Bhagavad-gita 2.58 – Pay Attention To The Observer

by Swami Ramakrishnananda

yada samharate cayam kurmo 'nganiva sarvasah indriyanindriyarthebhyas tasya prajna pratisthita

yada--when; samharate--winds up; ca--also; ayam--all these;kurmah--tortoise; angani--limbs; iva--like; sarvasah--altogether;indriyani--senses; indriya-arthebhyah--from the sense objects; tasya--his; prajna--consciousness; pratisthita--fixed up.

One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is to be understood as truly situated in knowledge.

In this podcast Swami Ramakrishnananda explains the process of introspection of the senses, also known as "Pratyahara" acording to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The rays of our attention are searching, the mind is searching through the senses, because the senses are nothing more than an extension of our mind...The mind sees through the mind...and the mind is searching for happiness, it is moving as a bee from one flower to the other...