UNFEELING THE FEELINGS
I read with interest and thoughts springing from the text,”
Econometrics
mechanizes viewing human life as the feelings-less mathematical equations
and diagrams. Words, phrases, clauses and sentences, cannot get rid of
feelings altogether. But Mathematics have the basic feature of inability to
quantify feelings and emotions, the most convenient escape from feelings as
markets have to be created unfeelingly. And math equations give the
appearance of the highbrow, the needed ego boost of high standard. Leaving
the devastation at the very level of perception, what are we getting as
packaged foods? In every food package the basic nutrition is removed as the
shelf life has to be increased. We have the commercial advertising or the
organized lying. Whole forests are getting destroyed all 24 hours of a day,
as economic activity, the euphemism for the elimination of the Biosphere.
When emotions overwhelm us - anger, fear, desire, grief - we
often feel like we're drowning in our own mind. The Bhagavad Gita offers
profound wisdom on understanding and mastering our emotional landscape. Not
by suppressing feelings, but by understanding their true nature.
In this collection of quotes on emotions from the Bhagavad
Gita, we explore how Lord Krishna guides Arjuna through his emotional
turmoil on the battlefield. These teachings reveal how emotions arise, why
they control us, and most importantly - how we can find peace within the
storm. Each quote opens a doorway to deeper self-understanding.
From the roots of anger to the nature of desire, from conquering
fear to finding lasting joy - these verses illuminate the path to emotional
freedom. Let's discover what the Bhagavad Gita teaches about the emotions
that shape our daily lives.
Verse 2.62 - The Chain Reaction of Emotions in Bhagavad Gita
"While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops
attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust
anger arises." - Lord Krishna This quote reveals the domino effect of
unchecked emotions. ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |सङ्गात्सञ्जायते
कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते While contemplating the objects of the senses, a
person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust
develops, and from lust anger arises. Did it start with anger? Or did it
begin when you saw something you wanted? Lord Krishna shows us that
emotions don't appear randomly. They follow a predictable pattern. First,
we think about something. Then we get attached. That attachment turns into
desire. When desire is blocked, anger explodes. It's like watching a small
spark become a forest fire. The spark is just thinking about something. But
if we keep feeding it with attention, it grows into attachment, then
desire, then rage.
Anger never stands alone.
This quote teaches us that anger is actually the child of frustrated
desire. When we want something and can't have it, anger is born.
Understanding this changes everything. Instead of fighting anger directly,
we can trace it back to its source - those first moments when we started
dwelling on something. Lord Krishna isn't saying don't feel. He's showing
us the mechanics of how feelings escalate. Once we see the pattern, we can
interrupt it. We can catch ourselves in that first stage - just thinking
about something - before it spirals into emotional chaos.
Verse 2.56 - Finding Balance in Emotions from Bhagavad Gita
"One whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for
pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a
sage of steady wisdom." - Lord Krishna Here, Lord Krishna paints a picture
of emotional mastery. दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः |
वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते One whose mind remains undisturbed
amidst misery, who does not crave for pleasure, and who is free from
attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom. That's what
this quote describes. Not someone who doesn't feel, but someone who isn't
controlled by feelings. When sadness comes, they don't drown. When
happiness arrives, they don't cling. They experience emotions without
becoming their slave.
Stability doesn't mean being emotionless.
This quote shows us that real stability means experiencing life fully while
maintaining inner balance. Like a tree that bends with the wind but doesn't
break. The sage feels everything - they just don't let feelings become
their master. Fear comes, but doesn't paralyze. Anger rises, but doesn't
control. Most of us swing between extremes. Ecstatic one moment, devastated
the next. Lord Krishna points to a different way - feeling deeply while
staying centered. This isn't suppression. It's freedom.
Verse 3.37 - Understanding Desire and Anger in Bhagavad Gita
"It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode
of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring
sinful enemy of this world." - Lord Krishna काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः
|महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् || It is lust only, Arjuna, which is
born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed
into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.
What's fascinating is how He links lust and anger. They're the same energy
in different forms. When we can't get what we crave, lust transforms into
rage. Understanding this connection helps us see why some people seem
constantly angry - they're burning with unfulfilled desires. The real war
isn't outside. It's within. This quote shifts our perspective completely.
Instead of blaming circumstances or others for our anger and frustration,
we see the real culprit - our own unchecked desires. Once we recognize this
enemy, we can start the real battle for inner freedom.
Verse 5.26 - Liberation from Fear and Anger in Bhagavad Gita
"Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are
self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection,
are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future." - Lord
Krishna Freedom from emotional bondage leads to ultimate liberation.
कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम् |अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते
विदितात्मनाम् ||
Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are
self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection,
are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.
Lord Krishna makes a bold promise here - those who free themselves from
anger and material desires find liberation "in the very near future." Not
in some far-off lifetime. Soon. But notice the conditions. It's not about
suppressing emotions. It's about understanding ourselves so deeply that
anger and craving lose their grip.
Verse 16.21 - The Three Gates to Darkness: Emotions in Bhagavad Gita
"There are three gates leading to hell - lust, anger, and greed. Every sane
man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul." -
Lord Krishna Lord Krishna warns about three destructive emotions.
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः |कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं
त्यजेत् ||
There are three gates leading to hell - lust, anger, and greed. Every sane
man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.
Lord Krishna identifies lust, anger, and greed as the triple threat to our
well-being. Think about it. Lust says "I must have." Greed says "I need
more." Anger says "How dare you block me." Together, they create a cycle of
perpetual suffering. Each feeds the others.
This quote shows how these three emotions degrade the soul. Not destroy -
degrade. Like rust slowly eating metal. Each time we act from lust, anger,
or greed, we move further from our true nature. We forget who we really
are. Lord Krishna addresses "every sane man" - implying that holding onto
these emotions is actually a form of insanity. The sane response is to
recognize these gates and consciously turn away. Not through force, but
through understanding their destructive nature.
Verse 6.5 - Self-Mastery Over Emotions in Bhagavad Gita
"A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind
is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well." - Lord
Krishna We are our own best friend or worst enemy. उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं
नात्मानमवसादयेत् |आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः || A man must
elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the
friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
The same mind that creates anxiety can create peace. The same mind that
generates anger can generate compassion. It all depends on how we use it.
When we let emotions run wild, the mind becomes our enemy, creating endless
suffering. When we guide it wisely, it becomes our greatest ally. This
isn't about suppressing the mind or emotions. It's about partnership. Like
training a wild horse - not breaking its spirit, but channeling its power.
The mind's energy remains the same. We just learn to direct it toward
elevation rather than degradation.
Lord Krishna makes it clear - master your desires and anger, and you'll be
happy "in this world." Not in some future heaven. Right here, right now.
The recipe is simple but not easy: learn to tolerate sensory urges and
check the force of emotions. Notice He says "tolerate," not eliminate. The
urges will come. Desires will arise. Anger will knock. But we can learn to
experience them without being controlled by them. Like waves hitting a rock
- they come with force, but the rock remains unmoved.
Being "equipoised in happiness and distress" doesn't mean feeling nothing.
It means feeling everything without losing balance. When happiness comes,
we don't become so excited that we disturb others. When fear arrives, we
don't panic and spread chaos. This is emotional adulthood. Children throw
their emotions at everyone. Adults learn to experience feelings without
weaponizing them. They create a safe space around themselves where others
can relax, knowing they won't be hit by emotional shrapnel.
Emotions follow a predictable pattern - From thought to attachment to
desire to anger. Understanding this chain helps us interrupt it early.
True emotional stability doesn't mean feeling nothing - It means
experiencing emotions without being controlled by them, like a tree that
bends but doesn't break.
Lust, anger, and greed form a destructive trinity - These three emotions
are called "gates to hell" because they degrade our consciousness and
create perpetual suffering.
All emotions are temporary like seasons - Just as winter gives way to
spring, our sorrows and joys will pass. This understanding brings
perspective and peace.
We alone are responsible for our emotional state - The mind can be our
friend or enemy. We choose whether to elevate or degrade ourselves through
our mental habits.
Mastering emotions brings happiness here and now - We don't need to wait
for perfect circumstances. Peace comes from learning to tolerate urges
without being enslaved.
Our emotional state affects everyone around us - When we achieve inner
balance, we stop disturbing others and become a source of peace in the
world.
Be like the ocean, not the river - Let emotions flow through you without
disturbing your depths. Accept without being overwhelmed.
The highest spiritual state transcends ordinary emotions - In realizing our
true nature, we go beyond the cycle of grief and desire to find supreme
devotion and peace.
K Rajaram IRS 27925
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