BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:41

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:41

 

tasmat tvam indriyany adau

niyamya bharatarsabha

papmanam prajahi hy enam

jnana- vijnana-nasanam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

tasmat--therefore; tvam--you; indriyani--senses; adau--in the

beginning; niyamya--by regulating; bharata-rsabha--O chief amongst the

descendants of Bharata; papmanam--the great symbol of sin;

prajahi--curb; hi--certainly; enam--this; jnana--of knowledge;

vijnana--and scientific knowledge of the pure soul; nasanam--the

destroyer.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb

this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay

this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.

 

PURPORT

 

The Lord advised Arjuna to regulate the senses from the very beginning

so that he could curb the greatest sinful enemy, lust, which destroys

the urge for self-realization and specific knowledge of the self.

Jnana refers to knowledge of self as distinguished from non-self, or

in other words, knowledge that the spirit soul is not the body.

Vijnana refers to specific knowledge of the spirit soul's

constitutional position and his relationship to the Supreme Soul. It

is explained thus in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.3 1):

 

jnanam parama-guhyam me

yad vijnana-samanvitam

sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca

grhana gaditam maya

 

"The knowledge of the self and Supreme Self is very confidential and

mysterious, but such knowledge and specific realization can be

understood if explained with their various aspects by the Lord

Himself." Bhagavad-gita gives us that general and specific knowledge

of the self. The living entities are parts and parcels of the Lord,

and therefore they are simply meant to serve the Lord. This

consciousness is called Krsna consciousness. So, from the very

beginning of life one has to learn this Krsna consciousness, and

thereby one may become fully Krsna conscious and act accordingly.

 

Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is

natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Krsna

consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot

deteriorate into lust. When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is

very difficult to return to the normal condition. Nonetheless, Krsna

consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a

lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional

service. So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding

its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Krsna

consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into

love of Godhead--the highest perfectional stage of human life.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.