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The conduct of the devotee is absurd, but it may be well contrasted with the conduct of the philosopher, and a dis- tinction drawn between the lover of God and lover of wisdom, which are virtually the same. The latter has to give up all his if he behave honestly ; friends and relatives alike desert him when he states his religious creed— desert him because he loves Reason, the best part of himself, his truest friend ; and not as they do— Passion, the wolf in sheep’s clothing. These worship the deity who beguiles and betrays, who offers the apples of Sodom, so fair and rosy without, but within, empty or full of ashes. The love of the philosopher is not the inte- BHAGAVAD-G1TA. CHAPTER THE SIXTH. Zb rested love of the world : though it meet with falsehood and ingratitude, it remains still the same ; though it be deceived and reviled, it yet retains the same intensity, like the coloured silk, which may be tom into a thou- sand pieces, and yet the original hue is never weakened or destroyed. Such a man as this is little likely to succeed in the world ; he therefore lives by himself, though in the midst of society, in a region uncontami- nated by popular error — not raised up by vain ambition, nor depressed by enervating despair, with his own consciousness of purity and good to defend him from vulgar slander and the continual dropping of reproach* and finally resting on the honest conviction of having done his duty — a conviction for ever fresh, and in the power of all who will to attain. As the devotee remains seated (purifying his soul, as he supposes, by the practice of devotion), so the philosopher remains constant in the acquisi- tion of wisdom by attaining the supremacy over Passion. As the devotee regards, in Hindu parlance, only the tip of his nose, so the philosopher confines his attention to wisdom, unattracted by popular shows — those transitory appearances of mirth or sorrow, poverty or riches, which engage the attention of the vulgar herd. A devotee who acts according to popular opinion thinks that he attains supreme extinction ; the phi- losopher who acts after his own enlightened reason, attains, by the subordination of all unruly desires and passions, supreme rest. Such a man is as a candle placed in the shelter from the wind, which does not flicker ; such a man is content with himself. He experiences whatever portion of infinite pleasure the human mind is capable of receiving beyond the reach of the senses ; he is moved by no pain or sorrow — he verges on everlasting beatitude. The philosopher keeps back all his senses from the objects which, like magnets, continually attract them, and by causing his heart to remain within itself — that is, not allowing it to wander at the beck and call of every external object which may please the senses — he at last becomes passive and attains tranquillity. The heart is restless and unsteady, and is continually wandering at its own will, but it is the duty of the devotee to curb its actions ; so the philo- sopher must not trifle away his time in profitless pursuits, but consecrate it all to the sole acquisition of wisdom. bHAGAVAD-GiTi. CHATTER THE SIXTH. 36 TEXT. ARJUNA STOKE. u I do not see any (possible) steady continuance, 0 slayer of Madhu ! in this devotion of equanimity which thou hast declared, on account of the variability (of the heart). For the heart is fickle, Krishna, full of agitation, head-strong, and obstinate. I believe the restraint of it to be as difficult as that of the wind.” COMMENTARY. MIND. What you say is all very well ; it has a pleasing sound, but nothing further. The heart is fickle, full of agitation, head-strong, and obstinate. I believe the restraint of it to be as difficult as that of the wind. TEXT. KRISHNA SPOKE. “ The heart, 0 strong-armed one ! is doubtless fickle and difficult to restrain. But it may be restrained, 0 son of Kunti ! by practice and temperance. It is my opinion that devotion is very difficult for one who is not self-governed to obtain. But it can be obtained by the self- governed, who uses efforts, by (proper) means.” COMMENTARY. REASON. It is difficult, but it may be done. He who can govern himself may succeed in attaining wisdom. TEXT. AIIJUNA SPOKE. “ What path docs the ungoverned take, 0 Krishna ! if gifted with faith, but with a heart which wanders from devotion ; since he does not attain to the perfection of devotion ? Does he not perish like a broken cloud, ejected from both (heaven and emancipation), not remaining steady, 0 strong-armed one ! and deluded in the path of the Supreme Being ? Thou shouldest completely dispel this doubt for me, Krishna ; for there is none other to dispel this doubt than thou.” RHAGAVAD-gM. CHAPTER THE SIXTH. 37 COMMENTARY. MIND. What becomes, then, of the unwise ? Does he not perish like a broken cloud cast out from the heaven of wisdom, or from the midst of society] You alone, 0 reason ! can explain this. TEXT. KRISHNA SPOKE. “ Such a man, 0 son of Pritha ! does not perish in this world nor hereafter. For no one who acts uprightly goes to perdition. The man who fails in devotion (only) attains to the regions of the righteous, and having there dwelt for years of infinite number, is bom again (on earth) in the body of the chaste and the fortunate ; or again, he is even be- gotten in a family of wise devotees. For regeneration in the world, of such a kind as this, is more difficult to obtain. In that (body) ho rc- assumes the mental application of his former body, and from that time struggles more diligently towards perfection, 0 son of Kuru ! For, even against his will, lie is carried away by his former practice. Even if anxious to learn devotion, he only surmounts the verbal duty. But the devotee who continues striving with energy, purged from his sins, is per- fected after several regenerations, and thence reaches the highest walk. The devotee is deemed superior to ascetics, and even to those gifted with spiritual knowledge, and to those who trust to works (alone). But of all devotees even, he who, seeking me by his inmost spirit, worships me, full of faith, is considered by me the most devoted.” Thus in the Upanishads, etc., (stands) the Sixth Chapter, by name “devotion by means of self-restraint.” COMMENTARY. REASON. The unwise by successive experiences attains a limited amount of happiness ; but he never goes beyond this : whereas the wise attains all that amount of enjoyment which this life is capable of affording. CHAPTER THE SEVENTH. TEXT. KRISHNA SPOKE. “ Hear, 0 son of Pritha ! how, with thy heart attached to me, practising devotion, and seeking me as a refuge, thou mayest know me entirely and without uncertainty. I will declare to thee fully both spiritual know- ledge and spiritual discernment, and when that is known, there remains nothing more besides to be learnt upon earth. Among thousands of mortals a single one, perhaps, strives after perfection, and even of those who do strive after it and attain it, a single one only, perhaps, really un- derstands me. Earth, water, fire, wind, ether, heart and intellect also, and egotism, into these eight components is my nature divided. This (nature) is an inferior one, but learn my superior nature other than this, of a vital kind, 0 hero ! by means of which this universe is sustained. Understand that all things are produced from this latter nature. I am the cause of the production and dissolution of the whole universe. There exists no other thing superior to me, 0 despiser of wealth ! On me is all the universe suspended, as numbers of pearls on a string. I am the savour in waters, 0 son of Kunti ! and the luminous principle in the moon and sun, the mystic syllable ‘ Om ! ’ in all the Vedas, the sound in the ether, the masculine essence in men, the sweet smell in the earth ; and I am the brightness in the flame, the vitality in all beings, and the power of mortification in ascetics. Know, 0 son of Pritha ! that I am the eternal seed of all things which exist; I am the intellect of those beings who possess intellect, the strength of the strong. And I am the power of the strong in action, which is free from desire and passion. I am the lust in all beings, which is prevented by no law. And know that all dis- positions, whether good, bad, or indifferent, proceed also from me. I do not exist in them, but they in me. All this universe being deluded by these three kinds of dispositions, composed of the three qualities, does bhagavad-gItA. chapter the seyenth. 39 not recognize me, the Imperishable, who am^superior to them. For this divine illusion of mine, effected by the natural qualities, is difficult to surmount. Those who have recourse to me only can surmount that illusion. Evil-doers, fools, and low men, deprived of spiritual knowledge by this illusion, and inclining* towards the disposition of the Asuras, do not have recourse to me. Four kinds of upright men worship me, 0 Arjuna! (viz.) the afflicted, he who is desirous of knowledge, he who is desirous of some possession, and he who is possessed of spiritual know- ledge, 0 Prince of the Bharatas ! Of these, the best is the one who is possessed of spiritual knowledge, if he always practises devotion, and confines his worship to me alone. For I am dear to the spiritually-wise beyond possessions, and he is dear to me. All of these (four) are indeed excellent, but the spiritually-wise is verily myself to my thinking. For, with devoted soul, he has approached even me, the highest path. At the conclusion of many generations the spiritually-wise proceeds towards me. A great-minded man who (is convinced) that c Vasudeva is everything,’ is difficult to find.