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एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना। जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम्।।3.43।।

evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 3, Verse 43
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: knowing this hierarchy, one should steady the self by the self and slay the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer, the chapter's closing instruction.

In life: this is a genuine, ongoing fight, not a one-time decision, desire doesn't get permanently defeated, it gets managed again and again.

Teaching: treat this as a practice you return to regularly, not a battle you win once. Expect to have to steady yourself against the same pull more than once.

evamthus
buddheḥthan the intellect
paramsuperior
buddhvāknowing
sanstabhyasubdue
ātmānamthe lower self (senses, mind, and intellect)
ātmanāby higher self (soul)
jahikill
śhatrumthe enemy
mahā-bāhomighty-armed one
kāma-rūpamin the form of desire
durāsadamformidable

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
3.43 एवम् thus? बुद्धेः than the intellect? परम् superior? बुद्ध्वा having known? संस्तभ्य restraining? आत्मानम् the self? आत्मना by the Self? जहि slay thou? शत्रुम् the enemy? महाबाहो O mightyarmed? कामरूपम् of the form of desire? दुरासदम् hard to coner.Commentary Restrain the lower self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind. It is difficult to coner 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 coner it ite easily. Desire is the ality of Rajas. If you increase the Sattvic ality in you? you can coner desire. Rajas cannot stand before Sattva.Even though desire is hard to coner? it is not impossible. The simple and direct method is to appeal to the Indwelling Presence (God) through prayer and Japa.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 entitledThe Yoga of Action.