Bhagavad Gita · 3.43 · Path of Selfless Service·43 of 43
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना।जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam
ātmanā jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam
Sanskrit recitation
Desire as the inner enemy · 3.36–3.43 · Teaching
Translation
Thus, 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.
Meaning
Restrain the lower self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind. It is difficult to conquer desire because it is of a highly complex and incomprehensible nature. But a man of discrimination and dispassion who does constant and intense Sadhana can conquer it ite easily. Desire is the quality of Rajas. If you increase the Sattvic quality in you, you can conquer desire. Rajas cannot stand before Sattva.Even though desire is hard to conquer, it is not impossible. The simple and direct method is to appeal to the Indwelling Presence (God) through prayer and Japa.
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→
- evam
- thus
- jahi
- kill
- param
- superior
- buddhvā
- knowing
- ātmanā
- by higher self (soul)
- śhatrum
- the enemy
- buddheḥ
- than the intellect
- ātmānam
- the lower self (senses, mind, and intellect)
- durāsadam
- formidable
- sanstabhya
- subdue
- mahā-bāho
- mighty-armed one
- kāma-rūpam
- in the form of desire
Related verses
- 3.6He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in his mind,…
- 3.28But he who knows the Truth, O mighty-armed Arjuna, about the divisions of the qualities…
- 18.52Dwelling in solitude, eating sparingly, with speech, body, and mind subdued, always…
- 1.23For I desire to observe those who are assembled here to fight, wishing to please in battle…