निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः ।
द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै-र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥ १५.५ ॥

nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣā adhyātmanityā vinivṛtta-kāmā: |
dvandvair-vimuktā: sukha-du:kha-sañjñair-gacchanty-amūḍhā: padam-avyayaṃ tat || 15.5 ||

Path to the Imperishable Abode

Dis-attachment only marks the beginning of the effort of felling the Tree of worldliness. It should be followed by a deep, subtle sense of search, enquiry or investigation. Only then the effort will succeed and result in enlightenment, fulfillment and freedom.

Enquiry of what or whom? Krishna says, the introspection should be focussed on the Primordial Puruṣa, from whom has emanated the whole activity, bringing evolution and expression. With asanga, the seeker should insulate himself from worldliness and by the deeper search aimed at discovering and realizing the very source of phenomenal existence, he must fortify himself.

Dis-attachment, asanga, the mind’s emotional response will be fruitful only when it is clubbed strongly with the sustained quest of the intelligence. The whole spiritual sādhanā consists in achieving a functional integration between intelligence and mind. Religion evolves into spirituality at this point and the seeker is then poised to grow.

Those, who are free of pride and enchantment, having won over the evil of attachment, given to constant reflection on the supreme Reality, turning away from desires, get delivered from the pairs of opposites in the form of sukha and duḥkha. They attain that supreme Imperishable Abode.

This is the most significant verse in the whole chapter. It reveals in unmistakable terms what the core of spiritual sādhanā is. If the message is heartily heeded, the seeker is sure to reach his destination.

One should be free from undue pride (abhimāna) and delusion (nirmāna-mohaḥ). All forms of abhimāna generally are based upon or centred around the body, and hence violate the ultimate truth that one is not the body, but the Soul, which is beyond all needs and safeguards. Any abhimāna is therefore, unfounded and misleading. It will only result in humiliation, hurt and self-victimization.

Sanga, which grips one since birth, is another evil to be overcome (jitasanga-doṣāḥ). Needless to say, attachment, identification, of any kind, especially when left uncontrolled, is extremely afflicting and binding.

All kinds of attachment (sanga) are hollow, when properly studied. For, neither the body nor any object around it has any independent status. Everything is made relevant by the mind alone. It is the mind that wields the body and instruments different activities and interactions. The outcome of all these is also on the mind.

Should the seeker then care constantly for the inner mind, to preserve its purity and character or focus on the external? Whenever attachment (sanga) creeps in, instantly it begins to taint the mind, making it dense and distorted. Freed of sanga, the mind becomes light, joyful and expansive. Such a mind truly becomes the Self – transparent, unaffected and blissful.

In fact, Krishna referred to sanga and the need to eschew it right in the second chapter, when he exhorted Arjuna: “yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi, sangaṃ tyaktvā dhanañjaya” (Being established in Yoga, perform actions renouncing all attachments – 2.48). Again in the third chapter he emphasized that wholesome sādhanā consists in acting without sanga. Action rid of sanga alone is sufficient to lead the seeker to the Supreme. Tasmād-asaktaḥ satataṃ kāryaṃ karma samācara, asakto hy-ācaran karma param-āpnoti pūruṣaḥ (Therefore, without attachment perform actions well. With dis-attachment alone one attains the Supreme – 3.19).

Here now in summarizing the sādhanā, Krishna again stresses the importance of overcoming the evil of sanga. He also specifies the means to accomplish this.

Adhyātma-nityāḥ. This means the seeker has to be constantly given to spiritual and philosophical reflection, rumination, with the help of Scriptures and the company of the Guru, listening to his words and serving him. He has to develop fondness for both. Such fond involvement will bring about extinction of sanga and all kinds of desires.

Vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ is a very significant phrase. The mind, by itself, feels clearly how futile it is to foster and pursue desires. What truly happens when each desire is fulfilled is that the desire verily becomes extinct. It is therefore clear that one tries hard to fulfill a desire only to get rid of it.

Thus, if in the mind level the effort to fulfill desires is only to make them extinct why not take up directly the pursuit of ‘not generating any desire’ at all? What a great benefit will it be if the desires as a whole become extinct!

Krishna next speaks about vimukti, liberation, deliverance. He also specifies from what or where should the deliverance be. Sukha-duḥkha- dvandvas are the ones from which one has to be freed. To be freed from these will mean deliverance from all the dvandvas surrounding us.

Success and defeat, gain and loss, heaven and hell, pleasure and pain, happiness and misery, sin and virtue, all these only result in sukha and duḥkha. The entire objects and their qualities can, ultimately result only in one of these i.e. sukha or duḥkha.

This is a great fact. To train oneself to dissolve the sukha-duḥkha dvandvas is verily to be delivered of all external and internal dvandvas. How lofty and wholesome a proposition!

Heaven becomes alluring only when contrasted with the afflictions of hell. The mind that is able to evenise and transcend dvandvas will neither be seduced by any allurement nor repelled by any abhorrence.

This kind of harmony and transcendence as related to sukha-duḥkhas is to be gained by coursing through them and making the process a full-fold sādhanā. Then the same sukha-duḥkha-dvandvas that tend to delude and dislodge the mind, will transform as the sublime cause for bestowing liberation, freedom. Is this not what Krishna stated in the 2nd chapter too? Mātrā-sparśās-tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukhaduḥkha-dāḥ .. .. tān titikṣasva (Through sensory contacts heat and cold, pleasure and pain are felt. They come and go. Forbear them. 2.14). He also declared that the one not tormented by pairs of opposites is fit for liberation.