Rooted Sangha: The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 2 | Verse 68 to 72 - Becoming Like the Ocean
- sjholisticyoga
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
This week in sangha, we continue our discussion of The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living by Eknath Easwaran. Each week, I will do my best to summarise the parts of the book we discuss. Please refer to https://www.sjholisticyoga.co.uk/post/what-is-the-bhagavad-gita if you need a grounding in what The Bhagavad Gita itself is.
I cross-reference with other versions of the Bhagavad Gita, so sometimes the translations differ from Easwaran's.
The Closing Verses of Chapter 2
Last week, we explored what happens when the mind is pulled continually between attraction and aversion.
Krishna described the peace that begins to emerge when we are no longer ruled by everything we like, dislike, want or fear. He also offered the image of a boat carried away by the wind, reminding us how easily the wandering senses can pull the mind away from its deeper wisdom.
In verses 68 to 72, Krishna brings this long teaching on steady wisdom to a close.
He offers us two more powerful images: the person who is awake while others sleep, and the ocean that remains full and steady as rivers continually flow into it.
In one simple rendering, these verses might be understood like this:
68. The wisdom of the person whose senses are no longer pulling the mind in every direction becomes firmly established.
69. What seems like night to most people is where the awakened person is fully conscious. What the world considers important may appear like night to the person who sees clearly.
70. As rivers flow into the vast ocean without disturbing it, desires may enter the mind of the wise without carrying them away. Such a person finds peace.
71. The person who moves through life without grasping, possessiveness or an inflated sense of self finds peace.
72. This is the state of being established in Brahman. Once rooted here, a person is no longer lost in confusion.
What Does It Mean to Be Awake?
Verse 69 describes two different ways of seeing.
Much of the world encourages us to seek fulfilment through achievement, recognition, possessions and approval. These things can appear brightly lit, while quieter qualities such as self-knowledge, compassion, restraint and inner peace remain almost invisible.
The spiritually awake person begins to recognise what truly nourishes them.
This does not mean withdrawing from life or rejecting its pleasures. It means seeing more clearly which things bring genuine contentment and which simply keep the restless mind occupied.
As our awareness grows, some things that once seemed important may begin to lose their hold over us.
Becoming Like the Ocean
Verse 70 gives us one of the most beautiful images in the Bhagavad Gita.
Rivers are continually flowing into the ocean, yet the ocean remains vast and full. It does not chase after the rivers or depend upon them to complete it.
Krishna compares this to the person who can experience desire without becoming ruled by it.
Thoughts, emotions and longings will continue to arise. Yoga does not ask us to become empty or unfeeling. It asks us to remember that not every desire has to become a command.
A thought can arise without being followed.
An emotion can move through us without defining the whole day.
Something beautiful can be enjoyed without needing to be possessed.
A difficult experience can be felt without becoming the permanent story of our life.
The ocean receives everything without losing its vastness
Loosening Our Grip
Verse 71 describes peace arising as we loosen our attachment to “I” and “mine”.
My success. My reputation. My plans. My way of doing things.
This does not mean giving up everything we own or ceasing to care. It means recognising that very little in life can truly be controlled or possessed.
People have their own paths. Bodies change. Roles come and go. Plans unfold differently from how we imagined.
We can love and care deeply without trying to hold everything in place.
How We Practise This on the Mat
The yoga mat gives us a place to explore these teachings.
Sensations arise and pass. Balance comes and goes. A posture we usually enjoy may feel uncomfortable today.
Can we allow the experience to be as it is?
Can we notice the desire to achieve without letting it carry us away?
Can we adapt when the body asks for something different?
Can we rest without believing we have failed?
The ocean itself is always moving. Its steadiness comes from its depth. Our practice is not about becoming unmoving. It is about discovering a deeper place within us that can remain rooted while life continues to change.
Giving Back
After covering room and fuel costs, all proceeds from Rooted are being saved to support a local cause, to be chosen together later this year - as a small act of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion in action.
On 21st September 2025, we made our first donation (£110) to Kettering Samaritans.
On 23rd December 2025, we donated £100 to Johnny's Happy Place, a wonderful mental health support cafe in Kettering.
On 9th April 2026, we donated £100 to The Green Patch in Kettering.
On 11th June 2026 we donated £100 to Home-Start Wellingborough & District.
We will decide on our next charity very soon.
Going Forward
These verses bring us to the end of Chapter 2. Next week, we will continue our exploration of this book. If you would like to join us in person, do get in touch or book online. It is never too late to join in, even if this is completely brand new to you.
If you would like to buy the book, click the image below for options.
Please Note:
My thoughts draw on teachings from the Bhagavad Gita, and other sacred texts within Hindu philosophy. I share my reflections as a yoga practitioner and teacher, and as a student of Vedanta - not as a scholar or religious authority. My intention is to gently explore how these teachings can be lived and contemplated within contemporary practice, and always with the utmost respect for their cultural and spiritual roots.
Om Shanti.
Vicki x