Bhagavad Gita 3.43एवं 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.
Hindi translation
।।3.42 -- 3.43।। इन्द्रियोंको (स्थूलशरीरसे) पर (श्रेष्ठ, सबल, प्रकाशक, व्यापक तथा सूक्ष्म) कहते हैं। इन्द्रियोंसे पर मन है, मनसे भी पर बुद्धि है औऱ जो बुद्धिसे भी पर है वह (काम) है। इस तरह बुद्धिसे पर - (काम-) को जानकर अपने द्वारा अपने-आपको वशमें करके हे महाबाहो ! तू इस कामरूप दुर्जय शत्रुको मार डाल।
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…
- 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→
- 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
- 3.28But 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…
- 17.11That sacrifice which is offered by men without desire for reward, as enjoined by the…
- 2.71That person attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing,…