Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 28 (BG 5.28) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

5.28 यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिः with senses? mind and intellect (ever) controlled? मुनिः the sage? मोक्षपरायणः having liberation as his supreme goal? विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधः free from desire? fear and anger? यः who? सदा for ever? मुक्तः free? एव verily? सः he.Commentary If one is free from desire? fear and anger he enjoys perfect peace of mind. When the senses? the mind and the intellect are subjugated? the sage does constant contemplation and,attains for ever to the absolute freedom or Moksha.The mind becomes restless when the modifications of deisre? fear and anger arise in it. When one becomes desireless? the mind moves towards the Self spontaneously liberation or Moksha becomes his highest goal.Muni is one who does Manana or reflection and contemplation.

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

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.

Modern

# BG 5.28 — Commentary Translation In these verses presented here, the Bhagavan has briefly indicated the yoga of meditation, which is elaborated in detail in the following chapter. In Sanskrit, this is the traditional style of texts on brahmavidya—that the final verses of one chapter typically introduce the subject matter of the next chapter. These verses describe all aspects of the meaningful life of a wise person. Seekers of Vedanta are always eager and prepared to live a life of completeness. They are not like those dreamers who prefer to dwell in idealistic imagination; rather, they wish to live a life that is intensely practical, useful, and inspiring. Therefore, they find no attraction in impractical and idealistic metaphysical knowledge. The question arises in the minds of all seekers: how can perfect equanimity of mind be attained? Sri Krishna here briefly describes the discipline through whose practice one can develop the well-integrated personality of a perfected being. This is elaborated in the next chapter. External objects do not possess the power to disturb or delude a person by themselves. Distraction depends upon our relationship with them. Standing on the seashore and merely observing the turbulent waves creates no problem, but jumping into the ocean causes the waves to toss us about. Distraction arises from perceiving sounds, touch, form, and other sense objects only when we identify ourselves with the changing conditions of our mind. Therefore, if we can keep external objects at a distance, we can certainly attain the mental peace necessary for meditation practice. Keeping objects at a distance does not mean ceasing to use our senses. Rather, it means not dwelling upon them mentally. Through discrimination, recognizing that they contain no lasting happiness, we become detached from them. Many seekers take the literal meaning of their teacher's instructions and engage in peculiar meditation practices. For meditation, they attempt to fix their gaze between the eyebrows. This would be called an excessive literalism of the teaching. As Sri Shankara explains, one should imagine the gaze fixed between the eyebrows—not literally do so. This is a psychological truth: imagining the gaze fixed between the eyebrows creates a forty-five degree angle, and this position is highly conducive to meditation. There is an extremely close relationship between the rhythm of our breathing and the state of our mind. When the mind is disturbed, the breath becomes irregular and uncontrolled. Here the instruction is to equalize the flow of prana and apana, for pranayama is useful in calming the mind. First comes the instruction to organize the body and vital energy, and then the mind and intellect. There is only one means to control the hunger of the senses, the restlessness of the mind, and the instability of the intellect: to make liberation the supreme goal of one's life. Once the goal is determined, all actions should be offered to that goal. Control over the intellect means freedom from desire, fear, and anger. These three qualities are closely related. The intense longing to obtain an unobtainable object is called desire. When desire becomes intense, fear arises—whether the object will be obtained or not. And once obtained, fear persists that it might be lost. When a person is thus afraid, it is natural that if any obstacle comes between them and the object, they become angry. Therefore, conquering all three means bringing all the functions of the intellect under one's control. Thus, a person endowed with the qualities described in these two verses is, in the Bhagavan's words, always liberated. With these qualities present, liberation is not distant; therefore, the Bhagavan says here that a person free from desire, fear, and anger is liberated. In common usage, we say "cooking bread," though actually we cook the dough, not the bread itself. Yet we understand the intended meaning. Similarly, if a seeker, equipped with all the disciplines, practices meditation, then, freed from all false notions, they soon directly experience the eternal, ever-liberated Self. Regarding what is to be known and contemplated for a person of concentrated mind—this is now explained: