Free Mahabharata: Vol. 5 by Bibek Debroy Page B

doesn’t waver? How does he speak, how does he sit and how
     does he walk?’
    ‘“The lord said,
     ‘O Partha! A person is said to be unwavering in intellect when he banishes
     all desires from his mind. He is content within his own atman. He is not disturbed
     by unhappiness and he is beyond desiring happiness. He has overcome attachment, fear
     and anger and he is known as a sage who is unwavering in his intellect. In
     everything, he has no emotion, regardless of whether something pleasant or something
     unpleasant has been attained. He is not pleased, nor is he dissatisfied and in him,
     wisdom is established. Like a tortoise withdraws its limbs, such a person withdraws
     his senses, in every way, from sensual objects. In him is wisdom established.
     Sensual objects are withdrawn from the body of a person who is starving himself; 123 but not desire. In him, 124 who has seen the paramatman, even desire is restrained. O Kounteya! Even if a
     learned man takes care, the turbulent senses violently steal his mind. He who is
     devoted to me, controls all those 125 and focuses his mind on me. If a person can so control his senses, in him is
     wisdom established. If a man thinks about sensual objects, this gives birth to
     attachment about those. 126 From attachment is created desire and desire gives birth to anger. Anger gives
     birth to delusion and delusion leads to confusion of memory. 127 From confusion of memory comes loss of intellect and loss of intellect results
     in destruction. But he who has controlled his mind is freed from attachment and
     hatred. 128 Having used himself to control his senses, he uses these to enjoy objects and
     satisfy himself. When there is such serenity, in him is eliminated all unhappiness.
     Because in the mind of someone at peace, wisdom is quickly established. He who has
     no control, has no intellect. He who has no control, has no thought. 129 Without thought, there is no peace. How can there be happiness for someone who
     has no peace? The wind rocks a boat on the water. Like that, the mind follows a
     sense 130 devoted to objects and even a single sense robs him of wisdom. O, mighty-armed
     one! Therefore, he whose senses have been withdrawn from objects in every way, in
     him has wisdom been steadily established. When it is night to ordinary beings, the
     controlled person is awake then. When ordinary beings are awake, the sage perceives
     that as night. Just as the waters enter an ocean and leave the full ocean
     undisturbed, like that, all sensual objects enter that person, but leave him at
     peace, unlike those attached to desire. A man who gives up all desire and exists
     without longing, without ego and without a sense of ownership, he attains peace. O
     Partha! This is the state of being established in the brahman. If oneattains this, one is not deluded. Even at the end, 131 established in this state, one attains union with the
     brahman.’”’
Chapter 885(25) 132
    ‘“Arjuna said,
     ‘O Janardana! If in your opinion knowledge is superior to action, then why
     are you engaging me in this terrible action? These mixed words seem to be
     confounding my intellect. Tell me definitely that one thing that is best for
     me.’
    ‘“The lord said,
     ‘O pure of heart! I have said it before that in this world, there are two
     paths. There is jnana yoga for those who follow sankhya and there is karma yoga for
yogi
s. 133 Without performing action, man is not freed from the bondage of action. And
     resorting to
sannyasa
134 does not result in liberation. No one can ever exist, even for a short while,
     without performing action. Because the qualities of nature 135 force everyone to perform action. The ignorant person who exists by controlling
     his organs of action, 136 while his mind remembers the senses, is said to be deluded and is a
     hypocrite. 137
    O Arjuna! But he who restrains the
     senses through his mind and starts the yoga of action with the organs of action,
     while