Verse 2.98

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

श्रुत्वा स्पृष्ट्वा च दृष्ट्वा च भुक्त्वा घ्रात्वा च यो नरः ।
न हृष्यति ग्लायति वा स विज्ञेयो जितैन्द्रियः ॥ ९८ ॥

śrutvā spṛṣṭvā ca dṛṣṭvā ca bhuktvā ghrātvā ca yo naraḥ |
na hṛṣyati glāyati vā sa vijñeyo jitaindriyaḥ || 98 ||

That man is to be known as having subjugated his sense-organs, who, on having heard, or touched, or seen, or tasted, or smelt, anything, neither rejoices nor grieves.—(98)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Having heard,’—such things as the sound of the flute, singing, etc., or such flattering words as ‘you are Bṛhaspati himself,’—‘does not rejoice.’

‘Does not grieve’—does not suffer mental sorrow; ‘grief’ means sorrow.

‘Having touched’;—such things as garments made of the hair of the Raṅku deer, or of silk, or of the wool of sheep and goats, he touches with equal feelings. Similarly he has exactly the same feelings in regard to the sight of beautiful young women or of enemies; he eats with equal feelings food cooked with plenty of butter and milk, as well as coarse rava grains; he has the same feelings when smelling such things as the oil of Devadāru and the oil of camphor, etc.

The man should behave so that he is not touched by mental joy or sorrow; it is thus that his organs become subjugated; and not by mere inactivity. So that restraint should be practised up to the said point.—(98)

Objection—“Contact with women alone having been prohibited for the Religions Student, why should the taking of nicely cooked food received in alms be prohibited for him?”

In answer to this we have this next verse:—

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Śaṅkha-smṛti (7. 8-9).—‘One should never mind it—whether his body is smeared with sandal-paste, or ripped by an axe, or he attains prosperity or adversity. Equally friendly towards all beings, looking equally upon gold and Upon a clod of earth, fixed in contemplative meditation, the Brāhmaṇa attains the highest state.’

Viṣṇu-smṛti (96. 23).—‘While one arm is being ripped with an axe and another is being smeared with sandal-paint,—and while, on the one hand, he meets with prosperity, and on the other, with adversity,—he should not mind either.’

Bhagavadgītā (2. 57).—‘He who has no attachment to, anything, and on meeting with happiness, neither rejoices nbr‘is grieved, his wisdom is firm.’

Bhagavadgītā (5. 20).—‘One should not rejoice on coming by happiness; nor should he become ruffled on coming by unhappiness; he whose mind is firm, never deluded, he knows Brahman, and rests in Brahman.’