Bhagavad Gita · 3.37 · Path of Selfless Service·37 of 43
श्री भगवानुवाच काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः।महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥
śhrī bhagavān uvācha kāma eṣha krodha eṣha
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ mahāśhano mahā-pāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam
Sanskrit recitation
Desire as the inner enemy · 3.36–3.43 · Teaching
Translation
The Blessed Lord said, "It is desire and it is anger, both of the quality of Rajas, all-devouring and all-sinful; know this as the foe here in this world."
Meaning
Bhagavan Bhaga means the six attributes, viz., Jnana (knowledge), Vairagya (dispassion), Kirti (fame), Aishvarya (divine manifestations and excellences), Sri (wealth), and Bala (might). He who possesses these six attributes and who has a perfect knowledge of the origin and the end of the universe is Bhagavan or the Lord.The cause of all sin and wrong action in this world is desire. Anger is desire itself. When a desire is not gratified, the man becomes angry against those who stand as obstacles on the path of fulfilment.The desire is born of the quality of Rajas. When desire arises, it generates Rajas and urges the man to work in order to possess the object. Therefore, know that this desire is mans foe on this earth. (Cf.XVI.21).
After Swami Sivananda
Desire as the inner enemy· 3.36–3.43→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 3.36Arjuna said, "But what compels man to commit sin, even against his wishes, O Varshneya (Krishna), as if constrained by force?"
3.37The Blessed Lord said, "It is desire and it is anger, both of the quality of Rajas, all-devouring and all-sinful; know this as the foe here in this world."
- 3.38As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an embryo is surrounded by the amniotic sac, so is this enveloped by that.
- 3.39O Arjuna, wisdom is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise, in the form of desire, which is insatiable like fire.
- 3.40The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these, it deludes the embodied one, veiling their wisdom.
- 3.41Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, control your senses first and then kill this sinful thing, which destroys knowledge and realization.
- 3.42They say that the senses are superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and He (the Self) is superior even to the intellect.
- 3.43Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer.
Word-by-word→
- iha
- in the material world
- enam
- this
- viddhi
- know
- kāmaḥ
- desire
- eṣhaḥ
- this
- krodhaḥ
- wrath
- vairiṇam
- the enemy
- mahā-pāpmā
- greatly sinful
- samudbhavaḥ
- born of
- rajaḥ-guṇa
- the mode of passion
- mahā-aśhanaḥ
- all-devouring
- śhri-bhagavān uvācha
- the Supreme Lord said
Related verses
- 5.3He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasi who neither hates nor desires; for, free from…
- 7.27O Bharata, all beings are subject to delusion at birth due to the delusion of the pairs of…
- 1.39Why should we not, who clearly see the evil in the destruction of families, learn to turn…
- 1.45Alas! We are involved in a great sin, for we are prepared to kill our kinsmen, out of…