भोगैश्वर्यप्रसक्तानां तयापहृतचेतसाम् ।
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिः समाधौ न विधीयते ॥ ४४ ॥
bhogaiśwvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛita-chetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate
जो मनुष्य ऐसे सुखों और शक्ति के आदी होते हैं, वे इनसे भ्रमित हो जाते हैं। ऐसे मनुष्यों में समाधि की स्थिति को प्राप्त करने के लिए स्थिर बुद्धि नहीं हो सकती।
Those addicted to such pleasures and power have their minds ensnared by them. Such individuals cannot have the fixed intelligence determined to attain the state of Samadhi.
Verse 2.44 of the Bhagavad Gita presents a profound psychological insight into how attachments to worldly pleasures affect our spiritual development. Krishna explains that those whose minds are deeply attached to sensual enjoyment (bhog) and material luxury (aiśhwarya) become mentally bewildered and unable to develop the resolute determination necessary for spiritual progress.
The verse specifically addresses how individuals who are preoccupied with material gains and sensual gratification cannot achieve samadhi or deep meditative absorption. Their intellects become engaged in constantly planning how to increase their material possessions and maximize their enjoyment rather than focusing on spiritual growth. This constant outward focus fragments their attention and dissipates their mental energy.
When a person becomes overly attached to worldly pleasures, their priorities shift away from spiritual inquiry. Their minds become clouded with desires for immediate gratification, making it impossible to maintain the steady, one-pointed determination required for spiritual practices. The verse suggests that this attachment doesn't just distract us temporarily – it fundamentally alters our ability to concentrate on higher pursuits.
This teaching highlights the psychological mechanism behind spiritual stagnation. It's not merely that worldly attachments compete for our time and attention; they actually transform our thought patterns and decision-making processes. We begin prioritizing short-term pleasures over long-term spiritual development, jumping from one desire to another without developing the persistence needed for meaningful progress in any direction.
Krishna is not condemning enjoyment itself but rather the obsessive attachment to it. When pleasure-seeking becomes the central organizing principle of our lives, it creates a perpetual state of wanting that can never be satisfied. This state of mind makes us servants to our bodily desires rather than masters of ourselves, as illustrated in the analogy of driving a car – we must be the driver, not driven by our impulses.
The verse also connects to the previous verses (2.42-43), where Krishna criticizes those who are enamored with flowery interpretations of the Vedas that promise heavenly pleasures as rewards for ritualistic actions. Such individuals, driven by desires for enjoyment and prosperity, engage in various specific works merely to acquire more material possessions and sensual experiences.
Ultimately, this verse illuminates why spiritual determination falters. When our consciousness is pulled in multiple directions by material attachments, we cannot develop the focused intelligence necessary for spiritual realization. Like someone digging shallow holes in many places rather than one deep well, we scatter our energy without reaching the depths where true spiritual water flows. The verse invites self-reflection: are our own determinations and commitments being undermined by excessive attachment to comfort and pleasure?
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