Ashtavakra Gita 18.45 -

Spirituality and its pursuit totally rest upon one basic quality called discrimination, viveka, which inevitably instils dispassion. Seeker’s intelligence will have to constantly evaluate matters discreetly and with astuteness cultivate purity and desire-freeness. Any inattention, incapacity or distraction in this will thwart the seeker’s effort at Self-realization. Sage Ashtavakra repeatedly emphasizes this valued lesson, bringing a variety of illustrations.

He says that for those who lack discrimination, the sense-objects are powerful tigers. As Krishna states in Gita, attraction and repulsion are seated upon every sensory object. One should not come under their sway. They are stark enemies on the path of the spiritual seeker (3.34 ).

The deluded and the weak-minded are deadly fearful about the sense-objects, and for safety they resort to the caves. Remaining there they take to various rigid measures of discipline and denial, hoping they will help them to attain the desired goal of Self-realization. But it will all be in vain, because the mind will not submit to controls and suppressions. Intelligence alone has the power to tame and purify the mind. For that, one has to cultivate the decisive quality of viveka, discrimination. The more the intelligence gains it, the greater will be its influence on the mind. Without the mind, the senses cannot work at all. If the mind drops its desire and greed, the senses cannot be drawn to the objects.

While for those not disciplined and purified by discrimination, the sense objects pose as tigers, says the Sage, for the discriminating seeker, the tuskers of sense-objects become fearful and take to heels. Or, they become extremely docile. Praising the discriminating seeker they serve him with humility and gentleness.

As Krishna says, success lies not in rigid physical controls or denials, but in enriching oneself with viveka, whereby mind’s attraction and repulsion are sublimated. With enrichment live and move in the world with placidity always. The world is fearful and binding only to those who are deluded and breed attraction and repulsion. Sublimate these urges. Nothing will be a hindrance then. Everything will be harmonious and friendly.

The question before every one is: Are you going to look at sensory objects as tigers and run away frightened, to solitary caves of forests? Or will you, with discrimination and dispassion, be posing as the powerful lion, making the sense-objects docile tuskers? The option is before you. Be discreet, well in time.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam clearly states that one running to the forests will still be fearful, as his mind is assailed by the six enemies of desire, greed, etc. (5.10.17,18). If on the other hand he seeks to tame them remaining at home itself, where his life is facile and safe, he can sublimate the emotional urges and then live and move free of passion without trouble and torment. The call and hope are very clear.