योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः ।
स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति ॥ ५-२४॥

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः ।
छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥ ५-२५॥

कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् ।
अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम् ॥ ५-२६॥

yō’ntaḥsukhō’ntarārāmastathāntarjyōtirēva yaḥ .
sa yōgī brahmanirvāṇaṁ brahmabhūtō’dhigacchati .. 5-24..

labhantē brahmanirvāṇamr̥ṣayaḥ kṣīṇakalmaṣāḥ .
chinnadvaidhā yatātmānaḥ sarvabhūtahitē ratāḥ .. 5-25..

kāmakrōdhaviyuktānāṁ yatīnāṁ yatacētasām .
abhitō brahmanirvāṇaṁ vartatē viditātmanām .. 5-26..

24. He who finds comfort within himself, who finds zest and delight within himself, and whose light is within himself such a yogi, having become Brahman, attains absorption into Brahman.

25. The sages, with their stains dissolved, attain absorption into Brahman; their doubts sundered, their selves controlled, they delight in benefitting all beings.

26. Absorption into Brahman is close to those ascetics whose minds are controlled, who are devoid of desire and anger, and who have come to know the Self.

Seeking happiness in the external world is like chasing a mirage: no matter how fast one may rush toward it, he never finds anything even when he reaches the place where he thought his goal lay. It is impossible to attain happiness in the external world, for happiness is only found deep in the innermost chamber of one’s being. The Self is the center of happiness. Those who are realized are always filled with the happiness of the Self, and they alone find real peace in their hearts. With the light of knowledge, such illumined beings are able to remove all doubts from the mind. When the doubts are removed there is clarity of mind, and then one is able to see things as they are. This happens only when the knowledge of Atman is attained. That knowledge is all-encompassing, eternal, and everlasting. But those who become a victim of sense pleasures have no clarity of mind, are full of doubts, and are unable to see things in perspective. Their sufferings are countless, and they constantly create obstacles for themselves instead of removing them.

According to the message of the Bhagavad Gita, Brahmanirvana (absorption in Brahman) is a state of highest bliss. That blissful state is attained by those great ones who have sense control and whose doubts have been removed by the knowledge of discrimination. Such great ones live on the earth, serving all creatures selflessly. Those who have purified their hearts and minds, removing desire and anger, and who have perfect control over their minds find peace within and without.

Those who dedicate their lives to the service of mankind do not have selfish motivations and desires. It is easy for them to have control over their desires and anger, whereas selfish people have no self-control. They are uncontrolled, full of desire, and remain under the grip of anger. Anger is an outcome of unfulfilled desire. It is an evil that shatters the nervous system by imbalancing the body, breath, and mind. Those who are out to fulfill their selfish desires can never be happy, for such desire if fulfilled gives birth to many more desires and finally creates a whirlpool that makes one miserable. But those who are conscious of Brahman and find delight in having control over their minds are the great ones, enjoying peace within from the perennial source of peace and happiness, the Self.

Editor’s Note:

This article has been shared as part of the ‘Book of the Month’ study in honour of Gurudeva Swami Rama’s Birth Centenary Celebrations. We will study the Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Rama during April 2025.