Who or what controls the mind and intellect, according to the Bhagavad Gita?

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


atanu mentions,

From my perspective, however, sadhana is a must. From Shri Ramana's perspective, Ramana has never done any sadhana.

From Gaudapada's perspective, there is no one bound and no one seeking liberation. From my perspective, that is the pinnacle of attainment. My Guru teaches that it is ever the truth beneath the mental turbulence and thus the only job is to shed away the turbulences and their causes.

I say "Guruji, kindly grace me". He says "Do your work".

Here is a hint for rāmana-muni never doing sādhana - his was the 4th way:

In kaśmir śaivism 3 upāya-s¹ are recognized (for now we can call them sādhana-s) , others say there are 4.

1. sāmbhavopāya (sāmbhava upāya)
2. śākopāya (shakti-upāya )
3. āṇavopāya - āṇu अणु = fine , minute , atomic is known as 'atom' - which is another name for the individual jiva. This upāya is the means whereby the āṇu or the individual jiva uses his own kāraṇa-s or
instruments i.e. senses, prana and manas for self-realization. It includes disciplines concerning the regulation of prana, japa, concentration, meditation, etc.


There is a 4th way called 'no way' or anupāya or 'without means or no upāya' - the way is without a way, as one person has said it. It does not really involve any process. Due to śaktipata or descent of grace in a very intense degree, everything needed for the realization, beginning from the liquidation of individual impurity down to the recognition of the state of Parameśvara may be achieved by the sādhu immediately and without going through any sādhana or discipline.


praṇām


words
upāya - a way, means, technique. More on these 3 at this HDF site: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...39&postcount=4

[kallol]

Namaste Kallol

That is nice summary. I agree to the 1st point, subject to the suggestion for the 2nd point. I cannot say unequivocally that i can agree to the 2nd point, as dance of prakriti cannot be known by the inert alone.

It does not matter however, since 'who controls ---', the main theme of the thread, IMO, is understood commonly now.

Om Namah Shivaya

You are right. The dance of the prakriti cannot be known without purusha. As I have mentioned purusha is independent but prakriti is dependent on purusha for existence and the dance.

Love and best wishes