A Perfect Picture Painted By Wise Words To Understand The Need To Control The Senses

A Shloka From Vidurniti Explains Us The Importance of Controlling the Senses.

रथः शरीरं पुरुषस्य राजन् नात्मा नियन्तेन्द्रियाण्यस्य चाश्वाः ।
तैरप्रमत्तः कुशलः सदश्वैर् दान्तैः सुखं याति रथीव धीरः ॥ ५९ ॥

One’s body, O king, is one’s car; the soul within is the driver, and the senses are its steeds. Drawn by those excellent steeds, when well-trained, he that is wise, pleasantly performeth the journey of life, and awake in peace.

Mahatma Vidur with his wise words paints the perfect picture of our body and senses. Dhritrashtra asks Mahatma Vidur to advise him wisely as Mahatma Vidur was considered both wise in religion and profit.

Mahatma Vidur says that our body is the chariot which is driven by the steeds and commandeered by the soul. If we let lose control of those horses and let them run wild, the chariot will eventually break down and those horses will break free from the control.

Here, horses are our senses. If we let them run the way they want, then there would be no visible progress. Instead of progressing, we might fail as the chariot would break down due to uncontrolled and wild horses, forcing their way.

The uncontrolled senses attract destruction and that destruction would divert us from the path of liberation.

When we consider the true purpose of this human form that Supreme Bhagwan granted us, we might know the true direction to move. Thus, there will be a need to control the steeds to move forward in that direction.

There will be movement with untamed and wild steeds but that might not be in the direction that we want. It would be towards destruction and hence, we might have to wait millions and millions of years to achieve this human body based on our karma.

And if you are an atheist and do not believe in the past or future life, then controlling your senses is also vital for the present moment.

Controlling the senses allows us to focus on things that are important for progress in any field.

Let your senses run wild for an hour. Give it whatever it asks and you would know the importance of controlling those urges now and then.

To grow in any of your chosen fields, two aspects are important: Focus and Discipline. Both can not be achieved without proper control of the senses.

Never try to suppress those senses but divert that raw energy into a creative effort that serves two purposes: adds something valuable to our progress and save us from the path of destruction if we allow the senses to run wild.

So, whenever you have an urge to follow the senses in their wildest fantasies remember the destruction that awaits at the end.

To charter, the unchartered with ease, learn to divert the urges of the senses and use them for useful and creative purposes.