Sankaracarya's Vivekachudamani 564

पाषाणवृक्षतृणधान्यकडङ्कराद्या

दग्धा भवन्ति हि मृदेव यथा तथैव ।

देहेन्द्रियासुमन आदि समस्तदृश्यं

ज्ञानाग्निदग्धमुपयाति परात्मभावम् ॥

pāṣāṇavṛkṣatṛṇadhānyakaḍaṅkarādyā

dagdhā bhavanti hi mṛdeva yathā tathaiva |

dehendriyāsumana ādi samastadṛśyaṃ

jñānāgnidagdhamupayāti parātmabhāvam ||

(Sankaracarya's Vivekachudamani 564)

Just as stone, tree, straw, grain, husk, etc. are reduced to ashes when burnt, so too, the whole objective universe comprising the body, sense-organs, Pranas, mind, etc. are reduced to the supreme Self when burnt into the fire-of-Knowledge.

All the objects in the world can turn to ashes when they are burned with fire. Any material object will lose its form when it comes in touch with burning fire. Similarly, worldly objectives such as our senses, body, mind, lust, intelligence, dream and etc will engage in the service of Supreme Lord Sri Hari when our every part of our body comes in touch with self-realizing knowledge.

With intelligence, one has to seek out the constitutional position of the soul and then engage the mind always in learning the Supreme truth. That solves the whole problem. A neophyte spiritualist is generally advised to keep aloof from the objects of senses. One has to strengthen the mind by use of intelligence. If by intelligence one engages one's mind in Sri Hari, by complete surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, automatically, the mind becomes stronger, and even though the senses are very strong, like serpents, they will be no more effective than serpents with broken fangs. But even though the soul is the master of intelligence and mind, and the senses also, still, unless it is strengthened by association with Sri Hari, there is every chance of falling down due to the agitated mind.