Krishna highlights how ātma-sukha, meaning what one experiences within his body in and from the Self, inwardly, can expand itself to Brahma-sukha, and what is the process of achieving this endless expansion.

Dear and blessed souls:

Harih Om Tat Sat.

Expansion in Vision – from Self to Brahman

In the next verse (5.21), Krishna highlights how ātma-sukha, meaning what one experiences within his body in and from the Self, inwardly, can expand itself to Brahma-sukha, and what is the process of achieving this endless expansion. In this way, the instantaneous war-field dialogue very soon becomes a full-scale exposition of the entire science of Brahmavidyā, which begins with the inner locus, namely the ‘I’, the Self, but expands and includes the entire visible creation. This indeed is the majesty and magnificence of Brahmavidyā!

Initially, the seeker has to be an asakta, dispassionate, with regard to world-objects. This enables him to connect himself to the invisible inner Self, the inner Presence which animates and activates the body. Once the taste of the blissful inner Presence is gained, the mind and intelligence yearn to expand with the experience and knowledge. Note that all the time, what one experiences is the inner Presence.

The more and more one knows about how subtle and pervasive this inner Presence is, his dimension goes on becoming more and more extensive. It shines as singularly omnipresent and hence permeates the entire visible creation, as it does our own pāñcabhautika body. So, the bliss that is inwardly inherent within the body, from the Self, now issues forth to every and all objects – sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches. This kind of expansional experience makes the Knower a Brahma-yoga-yuktātmā, integrated with Brahman, meaning with the entire range of existence.

Knower with interminable bliss

Imagine the magnitude of such a vision and realization! Krishna says such realization means the Knower is eating interminable bliss ever – akṣayamsukham-aśnute – not enjoying inwardly alone. There is no end or gap in the wholesome, full-fold realization.

No more distinguishing between any two things, objects, or object and Subject. All objects become extensions of the Subject. Objects get ‘subjectized’, or ‘Selfized’, so to say. Experience is always inner. Whether it relates to any object at all or not, it is subjective. The distinction between Subject and object has no relevance in such a state and dimension. It is advaita in its all-fold elegance!

Inner and external concepts – both are notional alone

Is not the singular Truth of existence and experience the same? Any object evokes experience. Experience is inner, inhering within our body. Besides this inner experience, is there any object at all? But how will you come to realize this? This is where sadhana becomes indispensable.

It is the mind that animates the body and senses while contacting the objects. Though senses are instrumental in seeing and hearing, etc., the actual process is solely inward and mental. So, verily, there is no externality at all in our perceptions. All such references are but notional.

From ātma-sukha to Brahma-sukha

On this ground, to expand from ātma-sukha to Brahma-sukha, in other words, to be a Brahma-yogayuktātmā, there should be no trouble at all. Instead, it should be an irresistible spell of enhancing the inner experience to cover the entirety of existence! Krishna’s expression sukham-akṣayam-aśnute is to be understood in this manner.

If one can only lick or suck the inner ātma-sukha, he can literally eat Brahma-sukha mouthful.

Neither any activity nor any interaction hinders its permeation. The difference is considerable, nay, amazing indeed. Wherever you look at, whatever you interact with, in all that Brahmic bliss becomes irresistible.

Sensory Enjoyments and their Limitations

Having described the nature of spiritual bliss in its wholeness, Krishna comes up with a stern warning (5.22), as usual, about the nature of sensory enjoyments and how they should be summarily dismissed by the discreet seeker. Mark his words of derision and caution alike.

Whatever worldly enjoyments result from contacts, viz., between senses and their objects – all of them are verily the womb of misery. What a strong and decisive denunciation! Any discreet human is obliged to think of such an evaluation and incorporate its benefits in his life. What is human life for except for gaining true knowledge and being an ample beneficiary of its bounties?

Krishna adds that sensory pleasures are not only the womb of misery but also have a beginning and end. In other words, these joys are always shortlived. For instance, you may have exceedingly strong taste for food. You feel hungry and sit in front of the dining table. Delicious food is served and you have a sumptuous meal. After eating the most delicious items, you feel appeased. Not a spoonful of food can you tolerate thereafter. Imagine how short-lived is even the most delicious eating!

This is the case with all the other sensory objects – sights, sounds, smells and touches. Being able to gain discrimination as an inevitable quality of human life, what do you have to say about the analysis Krishna provides? Krishna unequivocally states that the discreet one does not rejoice in these short-lived sensory titillations.

Intelligence is the highest faculty in the human, and the knowledge and evaluation it provides is the last pronouncement for any one to determine the usefulness of anything whatsoever. Being intelligent, and having decided that all sensory enjoyments are but short-lived, can any sensible individual yearn to delight in the corrosive sensory delights? Think well and come to your sober conclusion.

Seeking Lasting Joy

The entire spirituality and its pursuit consist in rearing discrimination and applying it steadfastly in all your activities and interactions with care and caution. No sober human can violate this dictate and take to unbridled sensory indulgences. Mind you, in humanity, at any time, like good and evil, shortlived and long-lasting, harmful and benevolent, are considerations none can disregard or violate. We have senses and the world surrounds us with objects to indulge in. There is no dearth at all in this. Yet, none worthy of his humanhood can be indifferent to the dictates of his intelligence.

You want delight, enjoyment. All right. Seek them, but make sure that they do not corrode your senses and destroy the deeper merits of your personality. Any comfort or enjoyment you seek must have durability, nay, lastingness. Do sensory delights fulfil this requirement? Not at all. Then sternly keep away from them. Look for the lasting and permanent joy. This is what Krishna discussed and elaborated in the foregoing verses.

Our body needs nourishment, not ‘blind enjoyment’. Have nutritious food. Eat moderately. Consider the stomach and intestines, while eating. Let not the digestive system be punished at all by the food you eat. Krishna speaks about the good and bad kinds of food later (17.8-10). Thus, ‘duḥkha-yonayaḥ’ (wombs of torment) and ‘ādy-antavantaḥ’ (having beginning and end), together with ‘na teṣu ramate budhaḥ’ (the wise one rejoices not in them) – are the most precious words for everyone who intends to live with human dignity and discretion.

Redemption before Disembodiment

In the next verse (5.23), Krishna makes a summary statement, rather revelation, about who is a fully integrated yogi as also the happiest person. He does not go into any high dialectics in prescribing what he does. Instead, he picks only two emotional urges which dominate and destroy one’s life if left unchecked and unmoderated. Kāma and krodha are very common sweeping emotional impetuses, which hold the power to delude one and compel to go to any extremes in catering to them.

Krishna makes it clear and precise that the striving and its fruition should be accomplished before being relieved from embodiment. This means before the body becomes breathless, one should attain his spiritual goal. No thought about either past life or future life should be entertained by the seeker. Such thoughts can only be mere distraction, which prevents the seeker from proceeding earnestly in the right path. Let the redemption be here and now.

Yogi conquers Kāma and Krodha

Krishna clearly specifies what this goal is: Whoever is able to, before death overtakes his body, forbear kāma, desire, passion, and krodha, hatred, resentment, together with the urges born of these, is a true yogi, one verily integrated. He is equally the happiest one. Kāma and krodha are the twin urges, impulses, that drive the mind of everyone.

One is born of desire and the other of dislike. These two urges are too powerful and can lead one to any extent of danger and downfall. But by adequate discretion as well as the power of will, dhṛti, arising therefrom, the seeker can moderate, modulate and sublimate these and reach a state of pleasant, abiding harmony, whereby neither passion nor hatred will victimize him any time.

Power of the Mind to dissolve rāga-dveṣas

Mind you, our mind has untold power, potential. Every day after sixteen hours of intense interactions, during which a variety of impacts overpower us, the mind in less than an instant obliterates all of them and puts one to sleep for eight hours. If the mind can and does do this every day without fail, then can it not also subdue kāma and krodha satisfactorily? Yes, is the undebatable answer. The trouble is that none strives for such sublimation, enrichment and integration. If any one makes his effort honestly, he will also attain the desired outcome. Do not foster the least doubt about this.

Krishna’s words are both an exhortation and assurance. He inspires the seeker to pay attention to passion and hatred, and sublimate them when either tries to crop up. So, constantly, it will be more a sublimation than expression and indulgence. And before long, the sublimation will have reached the desired, optimum degree, when one can feel his passion and prejudice stand dissolved.

The serenity, peace and harmony that will have resulted would be so much that the seeker will feel more than satisfied by his attainment and the resultant benefits. Have no doubt at all in this.

Relate this verse to the one in the 7th chapter (7.27), where the words Krishna uses are icchā and dveṣa, desire and hate. In fact, these four words – icchā, dveṣa, kāma and krodha – claim ample place in the Bhagavad Gita dialogue throughout.