In this section, constituted of the following three verses, we have an exhaustive picture of the relationship that a Man-of-Perfection maintains with the things and beings of the world. A man’s culture may be a false mask. Many of us can act the part of God as long as the situations around us are not too tempting. A man may not be a tyrant as long as he has no power; he may live a quiet life, as long as he is poor; he may be above corruption, as long as he has no seducing chances. Thus, many good qualities which we attribute to many people around, are all a falsely painted, superficial beauty, concealing behind its artifice a weak and unhealthy personality.

Potential devils stalk about in the world in the borrowed garbs of artificial raiment. Therefore, the real test of a Perfect One is not in the jungle or in a cave, but in the market-place where he is teased by the mischiefs of the world. Christ was never so great as when he was nailed to the cross! The true nature in us will come out only when we are crushed; the fragrance of chandana (Sandal wood) emerges only when rubbed; Tulasi (Ocimum) leaves leave their fragrance on the very fingers that crush them.

HE WHO, SEATED LIKE ONE UNCONCERNED, IS NOT MOVED BY THE GUNAS — In all his experiences in the world, good, bad or indifferent, he is unconcerned, since he knows that it is the play of the mind and intellect. In a cinema hall, the tragedies and comedies on the screen need not affect us, since we know that it is a show put up for our entertainment. This does not mean that the Seer is totally unconcerned with the happenings of the world. Vyasa is very careful in his choice of expression. He says that the Man-of-Perfection looks “LIKE ONE UNCONCERNED.” That is to say, he is not in the least agitated; nor does he become hysterical by anything that is happening around him in life.

WHO, KNOWING THAT THE ‘GUNAS’ OPERATE — He understands that the changes in his own inward personality are all nothing but the kaleidoscopic changes of the gunas and that the world outside changes according to one’s mental conditions. A man of True Wisdom lives, ever fully aware of the technique behind the changes in himself and in the world around him.

IS SELF-CENTERED AND SWERVES NOT — In order to watch the play of the three gunas in himself, he should be an observer from beyond the gunas. Thus, established in his Pure Spiritual Nature, he is able to observe detachedly and enjoy the play of the gunas in himself and in the world around him. An observer of a street fight, looking down from his balcony, is not affected by what he observes; so too, the Man-of-Wisdom, awakened to the Spiritual Consciousness, swerves not from his consummate equilibrium, when he witnesses the play of the gunas in himself and ever remains established in his own Divine Nature (ava-tishthati).

CONTINUING TO ELUCIDATE THE THOUGHT SUGGESTED IN THE PREVIOUS STANZA, THE LORD SAYS:

He, the Self-realized monk, yah, who; asinah, sitting; udasinavat, like one indifferent-as an indifferent man sides with nobody, similarly, this one, set on the path leading to the transcendence of the alities; na, is not; vicalyate, distracted from the state of Knowledge arising out of discrimination; gunaih, by the alities. This point is being clarified as such: Yah, he who; thinking iti, that; gunah, the alities, which have trasnformed into body, organs and objects; vartante, act on one another; avatisthati, remains firm-avatisthati (instead of avatisthate) is used in the Parasmaipada to avoid a break in the metre, or there is different reading, ‘yah anutisthati, who acts’-;[His apparent activity consists in the mere continuance of actions which have been subjectively sublated through enlightenment.] and an, does not; ingate, move; i.e., becomes eva, surely settled in his own nature-.