is here. We are opening different centers. Why? Just to give opportunity to the people to understand this science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not a bluff. We have got authority behind this movement. Whole Vedic literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, we are supported. It is nothing. The same thing. Just like Arjuna said, or Kṛṣṇa said that yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ. Purātana, it is very old. But the time is so cruel that sometimes it is... Just like by time sometimes a clear sky is overclouded, covered with cloud. But that does not stay. Similarly, this cloud of ignorance at the present moment, it guhyatamaṁ bhūyaḥ śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ. "Most confidential I am speaking to you. The most confidential and topmost of knowledge." Why? Iṣṭo 'si me. "Because you are My..." The same thing. Iṣṭo 'si. "I want your welfare." Iṣṭo 'si me dṛḍham iti. "Because you are My devotee, so I want that you be benefited." That is Kṛṣṇa's... As soon as you become devotee, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3).

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

Just yesterday night one of our friends inquired that "How long it takes time to have complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" So I replied that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness can take place in a second, and it may not take in thousands of years. Because the point is here, that after all, we have to come to this point, that surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa—"Kṛṣṇa is everything, and therefore I surrender unto Him." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That person, great soul, is very rare to be found. Therefore why not become that great soul immediately by surrender unto Kṛṣṇa? This is the point. By sacrifice. Sacrifice means we have to come to that point.

Now, if that is the point to be achieved at the end, why not become immediately jñānavān and surrender unto Kṛṣṇa? That is my suggestion.

sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi

prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare

ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau

juhvati jñāna-dīpite

(BG 4.27)

Ātma-saṁyama. There are different kinds of penances. That is called ātma-saṁyama. The yogic principle is also another sort of ātma-saṁyama.

dravya-yajñās tapo-yajñā

yoga-yajñās tathāpare

svādhyāya-jñāna-yajñāś ca

yatayaḥ saṁśita-vratāḥ

There are dravyamaya-yajñas. Dravyamaya-yajñas means giving in charity. That is called dravyamaya-yajña. Jñānamaya-yajña means to engage oneself into the studies of the Vedas very critically, nicely. That is called jñānamaya-yajña.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting)

sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi

prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare

ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau

juhvati jñāna-dīpite

(BG 4.27)

Translation: "Those who are interested in self-realization in terms of mind and sense control offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the vital force, breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind."

Prabhupāda: Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "The yoga system conceived by Patañjali is referred to herein. In the Yoga-sūtra of Patañjali, the soul is called pratyag-ātmā and parāg-ātmā. As long as the soul is attached to sense enjoyment, it is called parāg-ātmā. The soul is subjected to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body, and this is perceived through the breathing system. The Patañjali system of yoga instructs one on how to control the functions of the body's air in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions of the air within become favorable for purifying the soul of material affection. According to this yoga system, pratyag-ātmā is the ultimate goal. This pratyag-ātmā is a withdrawal from activities in matter. The senses interact with the sense objects, like the ear for hearing, eyes for seeing, nose for smelling, tongue for tasting, hand for touching, and all of them are thus engaged in activities outside the self. They are called the functions of the prāṇa-vāyu. The apāna-vāyu goes downwards, vyāna-vāyu acts to shrink and expand, samāna-vāyu adjusts equilibrium, udāna-vāyu goes upwards—and when one is enlightened, one engages all these in searching for self-realization."

Prabhupāda:

sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi

prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare

ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau

juhvati jñāna-dīpite

(BG 4.27)

When one is enlightened, jñāna-dīpite, the light of knowledge is awakened, then ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau, controlling the senses and offering in the fire of yoga. So the Patañjali system is explained in the purport that controlling the inner different kinds of, five kinds of, prāṇa-apāna-vāyu. That is a mechanical system. That is approved also. That helps controlling the senses. But there is another process that is called this bhakti-yoga system, that not only controlling the senses but to give engagement to the senses.

Simply by artificial controlling... Just like a child. The mind is just like child, sometimes accepting something, sometimes rejecting something. Saṅkalpa-vikalpa. That is the business. So it is very difficult to control the mind. Arjuna, when he was asked to control the mind by yoga practice, he said cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are asking me to control the mind, but I think it is impossible. Especially we are in the political field, royal order. We have to deal with so many political subject matter." So he said that

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa

pramāthi balavad dṛḍham

tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye

vāyor iva su-duṣkaram

(BG 6.34)

"I do not think mind can be controlled. It is very, very difficult, as difficult as to control the breeze or wind, strong wind blowing. It is not possible to control them." That was the verdict of Śrī Arjuna. It will be explained in the sixth chapter.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

Actually, it is very difficult to control the mind. So artificially, by controlling the breathing system, there is the process, but still, it is difficult. As I explained yesterday, even a great yogi like Viśvāmitra, he also failed. There are many instances. There was another, Saubhari Muni. He was practicing yoga system within the water. And as soon as he was little agitated by the fish, he wanted to come out and marry and one king's daughter. He wanted to marry all the eight daughters. So there are many instances like that. It is very difficult to control the mind.

But our process, as it is stated here, that ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau. Ātma-saṁyama. Saṁyama, control. The mind is the principle sense. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). Mind is the central figure of all the senses. Just like madman. Because he cannot fix up his mind, he cannot work properly. Therefore he is called madman. So our process is that we cannot control the mind. But if we engage the mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then everything is controlled. Kṛṣṇa will help. If some way or other, you engage your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). then gradually everything will be controlled.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

This is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that you should glorify the holy name of Hari. Hari means Kṛṣṇa. So that is the recommendation. But we are meeting so many obstacles because they think, "This chanting is nescience. This bhajana is nuisance. This is Kali-yuga. Not the Kali-yuga, even every yuga. So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). A devotee is hearing, he is enjoying, and the nondevotee is thinking, "It is a nuisance."

Therefore it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. The blunt senses, material senses, they cannot receive. Nāmādi. Not only name, they cannot see Lord Kṛṣṇa's form. Because hearing and seeing and smelling and tasting and touching... We have got so many senses. So These senses being materially contaminated, it cannot hear what is Kṛṣṇa's holy name. Ataḥ (śrī) kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Then how to understand Kṛṣṇa? That is recommended. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. You have to engage your tongue first of all in the service of the Lord. The Kṛṣṇa realization begins from the tongue.

How? Now you simply make it a vow that "I shall not talk anything except glorifying the Lord." Then you become perfect. Very simple method. Simply you have to make this determination, that "I shall not talk anything which is not about Kṛṣṇa, and I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa." So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching these two things specifically. We are distributing little prasādam. If we get opportunity, we can give sumptuous prasādam. We are doing that in all other centers throughout the whole world. By eating, simply by eating, one can be beloved. It doesn't require if he simply eats Kṛṣṇa prasādam. It is so nice method. So jihvādau. And hearing. This is recommended here, that ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau. Ātmā, you have to make a determination, ātma-saṁyama, that "I shall not allow this tongue to take anything in the restaurant. But I can simply allow the tongue... "If you do this, then you become gosvāmī. That is called gosvāmī. Because we are all godāsa. Go means senses.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

You go on serving your family. Nobody will give you relief. If you say that "Now I have done so much for you. Give me relief." First of all I do not want to be relieve also. That is also another disease. You see? You will be surprised. It is my practical experience. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, before starting, I wrote one letter to Mahatma Gandhi: "Mahatma Gandhi, you have got position. People accept you as a very pious man. Now you have got your sva-rājya, and you are very fond of Bhagavad-gītā. Let us preach Bhagavad-gītā." I wrote this letter. Unfortunately, a few days after, he was killed. So this is the position. All big, big leaders, they do not want to take relief from this sense gratification business. No. This is the...

Therefore jñāna-dīpite ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau. Because there is no knowledge, they think the sense gratification extended, expanded sense gratification, will make the world happy. No. That is not possible. Therefore jñāna-dīpite means that by this kind of sense gratification we will not solve the problems. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā. Karuṇā. "There is no mercy. Therefore I have given up them. Now I have come to You, my dear Lord. I was serving the senses so long. Now I want to serve You." This is knowledge, jñāna-dīpite. "Because my business is to satisfy the senses, either my senses or my relative's senses, but it has not made me happy, therefore I have come to You to satisfy Your senses. Kindly engage me in Your business."