adṛṣṭÄd aÅ›rutÄd bhÄvÄn
na bhÄva upajÄyate
asamprayuñjataḥ prÄṇÄn
Å›Ämyati stimitaá¹ manaḥ

 adṛṣṭÄt - which is not seen; aÅ›rutÄt - which is not heard; bhÄvÄt - from a thing; na - does not; bhÄvaḥ - mental agitation; upajÄyate - arise; asamprayuñjataḥ - for one who is not using; prÄṇÄn - the senses; Å›Ämyati - becomes pacified; stimitam - checked; manaḥ - the mind.


Text

Because the mind is not disturbed by that which is neither seen nor heard, the mind of a person who restricts the material senses will automatically be checked in its material activities and become pacified.

Purport

It may be argued that even while closing one’s eyes, while dreaming or while living in a solitary place, one may remember or contemplate sense gratification. Such an experience, however, is due to previous sense gratification that one repeatedly saw and heard about. When one restricts the senses from their objects, especially from intimate contact with women, the mind’s material propensity will slacken and, like a fire without fuel, eventually die.