Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 43 (3.43)
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 43 (3.43)
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना । जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् | | ३-४३ | |
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā saṁstabhyātmānamātmanā jahi śhatruṁ mahābāho kāmarūpaṁ durāsadam
Word-by-word guide:
Line 1:
- एवम्
(evam)— आत्मा(knowing the Self to be beyond the intellect) - उए
(buddheh)— आत्मा(knowing the Self to be beyond the intellect) - परम्
(param)— आत्मा(knowing the Self to be beyond the intellect) - बुद्ध्वा
(buddhva)— आत्मा(knowing the Self to be beyond the intellect) - सतय
(samstabhya)— आत्मा(steadying the self by the Self) - आत्मानम्
(atmanam)— आत्मा(steadying the self by the Self) - आत्मना
(atmana)— आत्मा(steadying the self by the Self)
Line 2:
- जहि
(jahi)— शत्रु(destroy the enemy) - शउ
(shatrum)— शत्रु(destroy the enemy) - महाबाहो
(maha-baho)— हे महाबाहु(mighty-armed one) - कम-उप
(kama-rupam)— कामना(in the form of desire) - उरसद
(durasadam)— उरसद(difficult to conquer)
English: Thus, Arjuna, knowing Him to be beyond the intellect and, by His help, subduing your personal egotism, kill yours enemy, Desire, extremely difficult though it be.
Learnings from Shloka 43:
- Arjuna asks a practical question:: Why do people do wrong even when they know better? This is the problem of inner conflict.
- Desire is the hidden enemy:: Krishna says desire, born from restless passion, can turn into anger and push a person away from wisdom.
- Desire covers knowledge:: Just as smoke covers fire or dust covers a mirror, uncontrolled desire covers clear thinking.
- The senses are the entry point:: Desire works through the senses, then disturbs the mind, and finally weakens the intellect.
- Control begins early:: Krishna tells Arjuna to first regulate the senses before desire becomes stronger.
- There is an inner hierarchy:: The senses are powerful, the mind is higher than the senses, the intellect is higher than the mind, and the Self is higher than the intellect.
- Use the higher to guide the lower:: The intellect must guide the mind, the mind must guide the senses, and the Self must remain the highest reference point.
- Victory is internal first:: Before Arjuna can act rightly outside, he must learn to defeat desire within.
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Arjuna asks a question everyone faces: why do we sometimes do the wrong thing even when we know better? Krishna's answer is desire. Desire first enters through the senses, then disturbs the mind, then weakens the intellect. Once the intellect is covered, a person can justify almost anything.
Krishna gives the order of control: guide the senses with the mind, guide the mind with the intellect, and let the Self stand higher than the intellect. This is why self-control should begin early. If we wait until desire becomes strong, it becomes much harder to defeat.