Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 - JnanaKarmaSanyasa Yoga - Sloka 26

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

Varieties of Sacrifices - Slokas 23-33

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 4 -JnanaKarmaSanyasa Yoga - Sloka 26

Iskcon Balaji

Shrotra adini indriyani anye samyam agnishu juhvati I

Shabdadina vishayan anya indriyagnishu juhvati II sloka 27

श्रोत्र आदीनि इन्द्रियाणि अन्ये संयम अग्निषु जुह्वति ।

शब्ददिना विषयान् अन्ये इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ।। श्लोक २७ 

Some offer hearing and other senses as sacrificein the fire of restraint, while others offer sound and other sense objects as sacrifice in the fire of the senses.

Two diametrically opposite types of Yagna are enunciated here. The function of the one is to make the senses ineffective and that of the other to make them super-effective.

Fire which transforms the nature of things consigned into it is the medium in ritualistic yagna and symbol in jnana-yagna.  The fire of restraint carried to its extreme becomes total sense-control. The performer of this form of yagna eats eholesome food merely for the nourishment of the body; the act of relishing and the idea of enjoying a meal are all eliminated. The other senses are suspended except for the bare maintenance of the body. The mind is completely withdrawn from the senses and made introvertive. The physical life goes on mechanically while the mind revels in the Self within.

In the second type of yagna  the senses are made best use of for the adoration of the almighty. Is the fire of the senses, the sense-objects are offered as oblation. Forms perceived by the eyes are beheld as the manifestations of the Lord. Auspicious utterances are sumptuously heard. Sacramental food is partaken of with piety. The smelling of the aroma associated with the worship of the Divine, is felt as a form of holy communion. Garlands of flower and sandal paste that come as grace from the adored deity are reverently put on the  body. The objects of all the 5 senses are thus sanctified and made liberal use of. The sensual is in this way transformed into the spiritual; the depraving into the divinizing.

Of the 2 methods, that of the sense-control is negative and sense-sublimation positive.Though they seem antithetical to each other, the result produced by them is the same - purification of the mind. The negative method is given to the daring and advanced few and the positive to the aspiring many.