[Advaita-l] gItA bhaashhya sudhaa bindavaH - 7

[Ramakrishna Upadrasta]

OM shrii Sankaraaya namaH
namaste,

We continue the series.

28. svaM naasikaagraM saMprexya samyak.h prexaNam.h darshanaM
kR^itveva iti | ivashabdo lupto drashhTavyaH | na hi
svanaasikaagrasaMprexaNamiha vidhitsitam.h | kiM tarhi ? chaxushho
dR^ishhTisaMnipaataH | sa cha antaHkaraNasamaadhaanaapexo vivaxitaH |
svanaasikaagrasaMprexaNameva chet.h vivaxitam.h\, manaH tatraiva
samaadhiiyeta\, naatmani || 6.13 ||


##svaM naasikaagraM, at the tip of his own nose -- looking at it
intently, as it were; ca, and anavalokyam, not looking; dishah,
around, i.e., not glancing in various directions -- The words 'as it
were' are to be understood because what is intended here is not an
injunction for looking at the tip of one's own nose! What then? It is
the fixing of the gaze of the eyes by withdrawing it from external
objects; and that is enjoined with a view to concentrating the mind.
(What is sought to be presented here as the primary objective is the
concentration of mind. If the gaze be directed outward, then it will
result in interrupting that concentration. Therefore the purpose is to
first fix the gaze of the eyes within.) If the intention were merely
the looking at the tip of the nose, then the mind would remain fixed
there itself, not on the Self.##


(To be continued.)
Ramakrishna