BG 3.42
indriyani parany ahur
SYNONYMS
indriyani — senses; parani — superior; ahuh — are said; indriyebhyah — more than the senses; param — superior; manah — the mind; manasah — more than the mind; tu — also; para — superior; buddhih — intelligence; yah — who; buddheh — more than the intelligence; paratah — superior; tu — but; sah — he.
TRANSLATION
The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.
BG 3.42
Super Soul -> Soul -> Intelligence -> Mind -> Senses -> Sense Object.
Senses are superior to sense object. Generally senses goes to sense object, a delicious food object in restaurant doesn’t come automatically but we need to go to it.
Senses are connected to soul so it has some energy but sense object are inert matter, so sense are considered superior to sense object.
Mind’s energy is far greater than senses, mind rushes so fast, mind keep of thinking about sense object and dreaming about sense gratification far longer than the senses. When we are sick senses cannot enjoy anything but still mind is dreaming about sense object mind is still having desire. Even a person is in dream senses are not acting but mind is dreaming fantasizing. So in that sense mind is superior to senses. Also mind is center point where all the sensory input come.
Above mind is intelligence because it can control mind, there are time when we wanted to do certain things but we don’t do because intelligence controls the mind. E.g. shouting back at boss.
This doesn’t mean that this is the way in which hierarchy will work but hierarchy is there.
Reins are made to control horses and it also controls but certain time hours will be so much turbulent that reins will not be able to control it. Charioteer may also be knocked off.
Above intelligence is soul, unless soul gives consciousness nothing happens.
In ideal situation King should direct, charioteer controls the reins and direct horses and finally reach where king wanted to go.
Similarly soul decides I am wandering in material world from long time I should go back to Krishna. Then soul communicated to intelligence uses the mind to control the senses and take on the path of self-realization.
This is how one should normally work.
For one to work like this the soul should be in control, soul should be spiritually aware of what the goal is how to get there and soul tells intelligence to go in this direction.
In this hierarchy there is problem that is the attraction between senses and sense object is very strong, senses naturally falls to sense object e.g. gravity, that means if I will allow my senses to wander it will rush towards sense object that happens naturally as default attraction is present in senses right now because that is the way senses has acted for a long time.so because of this attraction the whole mechanism of mind body soul there is a downward pull which pulls senses down, if we will let our mind go wild it will go towards sense objects then we will also fall in sense gratification, therefore there has to be something which will stop it and that the first step Krishna says is regulation, regulate the senses, unless senses are regulated to some basic level one may not be able to think of anything higher, if senses are not regulated and one is indiscriminately thinking about sense gratification then one will not be able to think seriously about spiritual truth because lust is Gyan- Vigyan nasanam.
So first step is regulate senses but that is not enough as we will think that we are deprived of enjoyment so at next level Krishna says in next verse to establish upward connection. Param Dristva Nivartate.
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