Bhagavad Gita 3.41तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ।पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥
tasmāt tvam indriyāṇyādau niyamya
bharatarṣhabha pāpmānaṁ prajahi hyenaṁ jñāna-vijñāna-nāśhanam
Sanskrit recitation
Desire as the inner enemy · 3.36–3.43 · Teaching
Translation
Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, control your senses first and then kill this sinful thing, which destroys knowledge and realization.
Hindi translation
इसलिये हे भरतवंशियोंमें श्रेष्ठ अर्जुन ! तू सबसे पहले इन्द्रियोंको वशमें करके इस ज्ञान और विज्ञानका नाश करनेवाले महान् पापी कामको अवश्य ही बलपूर्वक मार डाल।
Meaning
Jnana is knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures. This is indirect knowledge or Paroksha Jnana. Vijnana is direct knowledge or personal experience or Anubhava through Selfrealisation or Aparoksha Jnana. Control the senses first and then kill desire.
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→
- hi
- certainly
- enam
- this
- tvam
- you
- ādau
- in the very beginning
- jñāna
- knowledge
- niyamya
- having controlled
- prajahi
- slay
- tasmāt
- therefore
- vijñāna
- realization
- nāśhanam
- the destroyer
- pāpmānam
- the sinful
- indriyāṇi
- senses
- bharata-ṛiṣhabha
- Arjun, the best of the Bharatas
Read this when you feel
Related verses
- 3.16He who does not follow the wheel thus set in motion, who is of sinful life, rejoicing in…
- 9.30Even if the most sinful worships Me, with devotion to no one else, he should indeed be…
- 6.9He who is of the same mind towards the good-hearted, friends, enemies, the indifferent,…
- 2.7My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my mind is confused as to my duty. I ask…