2.63 From anger comes delusion; from delusion loss of memory; from loss of memory the destruction of discrimination; from the destruction of discrimination he perishes.

2.63 Dhyayatah etc. krodhat etc. In the case of an ascetic, the very act of abandoning sense-objects itself resutls in undertaking the sense-objects. For, they abandon indeed by meditating [on them], and at the very time of such a meditation, attachment etc., are born in regular succession. Hence the act of abandoning objects is harmless only in the case of a man-of-stabilized-intellect. (65)

2.63. Explanation – "When a person dwells on sense-objects, attachment for them arises." – By not being devoted to God, by not contemplating God, one contemplates only the sense-objects. The reason is that the soul has God on one side and the world on the other. When it abandons the refuge of God, then it takes refuge in the world and contemplates only the world; because apart from the world, there remains no other subject for contemplation. In this way, by constantly contemplating, attachment, affection, and fondness for those objects arise in a person. When attachment arises, the person indulges in those objects. Whether the indulgence in objects is mental or physical, the pleasure derived from it gives rise to fondness for the objects. From fondness, that object begins to be contemplated again and again. Now, whether one indulges in that object or not, attachment for the objects inevitably arises – this is the rule. "From attachment arises desire." – When attachment for objects arises, the desire to obtain those objects (enjoyments) arises – that those enjoyments, those things, should come to me. "From desire arises anger." – When objects favorable to desire are continuously obtained, greed arises; and while there is a possibility of desire's fulfillment, if someone creates an obstacle, anger arises towards that person. Desire is such a thing that when obstructed, anger inevitably arises. The pride of goodness one harbors regarding one's caste, stage of life, qualities, competence, etc., also contains a desire for one's own respect, honor, etc.; when that desire is obstructed by any person, anger arises. 'Desire' is a rajasic tendency, 'delusion' is a tamasic tendency, and 'anger' is a tendency between rajas and tamas. Whenever anger arises regarding any matter, somewhere at its root there is certainly attachment. For example, if anger arises upon seeing someone acting against morality and justice, then there is attachment to morality and justice. If anger arises towards someone who insults or scorns, then there is attachment to honor and respect. If anger arises towards someone who criticizes, then there is attachment to praise. If anger arises towards someone who accuses, then there is attachment to the pride of faultlessness; and so on. "From anger arises delusion." – From anger arises delusion, i.e., stupefaction sets in. In reality, if observed, delusion arises from these four: desire, anger, greed, and possessiveness, as follows: (1) The delusion arising from desire: In this, the power of discrimination being obscured, the person, overpowered by desire, ends up performing actions that ought not to be done. (2) The delusion arising from anger: In this, the person ends up saying harsh and improper things even to friends and revered ones and behaves in ways that ought not to be done. (3) The delusion arising from greed: In this, the person loses consideration for truth and falsehood, righteousness and unrighteousness, etc., and deceives people through deceit. (4) The delusion arising from possessiveness: In this, equanimity is lost; on the contrary, partiality arises. If delusion arises from all four – desire, anger, greed, and possessiveness – then why has the Lord mentioned only anger here? If examined deeply, in desire, greed, and possessiveness, the tendency for one's own pleasure-enjoyment and self-interest remains awakened, but in anger, the tendency to harm others remains awakened. Therefore, the delusion arising from anger is even more terrible than the delusion arising from desire, greed, and possessiveness. From this perspective, the Lord here has stated that delusion arises specifically from anger. "From delusion arises loss of memory." – When stupefaction sets in, memory is destroyed, i.e., the determination made from scriptures and good thoughts – "I must perform such actions, undertake such practices, accomplish my liberation" – the memory of that is destroyed; it is not remembered. "From loss of memory arises the destruction of intellect." – When memory is destroyed, the discrimination that manifests in the intellect is lost, i.e., the person loses the power to think anew. "From the destruction of intellect, he perishes." – With the loss of discrimination, the person falls from his state. Therefore, to avoid this downfall, it is of utmost necessity for all seekers to be devoted to God. Here, the sequence described – from mere contemplation of objects arises attachment, from attachment desire, from desire anger, from anger delusion, from delusion loss of memory, from loss of memory destruction of intellect, and from destruction of intellect downfall – while analyzing this sequence takes time, the arising of all these tendencies and the resulting downfall of a person does not take time. Like an electric current, all these tendencies arise instantly and cause the downfall of a person. Connection – Now, in the following verse, the Lord answers this fourth question: "How does the man of steady wisdom conduct himself?"