Chapter 3 · Verse 43

Path of Selfless Service

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना। जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम्

evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam

Word Meanings

evam — thus; buddheḥ — than the intellect; param — superior; buddhvā — knowing; sanstabhya — subdue; ātmānam — the lower self (senses, mind, and intellect); ātmanā — by higher self (soul); jahi — kill; śhatrum — the enemy; mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one; kāma-rūpam — in the form of desire; durāsadam — formidable

Language:

Translation

Thus, knowing the Self to be superior to the intellect, and steadying the mind by the higher Self, O mighty-armed one, slay this formidable enemy in the form of desire.

Commentary

एवम् thus? बुद्धेः than the intellect? परम् superior? बुद्ध्वा having known? संस्तभ्य restraining? आत्मानम् the self? आत्मना by the Self? जहि slay thou? शत्रुम् the enemy? महाबाहो O mightyarmed? कामरूपम् of the form of desire? दुरासदम् hard to coner.Commentary Restrain the lower self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind. It is difficult to coner 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 coner it ite easily. Desire is the ality of Rajas. If you increase the Sattvic ality in you? you can coner desire. Rajas cannot stand before Sattva.Even though desire is hard to coner? it is not impossible. The simple and direct method is to appeal to the Indwelling Presence (God) through prayer and Japa.Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita? the science of the Eternal? the scripture of Yoga? the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna? ends the third discourse entitledThe Yoga of Action.