Gita 15.5
Purushottama Yoga
निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषाः अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः | द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर् गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ||५||
nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣāḥ adhyātma-nityā vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ | dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair gacchanty amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat ||5||
In essence: Those who are free from pride and delusion, who have conquered attachment, who dwell constantly in the Self with desires extinguished, liberated from pleasure-pain dualities—such wise ones reach that imperishable Goal.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "These qualities seem impossibly high—no pride, no delusion, no desires, no pleasure-pain reaction. Is this really attainable?"
Guru: "Notice the verse describes those who 'reach,' not those who 'attempt.' You begin from where you are. But yes, this is the destination. Every sincere seeker experiences moments of these qualities—moments of egolessness, clarity, desirelessness, equanimity. These glimpses indicate the possibility. The goal is to stabilize what is glimpsed, to make the extraordinary ordinary."
Sadhak: "How can one 'dwell constantly in the Self' while living in the world?"
Guru: "The Self is not elsewhere. You are always the Self; you just forget. 'Adhyātma-nitya' means memory is no longer interrupted. Activities continue, but the background awareness of 'I am this unchanging witness' remains. It is like a screen on which movies play—the screen is 'constantly' present but usually unnoticed because of absorption in the movie. Dwelling in Self means never forgetting the screen while watching the movie."
Sadhak: "Liberation from pleasure and pain—won't that make life flat and joyless?"
Guru: "Pleasure and pain are the oscillating experiences of the ego responding to circumstances. Beyond them is ānanda—not a higher pleasure but the nature of existence itself, unaffected by conditions. The liberated one may smile and cry, but these are natural responses, not binding identifications. Life becomes more vivid, not less, because it is no longer filtered through fear and craving."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Begin by examining yesterday's lingering pride or delusion. Where did you feel superior or inferior? Where did you misread reality? Don't judge, just see. Set intention for today: less self-reference, more Self-awareness. One quality to focus on—perhaps today it's 'conquering attachment' in one specific area.
When the pair of opposites—pleasure and pain—arise, practice witnessing. 'Here is pleasure arising' or 'here is discomfort.' Notice how grasping at pleasure and pushing away pain creates suffering beyond the original sensation. Experiment with equanimity: meet what arises without the grab-or-push reflex.
Reflect on the degree to which you 'dwelt in the Self' today. Were there moments of inner stillness, of knowing yourself as the unchanging witness? What pulled you out? This is not self-criticism but self-study. The qualities described in this verse become clearer as you study their absence and presence in daily experience.