Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
5.21 बाह्यस्पर्शेषु in external contacts? असक्तात्मा one whose mind is unattached? विन्दति finds? आत्मनि in,the Self? यत् (that) which? सुखम् happiness? सः he? ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman? सुखम् happiness? अक्षयम् endless? अश्नुते enjoys.Commentary When the mind is not attached to external objects of the senses? when one is deeply engaged in the contemplation of Brahman? he finds undecaying bliss in the Self within. If you want to enjoy the imperishable happiness of the Self within? you will have to withdraw the senses from their respective objects and plunge yourself in deep meditation on the Self within. This is the gist of this verse.
Swami Chinmayananda
From the previous verse, there arises a possibility of misunderstanding that spiritual life is a state of motionless existence in which a person with a withered heart, even when coming into contact with the attractive and stimulating objects of the external world, expresses no reaction beyond an unchanging equanimity of mind, nor does he experience anything special. If reality were such, most seekers would have abandoned spirituality immediately. Despite the limitations and defects present in the external world, who can deny the fact that sensory enjoyment does yield momentary happiness? Why would anyone deprive himself of countless forms of fleeting joy and desire a state of unchanging, impenetrable equanimity like stone? Moreover, whether you call that state supreme peace or the nature of the Divine or give it some other name, the substance itself does not change through mere nomenclature. This doubt is no exaggeration. Students of Vedanta often ask such questions. Any intelligent person who engages in any activity naturally wishes to know its purpose or utility. No true teacher can ignore these questions from sincere seekers. The World Teacher, Lord Sri Krishna, also addresses this very doubt and reassures Arjun.
The person who becomes completely free from attachment to external objects directly experiences the bliss that is the very nature of the atman. Although detachment holds primary importance in the practice of self-unfoldment, this non-attachment does not lead us to a hollow, purposeless void. When we renounce all false things, we attain the Supreme Self, whose nature is absolute truth and completeness. Just as when a dreamer abandons the dream-objects and the dream-personality, he does not become non-existent; rather, he awakens to his more powerful waking state of being. Similarly, when we transcend our identification with body, mind, and intellect, we experience the bliss of self-realization. If a seeker, even during meditation practice alone, renounces attachment to sensory objects and meditates upon Brahman with a sincere heart, he experiences imperishable happiness. Heart here means the inner faculty of consciousness.
For this reason too, the seeker should renounce sensory indulgence because—
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.