Gita : Ch-3. Slo-41.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :


Chapter-3. ( Karma-yogam )


Slokam-41.  ( Therefore, O Arjuna, first of all you must bring the senses under control and directly destroy this lust, which is the embodiment of sin and the destroyer of the knowledge and realisation. )




Tasmattvamindriyannyadau  niyamya  bharatarshaba,



papmanam  prajahi  hyenam  jnanavijnananasanam.

bharatarshaba  =  O, Arjuna;

tasmat  tvam  adau  =  because  of   that  you  firstly;

indriyanni  niyamya  =  by  regulating  sensees;

jnana-vijnana-nasanam  =  jnanam  (knowledge), Vijnanam  (experience/ realisation),  desroyer  of   these  two;

papmanam  =  the  great  symbol  of   sin;

enam  prajahi  hi  =  the  lust, kill  it  (drive  away  or  curb).



Now Lord Krishna explains how to restrain kama or lust which is so terrible and destructive to the consciousness and development of a human being and which is the root of all evils because it obscures true knowledge arising from the teachings of the spiritual master which lead to inner wisdom which arises from meditation and reflection on the Supreme Lord. One must withdraw the senses away from the sense objects at the very beginning before they have contact and remain resolute with a steady mind.

One who is interested in qualifying for jnana yoga or the cultivation of Vedic knowledge must restrain the natural out going tendency of the five senses from pursuing sense objects. But the mighty enemy kama or lust covertly causes dissent in the enquiring of atma tattva or realisation of the soul and contrarily causes enthusiasm for procuring the delights of the senses. One understanding that the senses operate in their own natural sphere within the physical body, directs them to perform the appropriate occupational duties according to ones rank and station in life in karma yoga or the performance of prescribed Vedic activities and thus the senses are constrained. Lord Krishna thus gives the key to vanquishing this great enemy known as kama which is so terrible and which destroys both jnana or spiritual knowledge and vijnana or spiritual wisdom.

By controlling the stations where kama or lust resides it can be eradicated but Lord Krishna is giving special instructions that kama must be restrained within the senses at the very beginning well before they are able to make contact with the objects of the senses.

The Supreme Lord Krishna is the maintainer and energiser of everything in creation. His authorised avatars and expansions are His parts and parcels. All other Gods without any exception are mere subsidiaries of His expansions and these other gods descend downwards from Brahma. Demons and asuras or those possessing no inner light are continuously being degraded by kama and mixed with their arrogance arouse great evil. The demoniac are the most deluded and degraded of all living beings. The least influenced by kama like smoke covering fire are the noble and righteous beings. The next more influenced by kama like dust covering a mirror are those of mixed natures sometimes aware of their actions and sometimes not. The most influenced by kama like an embryo imprisoned in the womb are the are demonic who are great evil doers. Like Agni or fire kama is also all devouring that is why it called analena or fire. Therefore kama residing in the senses it can be restrained and destroyed only by the weapon of Vedic wisdom. Kama envelopes the mind and intellect prior to atma tattva or soul realisation; but even after atma tattva is achieved it has been seen that kama is so powerful that it is able to exert its influence as kama is never satiated and thus vigilance is still required before moksa or complete release from the material existence has been attained.

Lord Krishna gives the antidote to avoid being controlled by kama or lust. For the novice practitioner the advice is to immediately by strength of mind control the sense in the very beginning before being deluded. For one more advanced knowledge of Vedic scriptures can assist one in evading being controlled by kama. For one even more advanced knowledge of the atma or soul and one's true position can protect one from the ravages of kama. Or it can also denote accepting a spiritual master who is transcendant to kama and receiving relevant instructions to fortify oneself or by means of meditation on the Supreme Lord. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanisad IV.IV.XXI it states: The intelligent aspirant's understanding should achieve intuitive knowledge.

To be continued  ....