43 verses
Arjuna said: If it is Your opinion that intelligence is superior to action, O Janārdana, then why do You engage me in this terrible action. O Keśava?
You bewilder me with Your mixture of words. Now speak clearly so that I may attain the highest benefit.
“O My friend Arjuna, it is true that bhakti, beyond the guṇas is supreme. But since that is obtained only by the mercy of My great pure devotees in an unexpected manner, it is not attained by the efforts of the individual. Therefore, I have given a blessing to you: be transcendental to the guṇas (nistraiguṇya bhava): be transcendental to the guṇas by transcendental bhakti. When this blessing matures, you will attain bhakti by such unexpected mercy of the pure devotee. As it is fitting to the present circumstances, directing you to engage in activity is also valid, using the words karmaṇy evādhikāras te: you are qualified for action.”
“Then why do You not clearly tell me to engage in activity? You throw me into an ocean of doubt. You bewilder my intelligence by those words which are mixture of various meanings (vyāmiśrena). Though you have mentioned about action (karmaṇy evādhikāras te), you also speak of jñāna using the word yoga in such statements as the following:
yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saḍgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga ucyate
Being situated in this niṣkāma-karma-yoga, perform your duties, giving up attachment, being equal to success and failure, O conqueror of wealth! Such equal mindedness is called yoga. BG 2.48
buddhi-yukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte
tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam
He who is engaged in niṣkāma-karma-yoga gives up both pious and impious reactions. Therefore engage in this yoga. Among all types of action, this performance without attachment is a skill. BG 2.50
And you speak only of knowledge in such statements as yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati: when your intelligence has completely crossed the denseness of illusion… (BG 2.52).
The word iva indicates that “Your words are not actually filled with many meanings, and it is not Your desire to bewilder me, as You are merciful. Nor is it that I do not know the meaning, but you should speak this clearly.”
The deep sense is this: compared to karma in the mode of passion, karma in the mode of goodness is superior. Superior to that is jñāna, which is also sattvic. And bhakti, beyond the modes, is superior to that. If You say that bhakti is not possible for me, then instruct me on jñāna alone. Then I will be free from the bondage of saṁsāra and misery.
The Lord said: I have spoken in the last chapter of two types of qualification for people of this world. Those qualified for jñāna are known as practitioners of jñāna-yoga, and those qualified for niṣkāma-karma are known as practitioners of karma-yoga.
Here the Lord answers. You have asked Me to indicate clearly one of either karma-yoga or jñāna-yoga, since I have explained both in an impartial way. The two processes that I have explained are for persons qualified for karma and jñāna, according to different circumstances. It is not that these people are equally suitable for liberation. This is now explained in two verses.
I have explained in the previous chapter (purā proktā) two types of qualification. For those engaged in knowledge (sāḍkhyānām), who have risen to the state of knowledge by purity of the heart, there is steadiness in jñāna-yoga. That is their limited field. They are known in this world for cultivation of knowledge. This is shown in verses such as the following:
tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ
vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā
The yogī who is devoted to Me, after restraining all the senses, will remain seated, unresponsive to sense objects. He whose senses have thus been brought under control is sthita-prajña. BG 2.61
For those who are not able to ascend to the platform of knowledge because of impurities of the heart, there is a means to ascend to that platform. They become fixed in niṣkāma-karma-yoga, activities without desire, offered to Me. They are known as those engaged in karma. Verses such as the following illustrate this yoga.
sva-dharmam api cāvekṣa na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyād dhi yuddhāc chreyo ’nyat kṣatriyasya na vidyate
Considering your own duties, you should not be fearful. There is nothing better for the warrior than to fight for the right cause. BG 2.31
The karmī and jñānī are different in name only. Actually the persons engaged in karma become pure hearted jñānīs by their actions. And the jñānīs become liberated by bhakti. This is the meaning of all My words.
Without performance of prescribed karmas, a person cannot attain purity. Just by renunciation of activities, an impure person cannot attain perfection.
This verse explains that without purity of heart, jñāna does not arise. By not engaging in activities recommended in the scriptures, one cannot attain jñāna (naiṣkarmyam). One with an impure heart cannot attain jñāna by renunciation of activities recommended in the scriptures (sannyasāt).
No one can remain without doing activity even for a moment. All are forced to engage in action by the guṇas arising from prakṛti.
Rather, the person of impure heart who gives up scriptural activities becomes engrossed in material actions. That is explained in this verse.
“But sannyāsa, renunciation of activities, means a negation of all tendencies for both Vedic and material activities, does it not?”
He who, controlling the action of senses, remains remembering those objects of the senses in his mind, is bewildered, and is called a pretender.
“But we see some such sannyāsīs, devoid of actions of the senses, with closed eyes.” This verse answers.
He who controls the senses of action such as speech or hands (karmendriyāṇi) but remains remembering the objects of the senses, under the pretense of meditating, is a cheater (mithyācāraḥ).
He who, free from attachment, controlling the senses by the mind, begins karma-yoga with his active senses, is superior.
In contrast to this, the householder (not the sannyāsī), who performs scriptural actions (karma-yogam) without longing for fruits of his actions (asaktaḥ) is superior. Rāmānujācārya says in this regard that he is superior to the person practicing jñāna because of the impossibility of going astray by this method.
Perform your daily scriptural duties. This is better than not acting. You cannot even maintain your body by non-action.
Therefore you should engage in daily obligatory activities such as sandhya-vandana (niyatam karma). This is better than renunciation of these actions (karma-sannyāsa). By renunciation of all actions you will not even be able to maintain your body.
Without performing actions for the purpose of sacrifice, the people of the world are bound by their actions. O son of Kuntī, perform actions for that purpose, freed from attachment to results.
“The smṛti scriptures say that one is bound by actions: karmaṇā badhyate jantuḥ. ( Mahābhārata 12.241.7) Therefore, I will become bound by performing actions.”
“No, action offered to the Supreme Lord does not bind one.” That is explained in this verse.
“Dharma (scriptural duties) offered to Viṣṇu without personal desire is called yajña. Persons become bound by karma by any other actions for any other purpose. Therefore you should perform actions (karma -amācara) for the accomplishing such duties (tad-artham).”
“But even if I perform actions which are offered to Viṣṇu, if I perform them with desires, then I will still become bound.”
“One should become devoid of the desire for results (mukta-saḍgaḥ).”
Thus the Lord spoke to Uddhava:
sva-dharma-stho yajan yajñair anāśīḥ-kāma uddhava
na yāti svarga-narakau yady anyan na samācaret
asmiû loke vartamānaḥ sva-dharma-stho ’naghaḥ śuciḥ
jñānaṁ viśuddham āpnoti mad-bhaktiṁ vā yadṛcchayā
My dear Uddhava, a person who is situated in his prescribed duty, properly worshiping by Vedic sacrifices but not desiring the fruitive result of such worship, will not go to the heavenly planets; similarly, by not performing forbidden activities he will not go to hell.
One who is situated in his prescribed duty, free from sinful activities and cleansed of material contamination, in this very life obtains transcendental knowledge or, by fortune, devotional service unto Me. SB 11.20.10-11
Brahmā, having created the population along with sacrifice, long ago spoke: May you prosper by this sacrifice. May it fulfill all your material desires.
Therefore, one with an impure heart should perform actions without desire, rather than give up action. Now, if you cannot be without desire in the actions, then you should still perform actions offered to Viṣṇu with desire, rather than give up actions completely. This is explained in seven verses.
Long ago, along with yajña, Brahmā created the creatures qualified for offering to Viṣṇu and said, “Increase more and more the population by this dharma or yajña. May this yajña bestow all desired enjoyment (iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk).” By this he indicated that they had material desires.
The compound saha-yajñā is formed by the rule vopasarjanasya (Aṣṭādhyāyī, Pāṇini 6.3.82). The compound saha-yajña is used instead of sa-yajña.
“By that sacrifice, please the devatās and the devatās will please you. Being mutually pleased, you will all attain the highest benefit.”
This verse explains how the yajña yields all desires. “By this yajña (anena), please the devatās. You make them pleased by the sacrifice. The devatās also will please all of you.” Bhāva indicates affection in this verse.
The devatās, pleased with the sacrifice, will bestow on you desired enjoyment. He who enjoys what is given by the devatās without offering to them is indeed a thief.
To make this point clearer, he speaks of the fault of not performing this activity. He who enjoys what is given by the devatās, such as food through the rain, without giving anything to them through performance of the pañca-mahā-yajña and other rites, is a thief.
Those respectable people who eat the remnants of sacrifice are free from all sins. Those sinful persons who cook for themselves suffer from sin.
Those who eat the food remnants of yajñas such as the vaiśvadeva-yajña become freed from all sins caused by the five types of violence to living entities. The five violent actions (pañca-sūnā) are described in the smṛti:
kaṇòanī peṣaṇī cullī udakumbhī ca mārjanī
pañca-sūnā gṛhasthasya tābhiḥ svargaṁ na vindati
The gṛhastha does not enjoy Svarga by commission of the five violent actions towards other living entities caused by using the mortar, grinding stone, the stove, the broom and water pot. Viṣṇu Smṛti 59. 19-20
All creatures arise from food. Food arises from rain. Rain arises from sacrifice. Sacrifice arises from prescribed actions.
One should perform the yajña because it causes the cyclic movement in the universe. From food living entities exist. Food is the cause of the bodies of the entities, and from food arises the health of the bodies of the living entities with transformation into semen and blood. The cause of food is rain. By the rain, food is produced. The cause of rain is the yajña. By people performing yajña the clouds produce sufficient rain. The cause of yajña is karma, prescribed action. The yajña is produced from the actions of the priest and the patron.
Action arises from the Vedas. The Vedas arise from the Brahman. Therefore this all-pervading Brahman is eternally situated in the sacrifice.
The cause of this action is the Veda (brahma). The actions related to the yajña arise
from hearing the statements of the rules enunciated in the Vedas. The cause of the Vedas is Brahman (akṣaram), as the Vedas arise from the Lord. The śruti says:
asya mahato bhūtasya niḥśvasitam etad ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo’ thāḍgīrasaḥ
The Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva Vedas are the breathing of the Supreme Lord.
Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.4.10
Therefore the all pervading (sarva-gatam) Lord is present in the yajña. This means that by performance of the yajña one attains the Lord. Though, by cause and effect, from food to the Lord, many items have been mentioned, among them all, the yajña is mentioned by the scriptures as an necessary performance for the human being.
This process is mentioned in the smṛti as well.
agnau prāstāhutiḥ samyag ādityam upatiṣṭhate
ādityāj jāyate vṛṣṭir vṛṣṭer annaṁ tataḥ prajāḥ
The offering to the fire goes to the sun. From the sun arise rain, food and bodies of the living entities. Manu Smṛti 3.76
He who does not follow the movements of this cycle, and instead leads a life of sin, enjoying his senses, lives in vain.
This verse speaks of the sin involved in not performing the sacrifice. He who does not partake of the instituted cycle moving from beginning to end—from yajña to rain; from rain to food; from food to nourishment of men; from men to performance of yajña; from yajña to rain—he who does not institute the cycle by performance of yajña--leads a life full of sin.<sup> Who will not sink to hell?
The human who is attracted to the ātmā, satisfied in the ātmā, and completely satisfied with ātmā alone, has nothing to do in regard to fulfilling desires.
It has now been stated that if you cannot be without desires, you can perform actions with desires. But he who reaches the stage of jñāna because of purity of heart never performs actions out of desire. That is expressed in two verses.
Because he is enjoying in the self, is blissful by realization of the bliss of the ātmā, he does not engage at all in the pleasure of material objects. Being engaged only in the ātmā (ātmāny eva), he does not perform any actions related to the external objects (tasya kāryam na vidyate).
He does not gain by performance of action, nor lose by not performing action. For him, nothing in this world is worthy of pursuing for fulfilling his desires.
By performance of action there is no accrual of desired results. And by not performing the action there is no loss, because nothing in the whole universe, from Brahmā down to the inanimate objects, is a worthy object of shelter for fulfilling his goals.
The word vyapāśraya is used similarly in the Purāṇas as follows:
vāsudeve bhagavati bhaktim udvahatāṁ nṛṇām
jñāna-vairāgya-vīryāṇāṁ neha kaścid vyapāśrayaḥ
Persons engaged in devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, have naturally perfect knowledge and detachment from this material world. Therefore such devotees are not interested in the so-called happiness or so-called distress of this world. SB 6.17.31
kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā
ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ
ye ’nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ
śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ
Kirāta, Hūṇa, Āndhra, Pulinda, Pulkaśa, Ābhīra, Śumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him. SB 2.4.18
argo ’syātha visargaś ca vṛtti-rakṣāntarāṇi ca
vaṁśo vaṁśānucarītaṁ saṁsthā hetur apāśrayaḥ
O brāhmaṇa, authorities on the matter understand a Purāṇa to contain ten characteristic topics: the creation of this universe, the subsequent creation of worlds and beings, the maintenance of all living beings, their sustenance, the rule of various Manus, the dynasties of great kings, the activities of such kings, annihilation, motivation and the supreme shelter. SB 12.7.9
From these statements it is seen that the addition of apa to āśraya has the meaning of “perfect shelter.”
Therefore always perform prescribed actions without attachment. Performing action without attachment, a person attains liberation.
Therefore (tasmād) since you do not have qualification for rising to the platform of jñāna, and performing actions with desires is not suitable for you since you have spiritual intelligence, you should perform action without desire. That is explained in this verse. Therefore you should perform obligatory prescribed actions without attachment. By doing this you will attain liberation (param).
Just by performance of prescribed actions, Janaka and others attained success. And just with the consideration of setting example for others, you should perform prescribed work.
He gives proof of such actions in the first part of the verse. In the second part of the verse he says that if you think that you are qualified for jñāna, even then, you should perform action in order to teach the people.
Whatever actions the superior performs, other persons will also perform. What you do according to scriptural authority, others follow.
In this verse he explains how the people are taught: by following example.
For Me, O son of Pṛthā, there is nothing in the three worlds that has to be done, that has not been attained, or which must be attained. But I also perform duties.
In three verses the Lord uses Himself as an example.
If I were not to engage in work attentively at any time, men would follow My example in all respects.
Anuvartante (they do follow) is used with the meaning anuvarteran (they would follow).
If I were not to work, all people would be destroyed. I would be the cause of mixed castes, and would pollute the descendants.
Taking Me as an example, the people, not performing dharma, would be contaminated. Mixed castes would result. I would be the cause of this. I would pollute the progeny.
Just as the ignorant work with attachment, O Bhārata, the wise, desirous to teach the people, should perform work without attachment.
He summarizes here that action should be done even by a person established in jñāna.
The wise man should not disturb the intelligence of the ignorant attached to results of work. Engaging in all work himself with detachment, he should engage them in activity.
You should not disturb the minds of those attached to action because of their impure hearts by saying “This karma is despicable! Give up action and become successful like me by the practice of jñāna.” Instead you should engage them in action (joṣayet) by saying “Perform action without desire and become successful.” Doing those actions, you set an example for others.
“But according to the Bhāgavatam, this is contrary to the statement of the Lord:
svayaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ vidvān na vakty ajñāya karma hi
na rāti rogiṇo ’pathyaṁ vāñchato ’pi bhiṣaktamaḥ
A pure devotee who is fully accomplished in the science of devotional service will never instruct a foolish person to engage in fruitive activities for material enjoyment, not to speak of helping him in such activities. Such a devotee is like an experienced physician, who never encourages a patient to eat food injurious to his health, even if the patient desires it.” SB 6.9.50
True, but this is in relation to instructions given about bhakti. It is not contradictory to giving instructions in this way about jñāna. Jñāna is dependent on purity of the heart, and purity of the heart is dependent on action without desire. But bhakti is by nature very strong, and is not dependent even on the purity of the heart. If it is possible for you to produce faith in bhakti in other person, then you may disturb the minds of those attached to action, for those who have faith in bhakti have no obligation for performing karma. This should be understood from such statements as the following:
tāvat karmāṇi kurvīta na nirvidyeta yāvatā
mat-kathā-śravaṇādau vā śraddhā yāvan na jāyate
One should continue to perform the Vedic ritualistic activities until one actually becomes detached from material sense gratification and develops faith for hearing and chanting about Me. SB 11.20.9
dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān māṁ bhajet sa tu sattamaḥ
Having taken complete shelter at My lotus feet, however, a saintly person ultimately renounces such ordinary religious duties and worships Me alone. He is thus considered to be the best among all living entities. SB 11.11.32
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
Give up all dharmas and surrender to Me alone. BG 18.66
tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi
If someone gives up his occupational duties and works in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part? And what can one gain if one performs his material activities perfectly? SB 1.5.17
The person bewildered by pride thinks that he is the doer of actions which are being done completely by the senses made of prakṛti.
The doubt may arise: how to distinguish the person in knowledge (vidvān) from the ignorant person, if the man in knowledge also performs actions. Two verses explain the difference. The ignorant person thinks that he is the performer of all the actions, which are actually performed completely by the material senses, which in turn are the products of the guṇas (prakṛteḥ guṇaih).
But the wise person, who knows the divisions of the guṇas and the factors of action, O Mighty-armed, is not contaminated, understanding that only the senses are engaged with the sense objects
The intelligent person, however, knows the truth (tattva-vit) about the divisions of guṇas and actions (guṇa-karma-vibhagayoḥ). The divisions of the guṇas are sattva, rajas and tamas. The divisions of action are according the effects of the guṇas: devatā (sattva), senses (rajas), and sense objects (tamas). One who knows the nature of these two is called tattva vit. The senses such as the eye (guṇāḥ) administered by their devatās are engaged with the sense objects such as form (guṇeṣu). The intelligent person is not attached, knowing this. He thinks, “I am not at all the senses, nor the sense objects. There is no relation between me and the senses or the sense objects at all.”
Those bewildered by the senses made of prakṛti are attached to the sense objects.
One who knows everything does not disturb those foolish persons who do not know.
If the jīvas are separate from the senses and the sense objects, without relationship to them, then why is it seen that people are attached to the sense objects? This verse answers.
By absorption in the senses made of matter, jīvas become bewildered. Just like a man possessed by a ghost thinks himself a ghost, the jīvas absorbed in the senses made of matter think themselves to be the senses. Then they become attached to the sense objects (guṇa-karmaṣu). The man who knows all (kṛtsnavit) does not disturb those who are ignorant. He does not attempt to make them realize that they, as jīvas, are different from the senses, that they are not the senses. Instead he engages them in action without desire, which will remove the absorption in the senses. One does not cure a man possessed of a ghost even by instructing him even a hundred times, “You are a man, not a ghost!” Instead one cures him by use of mantras, jewels and medicines which will remove that affliction.
Offering all activities to Me, being fixed in the soul, being without possessiveness or desire, devoid of fever, fight.
The word adhyātma is here taken as an avyayībhāva compound, meaning “in (adhi) the ātmā.” The phrase adhyātmam-cetasā therefore means “with consciousness fixed in the ātmā.”
Therefore, offering (sannyasya) all works to Me, by consciousness fixed in the ātmā rather than in material objects, being without desires for the results, being niṣkāma (nirāśih), devoid of possessiveness in all respects (nirmamaḥ), fight.
Those who always follow My teaching with faith and without envy are free from the bondage of actions.
In this verse the Lord speaks to encourage people to take up His teaching.
But know that those who, devoid of all knowledge, devoid of proper consciousness, and hostile to this teaching, do not follow it, are lost.
In this verse the Lord speaks of the bad effects of doing the opposite.
Even the man of knowledge acts according to his nature. All living entities act according to their natures. What can instructions of karma and jñāna do for the most fallen?
“Would they not be afraid of not following Your instructions, the instructions of the Supreme Lord, or the instructions of a king?”
“No, they are not afraid.”
“Those who engage their senses for enjoyment, even if they are intelligent, cannot consider the orders of the king, the Supreme Lord. This is because of their nature.” The Lord explains this in this verse.
If the person of knowledge engages in sin, he will receive hellish punishment, just as a king punishes. And he will also bear infamy. Still, even the person of discrimination performs actions which yield a burden of suffering, following his previous sinful habits.
Therefore all follow after their natures. The instructions of scripture (nigrahaḥ) made by Me or the king, in the form of niṣkāma-karma-yoga, are able to purify and enlighten the impure hearted, and in the form of jñāna-yoga, are able to purify and enlighten the pure hearted. But neither can purify the extremely impure (nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati).
However, bhakti-yoga arising from My unpredictable mercy can deliver even those most sinful persons. As the Skanda Purāṇa says:
aho dhanyo ’si devarṣe kṛpayā yasya te kṣaṇāt
nīco ’py utpulako lebhe lubdhako ratim ucyate
My dear friend Nārada Muni, you are glorified as the sage among the demigods. By your mercy, even a lowborn person like this hunter immediately became ecstatic. This is called bhāva or rati.
Attachment and repulsion are firmly fixed in each of the sense objects. One should not come under control of attachment and repulsion. They are the two obstacles.
Since the rules and restrictions of scripture do not have effect upon those of evil nature, one should limit the senses, if one is not under the influence of sinful nature arising from past sinful habits. That is described in this verse.
The word indriya is repeated to indicate each of the sense objects of each of the senses. Attachment (rāga) for what is forbidden by scripture, such as giving gifts to other’s wives, or seeing or touching their bodies; or repulsion (dveṣa) for what is prescribed by scripture, such as distributing gifts to, serving, seeing and touching the guru, the brāhmaṇa, the holy places and visitors, are firmly fixed (viśeṣena avasthitau) in all the sense objects (form, smell, taste, touch and sound). One should not be under the control (vaśam) of attachment and repulsion.
Another meaning is this. Attachment means seeing a woman (object of the eye) and hatred for those that obstruct that enjoyment. Therefore, the mind is attracted to what helps one attain one’s goals. The mind is attracted to tasty, tender rice as it is favorable for one’s goals, and the mind has dislike of tasteless hard rice, as it is against one’s goals. One has attachment to hearing and seeing one’s own sons, but dislikes seeing or hearing the sons of one’s enemies. One should not fall under the control of such attachment and repulsion.
It is better to perform ones own duties even if in a faulty way, than to perform others’ duties albeit very well. Destruction in the course one’s duties is beneficial. Performing others’ duties is full of danger.
In this verse the Lord answers those who desire to perform the duties of others such as non-violence, because it is easy to execute and also not independent of dharma, and because of inability to fight the battle due to attachment and repulsion.
One should boldly perform one’s duties, even though they may have some slight fault. This is better than performing others’ duties even if those duties are executed well and are full of good qualities. The reason is given. Destruction in the course of performing one’s duties is better. Performing others’ duties is dangerous. The Seventh Canto of Bhāgavatam speaks of performing others’ duties, para dharma, as irreligion:
vidharmaḥ para-dharmaś ca ābhāsa upamā chalaḥ
adharma-śākhāḥ pañcemā dharma-jño ’dharmavat tyajet
There are five branches of irreligion, appropriately known as irreligion, religious principles for which one is unfit, pretentious religion, analogical religion and cheating religion. One who is aware of real religious life must abandon these five as irreligious. SB 7.15.12
Arjuna said: O descendent of the Vṛṣṇis, by what does man engage in sin, though unwilling, as if by force?
Referring to verse 34 about rāga and dveṣa, in this verse Arjuna asks about the attachment to the objects of the senses such as enjoyment with others’ wives, even though it is forbidden by scripture.
Though without desire to engage in sin because of knowledge of the rules and prohibitions of the scriptures (anicchan), by what influence (kena prayuktaḥ) does one engage in the act as if by force? This means that the desire for the object strongly arises under the influence of the object’s stimuli.
The Lord said: It is lust and then anger, arising from the mode of passion. Know this as the great devourer, the great ferocious one, the enemy.
Lust, composed of the desire for the sense objects, impels a man to sin. A man, being urged by lust, engages in sin. This lust, appearing in a different form, becomes visible as anger. This means that lust, being obstructed by someone, transforms into anger. Lust arises from the mode of passion, and from lust in mode of passion arises anger in the mode of ignorance.
“But after the fulfillment of desire, the desire should be finished.”
“No, this lust is a great devourer. It is impossible to satisfy the expectations of desire.”
As the smṛti says,
yat pṛthivyāṁ vrīhi-yavaṁ hiraṇyaṁ paśavaḥ striyaḥ
nālam ekasya tat sarvam iti matvā śamaṁ vrajet
Understanding that all that is available on earth in the form of food, gold, animals and women is not enough for one person, one should go about with peaceful mind. Mahābhārata, Anuśāśana Parvā, Ch.13
“If it is not possible to make an alliance with lust by giving (dāna), then is it possible to bring under control by sāma and bheda?”
As fire is covered by smoke, the mirror by dust, or embryo by the womb, so the universe is covered by lust.
Lust is not just an enemy for some, but an enemy for all. This is explained with examples. The examples illustrate various degrees of lust: shallow, deep and very deep. The fire, though covered by smoke, still performs its function of burning. Because of the disappearance of its natural clarity, the mirror covered by dust does not carry out its function of reflecting images properly, though it is known as a mirror by its form (in spite of the dust covering it). The fetus covered by the womb cannot perform its functions of stretching its hands and feet. Its true form cannot be understood within that covering. When lust is shallow, it is possible to remember the spiritual goals. When lust is deep, it is not possible. When it is very deep, one becomes unconscious.
In this way, the universe (idam) is covered by lust.
The knowledge of the knower is covered by this eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is like an unsatisfied fire.
This verse explains that lust is indeed ignorance of the jīva, for it covers the knowledge of the jīva. The phrase “eternal enemy” indicates that lust must by all means be killed. By this ignorance in the form of lust, compared to an unsatisfied fire, knowledge is covered. Ca means like in this sentence. It is said:
na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām upabhogena śāṁyati
haviṣā kṛṣṇa-vartmeva bhūya evābhivardhate
As supplying butter to a fire does not diminish the fire but instead increases it more and more, the endeavor to stop lusty desires by continual enjoyment can never be successful. SB 9.19.14
The senses, mind and intelligence are the seats of this lust. By these, lust, covering the knowledge of the soul, bewilders the soul.
Where is this lust situated? This verse explains. The great fortresses and cities of this enemy lust (adhiṣṭhānam) are the senses, mind and intelligence. And the sense objects starting with sound are the provinces ruled by the king called lust. Lust bewilders the jīva (dehinam), by covering knowledge, using the senses, mind and intelligence.
Therefore, as a first step, by controlling the senses, O best of the Bharata lineage, kill this demon, which destroys knowledge and intelligence.
The rule is that, by conquering the shelters of enemy, the enemy can be conquered. The shelters of lust are the senses, the mind and intelligence, which are respectively increasing difficult to conquer. The senses may be difficult to control, but they are easier to conquer than the other items. Therefore, first the senses should be conquered; you should control the senses. Though the uncontrollable mind wants to steal others’ wives or properties, one should not engage the senses, by carefully considering the situation of the functioning of the senses such as eyes, ear, hands or feet. Kill this ferocious lust (pāpmānam). This means that by restricting the senses, after some time the mind will become freed of lust.
It is said that the senses are supreme. But superior to the senses is the mind. Superior to the mind is the intelligence. What is superior to the intelligence is the soul.
One should not try to conquer over the mind and intelligence first, because of the impossibility. That is conveyed in this verse.
The senses are considered superior, for they cannot be conquered even by warriors who conquer the ten directions. But the mind is superior to the senses as it is even stronger, not being destroyed during dreams when the senses do not function. But compared to the mind, the intelligence, with the form of vijñāna, is stronger. During deep sleep, even the mind does not function, but the intelligence remains undestroyed, being present in general form. But compared to the intelligence, that which is superior in strength, because it exists in you even when intelligence is destroyed by the practice of jñāna, is the famous jivātmā, which is the conqueror of lust. After conquering the senses, mind and intelligence, the jīvātmā, which is the most powerful than all of them, can conquer lust. It is thus understood that is not an impossible task to conquer lust.
Thus, understanding that the soul is superior to the intelligence, being established in the self by the self, destroy the enemy in the form of lust, which is difficult to conquer.
This verse concludes the topic. Understanding that the jivātmā is superior to the intelligence, understanding that it is separate from all coverings, destroy the unconquerable lust by being firms in the self by the self.
This chapter chiefly speaks of niṣkāma-karma as a sādhana, and also speaks of jñāna, its goal, in a secondary way.
This is the commentary on the third chapter of the Gītā, for the joy of the devotees’ minds, following the line of the ācāryas.
In the third chapter, action offered to the Lord without personal desire is described. The discrimination necessary for a person desiring to conquer over lust and anger is shown.
Having accepted the superiority of bhakti which is transcendental to the guṇas, over jñāna-yoga and niṣkāma-karma-yoga in previous statements, now, manifesting his own eagerness (for knowledge), Arjuna in a friendly manner censures the Lord who is encouraging him to fight according to his dharma.
“If fixed intelligence (buddhi), bhakti, transcending the guṇas, is superior (jyāyasī), then why do You engage me in this terrible action in the form of war? O Janārdana, by Your order You are causing pain (ardana) to Your own associate (jana). It is also not possible to avoid following Your order, O Keśava, controller of even Brahmā and Śiva!” Ka means Brahmā, īśa means Śiva, and va means vayase, “You control.”