B.G 2.14

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥ २-१४॥

mātrāsparśāstu kauntēya śītōṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ। āgamāpāyinō'nityāstāṁstitikṣasva bhārata ॥ 2-14॥

[mātrāsparśāstu = the contact of sense objects with senses; kauntēya = O Kunti's Son; śītōṣṇa = through sensation of cold and heat; sukhaduḥkhadāḥ = causes pleasure and pain; āgamāpāyinah = they come and go; anityāh = they are impermanent; tāṁstitikṣasva = just endure them with firmness; bhārata = Oh Arjuna;]

O Kunti's Son, the contact of sense objects with senses causes pleasure and pain through the sensation of cold and heat. They come and go and are impermanent. Oh Arjuna, just endure them with firmness.

Gīta Bhāshya 2.14

It is the false attachment, 'abhimāna', that causes misery. In sleep, this attachment is absent and thus there is no misery.

तथाऽपि तद्दर्शनाभावादिना शोक इति चेत्- नेत्याह– मात्रास्पर्शा इति॥ मीयन्त इति मात्रा विषयाः। तेषां स्पर्शाः सम्बन्धाः। त एव शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः। देहे शीतोष्णादिसम्बन्धाद्धि शीतोष्णाद्यनुभव आत्मनः। ततश्च सुखदुःखे॥

tathā'pi taddarśanābhāvādinā śōka iti cēt- nētyāha– mātrāsparśā iti॥ mīyanta iti mātrā viṣayāḥ। tēṣāṁ sparśāḥ sambandhāḥ। ta ēva śītōṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ। dēhē śītōṣṇādisambandhāddhi śītōṣṇādyanubhava ātmanaḥ। tataśca sukhaduḥkhē॥

[tathā'pi = even then; taddarśana abhāvādinā śōka iti cēt = if worried thinking he will not be able to see; nētyāha = he should not because of; mātrāsparśā iti ॥ = with 'matra-sparsha' verse; mīyanta iti mātrā viṣayāḥ । = "mâtra" means objects perceived by senses; tēṣāṁ sparśāḥ sambandhāḥ । = 'sparsha' is the relation they develop when they come in contact (with the sense objects); ta ēva = from it; śītōṣṇasukhaduḥkhadāḥ = sensation of cold and heat, pleasure and pain; dēhē śītōṣṇādisambandhāddhi = it is body that comes in contact with cold and heat; śītōṣṇādyanubhava ātmanaḥ। = it is 'atman' that experiences cold and heat; tataśca sukhaduḥkhē ॥ = and in turn pleasure and pain; ]

Even then, if Arjuna is worried thinking he cannot see his relative, the 'matra-sparsha'(2-14) verse advocates that Arjuna should not worry. Senses perceive objects. One develops attachment when senses come in contact with the sense objects. From it arises the sensation of cold and heat, pleasure and pain. It is the body that comes in contact with cold and heat. It is 'atman' that experiences cold and heat, which causes pleasure and pain.

नह्यात्मनः स्वतो दुःखादिः सम्भवति। कुतः? आगमापायित्वात्। यद्यात्मनः स्वतः स्युः सुप्तावपि स्युः। अतो यतो मात्रास्पर्शा जाग्रदादावेव ते सन्ति नान्यदेति तदन्वयव्यतिरेकित्वात् तन्निमित्ता एव नात्मनः स्वतः॥

nahyātmanaḥ svatō duḥkhādiḥ sambhavati। kutaḥ? āgamāpāyitvāt। yadyātmanaḥ svataḥ syuḥ suptāvapi syuḥ। atō yatō mātrāsparśā jāgradādāvēva tē santi nānyadēti tadanvayavyatirēkitvāt tannimittā ēva nātmanaḥ svataḥ॥

[nahyātmanaḥ = ‘atman' does not; svatō = on its own; duḥkhādiḥ sambhavati । = results in misery; kutaḥ? = why?; āgamāpāyitvāt । = as sensations are transitory; yadyātmanaḥ = if the atman; svataḥ syuḥ = is itself the cause; suptāvapi syuḥ । = then even in sleep one should (experience pleasure and pain); atō yatō = therefore, because; mātrāsparśā = contact of senses with sense object; jāgradādāvēva = only in the awakened state; tē santi = occurs; nānyadēti = not otherwise; tadanvaya = accordingly; vyatirēkitvāt = with the exception of; tannimittā ēva = is only the reason; nātmanaḥ svataḥ ॥ = not by atman on its own; ]

Atman does not on its own become miserable. Why? Because sensations are transitory, and they come and go. If the atman is itself the cause, then even in sleep one should experience pleasure and pain. But only in the awakened state, because of the contact of senses with the sense objects, one experiences pleasure and pain respectively, not otherwise.Thus, atman is not the root cause, but only instrumental.

आत्मनश्च तैर्विषयविषयिभावसम्बन्धादन्यः सम्बन्धो नास्ति। न चागमापायित्वेऽपि प्रवाहरूपेणापि नित्यत्वमस्ति। सुप्तिप्रलयादावभावादित्याह– अनित्या इति॥

ātmanaśca tairviṣayaviṣayibhāvasambandhādanyaḥ sambandhō nāsti। na cāgamāpāyitvē'pi pravāharūpēṇāpi nityatvamasti। suptipralayādāvabhāvādityāha– anityā iti॥

[ātmanaśca taiḥ = for atman; viṣayaviṣayibhāva = topic and sentiment attached towards that topic; sambandhādanyaḥ = relation, other; sambandhō = relation; nāsti = does not exist; na ca = and not; āgamāpāyitvē'pi = 'agamapayi' (they come and go), transient; pravāharūpēṇāpi = like a stream; nityatvamasti = permanent exist; supti = in deep sleep; pralayādāvabhāvādityāha = because of loss of senses, so said; anityā iti = 'anitya' it is; ]

The relationship of 'atman' is only that of topic and the sentiment attached towards that topic, no other. It is transient (agamapayi) like a stream, and not permanent. It is impermanent (anitya) because senses do not operate in deep sleep.

अतश्चात्मनो देहाद्यात्मभ्रम एव सुखदुःखकारणम्। अतस्तद्विमुक्तस्य बन्धुमरणादिदुःखं न सम्भवति। अतोऽभिमानं परित्यज्य तान् शीतोष्णादीन् तितिक्षस्व ॥ १४ ॥

ataścātmanō dēhādyātmabhrama ēva sukhaduḥkhakāraṇam। atastadvimuktasya bandhumaraṇādiduḥkhaṁ na sambhavati। atō'bhimānaṁ parityajya tān śītōṣṇādīn titikṣasva ॥ 14 ॥

[ataścātmanō = Therefore it is atman's; dēhādyātmabhrama ēva = false attachment towards body only; sukhaduḥkhakāraṇam = is the cause of pleasure and pain; atastadvimuktasya = one who has freed himself from such; bandhumaraṇādiduḥkhaṁ = misery due to the death of relatives; na sambhavati = does not occur; atō'bhimānaṁ = therefore, attachment to oneself; parityajya = leave; tān śītōṣṇādīn = those heat and cold; titikṣasva = endure them with firmness;]

Therefore, it is only the false attachment towards the body that causes pleasure and pain. One who has freed himself from such attachment does not experience misery because of the death of relatives. Therefore, one should leave attachment to oneself (abhimanam) and endure with firmness the heat and cold.