Bhagvad Gita (shloka 2.58):
TRANSLATION
ONE WHO IS ABLE TO WITHDRAW HIS SENSES FROM SENSE OBJECTS, AS THE TORTOISE
DRAWS HIS LIMBS WITHIN THE SHELL, IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS TRULY SITUATED IN
KNOWLEDGE.
PURPORT
THE TEST OF A YOGI, DEVOTEE, OR SELF-REALIZED SOUL IS THAT HE IS ABLE TO
CONTROL THE SENSES ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN.
MOST PEOPLE, HOWEVER, ARE SERVANTS OF THE SENSES AND ARE THUS DIRECTED BY THE
DICTATION OF THE SENSES.
That is the answer to the question as to how the yogi is situated.
THE SENSES ARE COMPARED TO VENOMOUS SERPENTS.
THEY WANT TO ACT VERY LOOSELY AND WITHOUT RESTRICTION.
THE YOGI, OR THE DEVOTEE, MUST BE VERY STRONG TO CONTROL THE SERPENTS—LIKE A
SNAKE CHARMER.
HE NEVER ALLOWS THEM TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY.
THERE ARE MANY INJUNCTIONS IN THE REVEALED SCRIPTURES; SOME OF THEM ARE DO-NOTs,
AND SOME OF THEM ARE DOs.
UNLESS ONE IS ABLE TO FOLLOW THE DOs AND THE DO-NOTs, RESTRICTING ONESELF FROM
SENSE ENJOYMENT, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE FIRMLY FIXED IN KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS.
THE BEST EXAMPLE, SET HEREIN, IS THE TORTOISE.
THE TORTOISE CAN AT ANY MOMENT WIND UP HIS SENSES AND EXHIBIT THEM AGAIN AT ANY
TIME FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES.
SIMILARLY, THE SENSES OF THE KRSNA CONSCIOUS PERSONS ARE USED ONLY FOR SOME
PARTICULAR PURPOSE IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD AND ARE WITHDRAWN OTHERWISE.
KEEPING THE SENSES ALWAYS IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD IS THE EXAMPLE SET BY THE
ANALOGY OF THE TORTOISE, WHO KEEPS THE SENSES WITHIN.
