The Gita has shown that this impermanent phenomenon, which you call the body, mind and senses, consists of 24 principles. It is made up of the five gross sense organs, the ear, the skin, the eye, the tongue and the nose, called the Karmendriyas in Sanskrit; these reach out to the sense objects through the subtle sense organs, called Jnanendriyas, which comprise sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. The karmendriyas and the Jnanendriyas are inextricably related; without the subtle the gross does not function, for example; you may have ears, but no hearing, you may have a tongue but no taste. Besides the indriyas there are the five sheaths or Koshas; these can be thought of as various bodies interpenetrating each other in a successively more subtle way, each finer than the previous one the grossest sheath is the food sheath which comprises the physical body; next is the vital sheath which relates to the life breath and physical energy; next is the mind sheath which is a subtle body relating to the lower mind; then comes the intellectual sheath which is a still finer body associated with the higher mind and the intuition; the last sheath is the bliss sheath, the subtlest of all the bodies, which is beyond all aspects of mind, where only the veil of ignorance remains to hide the Atma. In addition to the principles given thus far, there are also the five vital energies or Pranas, which vitalize all bodily functioning; one of these is related to breathing, another to elimination, a third to circulation, the fourth to digestion and the fifth to the upward flow which energizes the higher centres. Besides these 20, there are the four aspects of the mind, the lower mind or thinking mind, called the Manas, the intuitive intellect and faculty of discrimination or discernment which is called Buddhi, the sense of personal self or ego, called Ahamkara, and the seat of feelings and recollection, called the Citta. All these together, along with the Atma, which is their basis, make up 25. Samkhya deals with these various principles, which comprise the individual being; this chapter is called Samkhya Yoga, because it helps you to recognize the Atma which is the one reality that underlies these 24 bodily principles, which are really just manifestations of your ignorance. It is these 24 principles that constitute the illusion which make you appear as a separate being. If you go on spending your life depending only on these 24 faculties, which are constantly undergoing change, how will you ever to be able to attain the eternal bliss which is your true nature, and which is not in any way influenced by these transitory things?

All the joys you experience now are only going to give you sorrow later on. These joys come and go; they are not permanent. Krishna strongly emphasized thank you should not believe in these sense organs and be led astray by them. However educated you may be, whatever office you may hold, whatever position you may have, unless you gain control over your senses you will not be able to gain peace of mind. Inner peace can be obtained only by controlling the sense organs. Perhaps you think that controlling the sense organs is too difficult for you to undertake, but in the chapter on Samkhya Yoga, Krishna taught a number of different ways, which will lead you to succeed in mastering them. (DBG, pp. 111-112)

You should not get lost in the world aspiring for impermanent joys, impermanent wealth, impermanent position and luxuries. So long as you are alive you can enjoy the joys, which come your way. So long as you still have some body attachment, you will also have some attachment to a place or country. So long as you still consider this world made-up of the five elements as real, you will have to take care of your body, which also consists of these five elements. But, truly you should not waste your time dwelling on these things. You should always remember the goal. (DBG, p. 181)