यावन्मनो रजसा पूरुषस्यसत्त्वेन वा तमसा वानुरुद्धम् । चेतोभिराकूतिभिरातनोतिनिरङ्कुशं कुशलं चेतरं वा ॥ ४ ॥
yavan mano rajasa purusasya sattvena va tamasa vanuruddham cetobhir akutibhir atanoti nirankusam kusalam cetaram va
- yavat
- as long as
- manah
- the mind
- rajasa
- by the mode of passion
- purusasya
- of the living entity
- sattvena
- by the mode of goodness
- va
- or
- tamasa
- by the mode of darkness
- va
- or
- anuruddham
- controlled
- cetobhih
- by the knowledge-acquiring senses
- akutibhih
- by the senses of action
- atanoti
- expands
- nirankusam
- independent like an elephant not controlled by a trident
- kusalam
- auspiciousness
- ca
- also
- itaram
- other than auspiciousness, sinful activities
- va
- or
As long as the mind of the living entity is contaminated by the three modes of material nature (goodness, passion and ignorance), his mind is exactly like an independent, uncontrolled elephant. It simply expands its jurisdiction of pious and impious activities by using the senses. The result is that the living entity remains in the material world to enjoy and suffer pleasures and pains due to material activity.