Chapter 17 Shloka 16

मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।

भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते।।१६।।

Serenity of mind, mildness,

silence, self control and purity of heart

– all these are features of mental austerity.

Chapter 17 Shloka 16

मनःप्रसादः सौम्यत्वं मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः।

भावसंशुद्धिरित्येतत्तपो मानसमुच्यते।।१६।।

The Lord now speaks of tapas of the mind.

Serenity of mind, mildness, silence, self control and purity of heart – all these are features of mental austerity.

My dear little one, first understand the connotation of Manoprasaad (मनो प्रसाद) – Serenity.

1. Prasaad connotes spontaneity of the mind.

2. Prasaad is indicative of yagyashesh – the residual joy from actions performed in the spirit of yagya.

3. Qualities bestowed upon one as a result of yagya are a prasaad for the spiritual aspirant.

4. In fact, the yagya one performs is a prasaad for others because selfless deeds are the manifestation of yagya in life; the beneficial results of those deeds are the prasaad people receive of one’s life’s yagya.

5. Peace of mind is manoprasaad.

6. The absence of mental turmoil is manoprasaad.

7. To be devoid of worry is manoprasaad.

Little one, whatever you do in the Lord’s Name and with the Supreme Lord as your mainstay, is a veritable yagya. Your associates are the natural beneficiaries of your life of yagya.

With the Lord as your witness, when you act only in the interest of the other; when you gratefully accept all the Lord’s gifts made to you through destiny and you dedicate each endeavour of the body for the welfare of all beings, this lifelong yagya results in manoprasaad.

When do you receive prasaad?

One receives the prasaad of the mind – internal joy – when the mind:

a) ceases to engage only in the attainment of its pleasures;

b) renounces its attachment with greed and desire;

c) relinquishes the yearning for body establishment;

d) renounces its greed for recognition and fame;

e) begins to look to others and their needs;

f) considers ways and means to establish the other.

Only then does yagya begin.

The resultant prasaad received by others will be the prasaad of:

a) compassion, mercy and love;

b) forgiveness and grace;

c) the annihilation of sorrow and all difficulties.

Which is the saumya mind?

The mind attains tranquillity when:

a) it renounces its opposition;

b) it becomes devoid of demonic tendencies;

c) there is a complete negation of destructive tendencies;

d) it ceases to be inimical towards the world;

e) it is rid of hypocrisy and pride;

f) it is freed from the bonds of hopes and expectations, desires and cravings;

g) it is free from duality and learns to love all freely;

h) it learns how to befriend all alike;

i)  it learns how to cajole and coax the other in the latter’s interest.

Only when the mind learns to be humble, can it imbibe this divine quality. Then shall it become a prasaad – a source of undiluted joy, and attain peace.

Maun (मौन) – Silence

Kamla, understand this carefully! Silence is a quality of the mind. It has been described as the tapas of the mind – not of speech. Therefore it is not intended that one’s speech should be silenced – in fact, true silence is silence of the mind.

1. The absence of thoughts – both positive and negative.

2. The absence of duality.

3. The absence of anxiety and craving.

4. Equanimity.

5. Eternal satiation.

– All these constitute maun or silence of the mind.

Both, the silenced mind as well as the world at large, receive the prasaad or benediction of mental silence.

The silenced soul himself:

a) gains unmitigated satiation;

b) gains detachment;

c) is freed from meum and moha;

d) is established in equanimity;

e) is established in the state of pragya or abidance in knowledge of the Truth;

f) is uninfluenced by any attributes;

g) inherits the treasure of divine qualities;

h) becomes knowledge incarnate;

i)  is rendered sinless;

j)  is established in yoga.

Such a one is in fact the embodiment of Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. He is the noblest among all men. Such a one speaks, but his mind is ever silent. The world receives the benediction of his internal silence.

The sublime consequences of the aspirant’s silence in the world

1. The world receives proof of Adhyatam or the art of spiritual living.

2. The world receives a clear proof of scriptural knowledge in practice.

3. The world perceives the scientific application of knowledge in practice.

4. The world is able to witness how one can mould one’s life in Truth.

5. It becomes clear to the world that scriptural knowledge can be obtained in life.

6. The world finally knows that it is indeed possible to attain the Supreme Lord.

7. The world realises that the simple and natural path towards the Supreme is indeed to be found in one’s practical life.

8. The truth of the matter is that the world receives a God.

9. The world receives a mainstay and a support.

10. People’s faith in Truth is thus revived.

11. The world focuses its faith in the Truth.

12. The enthusiasm of the world to tread the path of Truth is thus revived.

When mental tapas thus reaches perfection, one’s sadhana is completed.

Atma Vinigrah (आत्म विनिग्रह) – Self-control

1. The Lord has specified that one must control oneself.

2. Such self control will enable us to establish ourselves in our true Essence.

3. Once the anatma – that which is not the Atma – is renounced, what remains is merely the Atma.

4. When attachment with the anatma dissolves, the mind becomes silent.

5. Consequently when one is established in the Atma, self control is already achieved.

Bhav Sanshuddhi (भाव संशुद्धि) – Purification of thoughts

1. Subsequently one’s perspective of life undergoes a radical change.

2. The absence of deception and duplicity is indeed mental purity.

3. When one attains a cleansing of one’s thoughts and they are impregnated with the Truth, bhav sanshuddhi is achieved.

Kamla! Listen carefully!

1. The aspirant seats himself in the world but looks towards the Supreme abode.

2. Having attained a change in perspective, and once the ‘I’ is identified with the Supreme, he views the world from the heights of the Supreme abode.

3. It could be said that such a one views his own body from a distance. Thus he perceives from afar all the joys and sorrows that pertain to the body-self.

4. He watches all as a witness from afar.

This tapas of the mind has the ability to wash away the latencies of many births, my little one! Having spoken of this supreme tapas, the Lord now speaks of the three hues of tapas.