August 19, 2017: Bhagavadgita

bhagavadgīta 2.14

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ

āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

bhagavadgīta 5.22

ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogā duḥkha-yonaya eva te
ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ

Reordered word-by-word meaning

kaunteya  - Oh, son of Kunti! śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ - the causes of cold and heat, joy and sorrow tu mātrā-sparśāḥ - (arise) but from contact with the sense objects  

āgamāpāyinaḥ - and come and go (i.e. are transient) anityāḥ - and hence are impermanent. bhārata - Oh scion of the Bharata race,  titikṣasva  tāṁ - (therefore) bear/endure them.

ye saṁsparśa-jāḥ bhogāḥ hi - these pleasures indeed arise out of contact with the sense-objects ādy-antavantaḥ - they have a beginning and an end (i.e. are impermanent) duḥkha-yonayaḥ eva - (and therefore) are surely the cause of misery/sorrow (because as we experience such happiness we demand it to last for ever).

 kaunteya - (Hence) Oh son of Kunti! budhaḥ - the wise one teṣu - in such experiences na ramate - does not indulge/revel.

These shlokas describe the transitory nature of sense-experiences. On the one hand, suffering like heat/cold and joy/sorrow caused by contact with sense objects do not last. The mind ought to come to terms with their transitory nature and be able to endure them when they pass.instead of considering them permanent sources of misery.

On the other hand, sense pleasures also ultimately only frustrate the human desire for joy since man in fact is looking for ever-lasting joy or happiness and not transient experiences which bring through their termination unhappiness. 

The philosophical import is that one should, out of wisdom, not seek or give importance to contacts with sense objects.

These shlokas are discussed in the audio lecture series of Swami Dayananda Saraswati given in the Introduction to Vedanta course at Arsha Vidya Kendra in 1990. The photo of the peacock was taken on 7 August at the Anaikatti Arsha Vidya Kendra ashram at the Murugan temple.