What is the enemy of Wisdom?
Arjuna said:
36 O
descendant of Vṛṣṇi (Krishna) by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even
unwillingly, as if engaged by force?
The Blessed Lord
said:
37. It is desire, it is anger (anger is a modification of desire) born of the
quality of Rajas, which is the great sin that devours everything; know this is the foe in this world.
38. As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo
by the amnion, so is Atman enveloped by desire.
39. Thus, the
wisdom (man's pure
consciousness-Atman) is enveloped by this eternal enemy of the wise, the insatiable (never satisfied) fire of desire!
40. The senses, the manas (mind) and the buddhi (intellect-intelligence) are said to be its
seat; through these it deludes the embodied by veiling his wisdom (man's pure
consciousness -Atman).
41. Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, controlling the senses
first, do thou kill this sinful thing (desire), the destroyer of jnana* (indirect knowledge) and
Vijnana** (direct knowledge, Self-realisation)!
COMMENTARY:
jnana*: theoretical knowledge of Atman obtained by the study of sacred texts and the masters).
Vijnana**: knowledge of direct
experience of what one has been taught, Self-realization.
42. They say that the senses1 are superior to the body; superior to the senses
is the manas2 (mind);
superior to the mind is the buddhi3
(intellect- intelligence); and one who is
superior even to the buddhi is He—the
Self4 (pure consciousness, Atman).
COMMENTARY:
senses1: are superior to body
because the body functions and interacts with the world through the senses.
Without senses the body would be like dead.
manas2: the manas
(mind) is superior to senses because the manas controls, coordinates and directs
the senses.
buddhi3 : the buddhi (intellect- intelligence) is superior to manas
because it is intelligent, has the capacity to observe consciously, discern, judge,
reason, understand, and decide the action. It has the capacity to control the manas.
He—the Self4:
The Self or Atman is pure consciousness; Consciousness reflects on buddhi and makes
it sentient, intelligent and conscious.
43. Thus, knowing Him (Atman, consciousness) who is superior to the buddhi
and restraining (or control) the self by
the Self*, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of
desire, hard to conquer!
COMMENTARY:
the self by the Self*: self with small s’, means the lower self, what we consider as our self.
Self with capital S’, means the higher Self, the Atman or (Consciousness).
Restrain the lower
self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind. It is
difficult to conquer desire because it is of a highly complex and
incomprehensible nature. But a man of discrimination and dispassion, who does
constant and intense Sadhana, can conquer it quite easily.
Hari Om Tat Sat
Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the third discourse entitled:
“The Yoga of Action”