Bhagavad Gita - Daily - II CHAPTER 3-41 II

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Gita 3-41

Tasmaattvamindriyaanyaadua niyamya bharatarsabha

paapmaanam prajahihyenam jnaanavigyaananaashanam

Therefore, O best of Bharatas (Arjuna), first and the foremost bring the senses under control, then without any doubt, with full force, kill desire the most sinful destroyer of wisdom and realization. 41

Comment: —

`Tasmaattvamindriyaanyaadua niyamya bharatarsabha— Senses, are said to be in control when they are restrained from engaging in sense-enjoyments, and are instead engaged in activity only with the objective of sustaining the body or in attaining spiritual goal. It means, that let the senses neither be engaged out of inclination due to attraction to agreeable actions (Gîtâ 18/10) nor out of disinclination due to aversion to disagreeable actions. Actions performed with likes and dislikes, strengthen attachment and aversion and these unwillingly drive a man to ruin. Therefore, let the scriptures be the authority for determining what should be done and what should not be done (Gîtâ 16/24).Thus, by following scriptural injunction, pertaining to the performance of prescribed actions, and non-performance of forbidden actions senses are controlled.

To kill "desire: first and the foremost the senses must be regulated. This has been emphasized because so long as a man remains under the sway of his senses, till then he cannot have an eye on the goal of life, on divinity, on essense. And without having an eye on the goal of life (tattva, essence) i.e., without attaining it, desire cannot be totally wiped out. So, first the Lord urges to control the senses in order to kill desire.

First, the senses get entangled in their objects. therefore first and the foremost he gets trapped under the sway of the senses, by which desire for those objects is born. When a man performs actions with desire, he comes under the full sway of senses and has a downfall. But, he who performs his duty by controlling the senses, without expecting any fruit, quickly attains salvation.

`enam jnaanavigyaananaashanam'—The term `Jnaana' also stands for the knowledge of the scriptures (Gîtâ 18/42). But in this context the term, stands for discrimination (what should be done and what should not be done). The term, `vijnaan' stands for Self-realization.

Discrimination and Self-realization—both are axiomatic. All have not realized the self, but discrimination has been bestowed upon all of them. The term `Anicchannapi', used by Arjuna, in the thirty-sixth verse of this chapter, also proves that every human being possesses this faculty of discrimination. It is by discrimination that he knows, what is virtue and what is vice (sin). So, it is by discrimination that he does not want to commit a sin. But when discrimination is veiled by desire, this desire does not let the discrimination be awakened. When veiled he commits sin without thinking of the consequences. When discrimination is aroused, he performs actions, having thought of the consequences.

In this manner this discrimination that all experience, when it is veiled by desires, and does not let discrimination be awakened, then how can that which all have not experienced, that knowledge of divinity (tattva gyaan) how will it ever be awakened or revealed? So it has been called, the sinful destroyer. In fact it does not destroy them, but it hides them. In other words, it does not allow it to manifest. This `Veiling' has been called destroying, here Discrimination and Self-realization, are never destroyed, while desire is destroyed. If clouds appear before the eyes, it is said that the clouds have hidden the sun. But in fact the sun is not hidden, rather it is the eyes that are covered. Similarly, when it is said that desire has veiled discrimination and Self-realization, it means that these are not veiled, but it is the intellect that is concealed.

`paapmaanam prajahihyenam'—Desire, is the root of all sins. Having veiled discrimination, it makes a man blind. So he cannot recognize the distinction between virtues and sins, and thus indulges in sins, which lead him to ruin. So the Lord orders to slay desire by declaring it sinful.

Householder life in not good, let me become an ascetic, let me go to a solitary (secluded) place, by doing so a man desires to change his activity but he does not renounce desire; he does not even think of renouncing it. If desires are renounced, everything will be set right automatically. When a man dies with many unfulfilled desires, these lead him to the next birth. It means, that desires lead him to the bondage of birth and death. Thus, desires do nothing, except bind him.

When a man is attracted towards worldly objects, desire is born. This desire veils discrimination and he indulges in sense-pleasure. The pleasure of birds and beasts is confined to the joy born of the contact of senses with objects. But a man desires objects and money and indulges in hoarding these. He adopts foul means such as falsehood, fraud, stealing and and robbery etc. for hoarding. Moreover, he becomes proud of himself. This pride is a demoniac trait. Thus, he is totally damned. Therefore the Lord orders Arjuna, to slay sinful desire.

From "The Bhagavadgita - Sadhak Sanjivani" in English by Swami Ramsukhdasji

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Gita 3-41

 

tasmat twam indriyani adau, niyamya bharatarsabha

 

papmanam prajahi hy enam, jnanavijnanasanam

 

" Therefore, O best of Bharatas (Arjuna), first and the foremost control the

senses, then with your strength, without any doubt, kill this most sinful

" kaama " desires, the destroyer of wisdom and realization. "

 

Comment

 

" The world does not have an independent existence - this is Jnana (Knowledge).

Everything is only God – this is Vigyaana (Realization). " Kaama " (desires,

insistence that things should happen according to my liking or not happen

according to my disliking) does not let the spiritual aspirant attain Jnana and

Vigyaana. "

 

From " Gita Prabodhani " in Hindi by Swami Ramsukhdasji

 

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Chapter 3, Verse 41 is as follows;

 

Tasmat = therefore

Tvam = you

IndriyaaNi = the senses

Aadau = in the beginning

Niyamya = having controlled

Bharat – Rishabha = O best of the Bharatas!

Paapmaanam = the sinful

Prajahi = kill

Hi = surely / indeed

Enam = this

Dnyaana = knowledge (of the Self)

Vidnyaana = wisdom / special knowledge of all the things in the Mother Nature

Naashanam = the destroyer

 

English translation:-

 

Therefore, O eminent of the Bharatas, " First of all by mastering the senses,

Slay the sinful, the destroyer of knowledge and wisdom. "

 

Comment:

 

In this verse `Shaastra – Pracheetee' i.e. realisation of the knowledge in the

scriptures and `Guru – Pracheetee' i.e. realisation of the teachings imparted by

preceptor is termed as `Dnyaana'; while `Aatma – Pracheetee' i.e.

Self-realisation is termed as `Vi – Dnyaana'.

 

However, otherwise `Dnyaana' is considered to be the knowledge of the Self and

all associated relevant information acquired from the scriptures and preceptors;

whereas, `Vi-Dnyaana' or `ViShesha Dnyaana' is related to the special and

detailed knowledge of any subject along with the personal experience or

`Anubhava' of the things taught by individual respective `Gurus' i.e. teachers.

`Dnyaana' relates to `Aatma - Swarupa' or the nature of the Self either in

" NirguNa Niraakaara' i.e. formless and devoid of any qualities of the Aatman or

" SaguNa Saakaara " i.e. finite form and shape with divine qualities of say Lord

Krishna; while `Vi - Dnyaana' is related to `Aatma - Viveka' or discriminatory

knowledge of the various living and non-living things found in the Mother

Nature.

`Dnyaana' corresponds to `PuruSha' or the source of the Infinite Energy whereas

`Vi – Dnyaana' corresponds to `Prakruti' or the Mother Nature. For simplicity,

let us term `Dnyaana' as the spiritual wisdom and `Vi – Dnyaana' as the logical,

deductive knowledge related to physical matter wherein nothing is accepted

without repeatable, conclusive and irrefutable scientific evidence.

 

It reminds me of a famous saying in the Marathi language, " Baapa Daakhava Naahi

Tara Shraaddha Kara " i.e. either show us your father or otherwise perform the

annual religious rites for the departed father. In the domain of `Vi – Dnyaana'

either demonstrate or die is the only Mantra. On the contrary, in the domain of

`Dnyaana', the Self being beyond the description in words as well as beyond the

description in any one of the five senses known to us; it is impossible to

demonstrate the presence or absence of the Self. Therefore the only methodology

to know that is via `Swaadhyaaya' i.e. self study of the scriptures and

`Vairaagya' i.e. renunciation of all kinds of desires. Please refer verses 35

and 36 in Chapter 6 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta as endorsement of this premise.

When a fort protecting enemy is suddenly taken over by a rapid action team /

force, the position of the enemy becomes weak and vulnerable and then it is easy

to subdue him. Lay hold of the senses, the mind and the intellect using them for

the divine causes and the desire is thereby automatically subdued. The conqueror

of desire is indeed a noteworthy Saadhaka. Lord Shiva's burning of the Cupid to

ashes is a mythological exposition of the conquest of desire.

" What is Maya? It is none other than the desire that obstructs the spiritual

growth of an aspirant. " …… Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.

In this verse, Lord Krishna calls Arjuna as `Bharata – Rishabha' which in

Sanskrit language means `Bull among the family having lineage to King Bharata'.

In our cultural ethos, a cow and a bull are considered to be sacred animals as

they perform immense service to mankind with the principle of " Maximum work with

minimum profit " . On the contrary, a modern successful man considers the sole

motive of his life to be `Minimum work and maximum profit. " As Arjuna had an

impeccable record of sacrifice and service to his countrymen, he deserved the

title accorded by Lord Krishna.

 

Lord Krishna advices Arjuna to control the senses first and later on control the

emotions and thoughts. As the senses are at the gross level it is rather easy to

control them. The mind being more subtle than the senses it is the next target

to be controlled. The intellect being more subtle than the mind becomes the next

target to be controlled. Uncontrolled senses agitate the mind and when mind is

agitated the intellect ceases to function rationally. Loss of intellect places

the deluded person in such dire straits that the self destruction is the only

option left open to him.

 

Desire is considered to be sinful as it creates mental agitations and ruins the

peace of mind and destroys whatever theoretical knowledge and practical wisdom

that one has acquired so far. Desire in its grossest manifestation tends to

orient our lives towards lower devolutionary lives. Even in the `Saattvic' mode,

just as the smoke covers the fire; desire does not allow the full dawn of the

Infinite, which is the Self within us. Therefore, desire in all its permutations

and combinations, ultimately drives every deluded person to sinful activities.

 

In his impeccable style Lord Krishna declares to Arjuna a truth only after he

has exhausted all the logical arguments, " Therefore, O Arjuna, restrain the

senses first, so that you may finally throw overboard the inner enemy `desire'

residing in the abodes of the senses, the mind and the intellect. "

 

Later on in the verse 3 of Chapter 15 in Shreemad Bhagawad Geeta, Lord Krishna

advises Arjuna, " Ashwatham Enam Suvirudha Moolam Asanga Shastren Drudhena

Chhittvaa " i.e. raze your involvement in this world by cutting down the firmly

rooted Ashvatha giant fig tree with the strong axe of non-attachment to any kind

of desires.

 

Thanks & Best Regards,

 

Shrikant Joshi.

 

====================================

 

To learn more -

please visit Hindi website: www.swamiramsukhdasji.org

please visit English website: www.swamiramsukhdasji.net