Cultivate Character
नाविरतो दुश्चरितान्नाशान्तो नासमाहितः ।
नाशान्तमानसो वाऽपि प्रज्ञानेनैनमाप्नुयात् ॥ २४॥
nāvirato duścaritānnāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ .
nāśāntamānaso vā’pi prajñānenainamāpnuyāt .. 24..
He who has not first turn away from wickedness, who is not tranquil and subdued and whose mind is not at peace, cannot attain Atman. It is realised only through the Knowledge of Reality.
Commentary:
Nobody can attain that Atman who is not free from evil conduct. No one can know the Atman, or reach it, who is not calm and composed in mind, and who is distracted inside. No one can know the Atman whose mind is not concentrated on it. Distracted and torn emotions will not be good media for contacting the Atman. Here intellect is not of any utility. Nāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ, nāśānta-mānaso vāpi prajñānenainam āpnuyāt: Unsettled minds, merely with the power of will and intellect, will not be able to know it, contact it, or realise it.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
He who is continuously doing evil deeds, he whose mind is not calm, he who cannot meditates he who is always disturbed and fickle — he cannot understand and realise this Atman who has entered the cave of the heart.[Source]
Those who are evil-doers, whose minds area not peaceful, can never see the Light. It is to those whore are true in heart, pure in deed, whose senses are controlled, that this Self manifests Itself.[Source]
