Bhagavad Gita 3.40इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते।एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥
indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣhṭhānam
uchyate etair vimohayatyeṣha jñānam āvṛitya dehinam
Sanskrit recitation
Desire as the inner enemy · 3.36–3.43 · Teaching
Translation
The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these, it deludes the embodied one, veiling their wisdom.
Hindi translation
इन्द्रियाँ, मन और बुद्धि इस कामके वास-स्थान कहे गये हैं। यह काम इन- (इन्द्रियाँ, मन और बुद्धि-) के द्वारा ज्ञानको ढककर देहाभिमानी मनुष्यको मोहित करता है।
Meaning
If the abode of the enemy is known it is ite easy to kill him. So Lord Krishna like a wise army general points out to Arjuna the abode of desire so that he may be able to attack it and kill it ite readily.
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…
- 3.37The Blessed Lord said, "It is desire and it is anger, both of the quality of Rajas,…
- 3.38As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an embryo is…
- 3.39O Arjuna, wisdom is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise, in the form of desire,…
3.40The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these, it deludes…
- 3.41Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, control your senses first and then kill this sinful…
- 3.42They say that the senses are superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses; the…
- 3.43Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self,…
Word-by-word→
- asya
- of this
- dehinam
- the embodied soul
- etaiḥ
- by these
- manaḥ
- the mind
- uchyate
- are said to be
- jñānam
- knowledge
- buddhiḥ
- the intellect
- eṣhaḥ
- this
- vimohayati
- deludes
- āvṛitya
- clouds
- indriyāṇi
- the senses
- adhiṣhṭhānam
- dwelling place
Related verses
- 3.35Better is one's own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well…
- 18.70And he who studies this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped…
- 14.8But know thou Tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings; it binds fast,…
- 5.13Mentally renouncing all actions and being self-controlled, the embodied one happily rests…