724 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 13
TEXT 54
frareant freara: sengarteraay: |
CATT «ARTA TTANAS: 148
jitasano jitasvasah
pratya-hyta-sad-indriyah
hari-bhavanaya dhvasta-
rajah sattva-tamomalah
jita-asanah—one who has controlled the sitting posture; jita-svasah—one
who has controlled the breathing process; pratya-hyta—turning back; sat—
six ;indriyah—senses; hari—the Absolute Personality of Godhead; bhavanaya
—absorbed in; dhvasta— conquered; rajah—passion; sattva— goodness; tamah
—ignorance; malah—contaminations.
TRANSLATION
One who has controlled the sitting postures [the yogic asana] and
the breathing process can turn the senses toward the Absolute Personality
of Godhead and thus become immuned from the contaminations of the
modes of material nature, namely mundane goodness, passion and ignor-
alia PURPORT
The preliminary activities of the way of yoga are dsana, pranayama,
pratyahara, dhyana, dharana, etc. Maharaja Dhrtarastra was to attain
success in those preliminary actions because he was seated in a sanctified
place and was concentrating upon one objective, namely the Supreme
Personality of Godhead (Hari). Thus all his senses were being engaged in
the service of the Lord. This process directly helps the devotee to get
freedom from the contaminations of the three material modes of nature.
Even the highest mode, the material mode of goodness, is also a cause of
material bondage, and what to speak of the other qualities, namely passion
and ignorance. Passion and ignorance increase the material propensities of
hankering for material enjoyment, and a strong sense of lust provokes the
accumulation of wealthand power. One who has conquered these two base
mentalities and has raised himself on the platform of goodness, which is
full of knowledge and morality, cannot also control the senses, namely the
eyes, the tongue, the nose, the ear and touch. But one who has surrendered
himself unto the lotus feet of Lord Hari, as above mentioned, can tran-
scend all influences of the modes of material nature and be fixed in the
service of the Lord. The bhakti-yoga process, therefore, directly applies
senses to the loving service of the Lord. This prohibits the performer from
