Sahil

NOI Essay – Controlling the urges of the senses

This essay is written to describe how one can personally control the urges of the
senses, as Srila Rupa Goswami has outlined in text 1 of Upadesamrt. Parikshit Maharaj
asked Sukadeva Goswami why people undergo atonement, prāyaścitta, just to make
the same offence the following week (NOI Text1 pp). It is thus explained that real
atonement is the awakening of our dormant Krishna Consciosness via tapasya,
following the regulative principles advocated by Rupa Goswami.
Text 1 first mentions the urge to speak ‘vaco-vegam’. Humans are predisposed to talk
nonsense, which Srila Prabhupada has defined as dangerous and compares it to ‘the
croaking of the toad…inviting death’ (NOI Text1 pp). However controlling the urge to
speak does not require silence (mauna) as the mayavadis claim – instead one should
engage the tongue in ‘the positive process of krsna-katha’, glorifying the name, forms,
and qualities of KRSNA, ensuring one is ‘always beyond the clutches of death’ (NOI
Text1 pp).
Controlling speech will also help control the next urge Rupa Goswami mentions, mano-
vega (fickle mind). Just as mauna cannot help control urge to speak, ‘negating all
material thoughts will not help’ as suggested by the yogic process. In Caitanya-
Caritamrt, Krsna is the sun, and maya is darkness (CC Madhya 22.31). Where there is
light, there can be no darkness. As such, keeping Krsna in the mind makes it impossible
for the mind ‘being agitated by maya’s darkness’ and therefore Rupa Goswami
recommends one to ‘fix his mind on the lotus feet of Krsna’ (NOI Text1 pp). In my own
life, being constantly engaged in service can help to achieve this goal.
One of the agitations of the mind is virodha-yukta-krodha, anger arising from material
frustration (NOI Text1 pp), and Rupa Goswami has also instructed us to keep this,
krodha-vegam, in check. Personally it would help to constantly remember ‘trnad api
sunicena taror api sahisnuna’ (Siksastaka Verse3). This reminds me to tolerate insults
directed at myself, as responding with anger would mean I am acting on the platform of
the false ego. Therefore, anger should be reserved only for those who blaspheme the
Lord and His devotees – one must understand anger cannot be stopped, but it can be
‘controlled…when utilized in service of the Lord’ (NOI Text1 pp).
For jihva-vega and udara-vega, the urges of the tongue and belly, Rupa Goswami has
prescribed the consumption of prasada. Effectively, this means the tongue and belly do
not govern when and what is consumed, but that a devotee ‘will eat only when Krsna
gives him prasada’ (NOI Text1 pp). In this way one actually abides by the isavasya
principle; recognising the Lord as Sole Controller and showing respect by accepting
only foodstuffs that have first been offered. Application of this in my personal life means
restraining from eating ‘in restaurants…simply to satisfy the whims of the tongue or
belly’ as eating food which is not prasada will ruin one’s consciousness. Therefore,
eating only prasada helps control both jihva-vega and udara-vega (urge of the belly) –
just because the belly is hungry does not mean it should be filled straightaway ‘one
should take prasada at scheduled times’. It has been observed those who ‘suffer
diseases of the stomach…are unable to control the urges of the belly’ and so
observance of ekadasi fasting prevents intake of more than necessary. To help this
further, it is also recommended that prasada should not be overspiced as Lord Caitanya
has mentioned ‘do not eat delicious foodstuffs’ (CC Antya 6.236).
The tongue, belly, and genital are ‘three senses are physically situated in a straight line’
and the genitals is the last of them. As such udara-vega, gental urge, ‘can automatically
be controlled’ and the mind kept steady if vaco-vega is controlled. The only
recommended use of genitals is for conceiving Krsna Conscious children. Personally,
regular chanting and engagement in Krsna’s service will help me have a steady mind
and not be ‘caught in the clutches of maya’ and ensure I cannot forget the purpose of
human life (NOI Text1 pp).
In conclusion a devotee should avoid mayas victimisation and attempt to force one to
serve the senses, go-dasa, leading to loss of control over the senses, adanta-go,
because Prahlada Maharaja has warned they have ‘no chance of becoming Krsna
Conscious’ (SB 7.5.30). A devotee should, instead, aspire to become goswami, master
of his senses, through practice as a tapasvi.

Word count: 725