तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ।
पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम्।।3.41।।
3.41 Therefore, O scion of the Bharata dynasty, after first controlling the organs, renounce this one [A variant reading is, prajahi hi-enam, completely renounce this one.-Tr.] which is sinful and a destroyer of learning and wisdom.
3.41 Therefore, O best of the Bharatas (Arjuna), controlling the senses first, do thou kill this sinful thing, the destroyer of knowledge and realisation.
3.41. Therefore, O best among the Bharatas, by controlling completely the sense-organs in the beginning [itself], you must avoid this sinful one, destroying the knowledge-action.
3.41 तस्मात् therefore? त्वम् you? इन्द्रियाणि the senses? आदौ in the beginning? नियम्य having controlled? भरतर्षभ O best of the Bharatas? पाप्मानम् the sinful? प्रजहि kill? हि surely? एनम् this? ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् the destroyer of knowledge and realisation (wisdom).Commentary Jnana is knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures. This is indirect knowledge or Paroksha Jnana. Vijnana is direct knowledge or personal experience or Anubhava through Selfrealisation or Aparoksha Jnana. Control the senses first and then kill desire.
3.41 Since this is so, therefore, O scion of the Bharata dynasty, adau niyamya, after first controlling; indriyani, the organs; prajahihi, renounce; enam, this one, the enemy under consideration; which is papmanam, sinful-which is desire that is accustomed to sinning; and jnana-vijnana-nasanam, a destroyer of learning and wisdom, jnana, learning, means knowledge about the Self etc. from the scripures and a teacher. Vijnana, wisdom, means the full experience of that. Renounce, i.e. discard, from yourself the destroyer of those two-learning and wisdom, which are the means to the achievement Liberation. It has been said, After first controlling the organs, renounce desire the enemy. As to that, by taking the support of what should one give up desire? This is being answered:
3.41 Or the passage jnana-vijnana-nasana may be an adverb [modifying the verb must avoid] meaning by destroying it i.e., by keeping it off by means of knowledge (thought) i.e., by means of the mind and by means of superior knowledge (superior thought) i.e., by means of the intellect. The intention is this : One must not allow, in the fancy, [the wrath] risen in the sense-organs, and must not make any resolve about [the foe], fancied. The logic in this regard (in the above means) [ the Lords ] explains in a couple of verses:
3.41 For whatever reason a person engaged in Jnana Yoga, which is of the nature of abandoning the activities of all the senses, should control this enemy in the shape of desire which turns him away from the self through creating infatuation for objects of the senses - for the same reason, you, who are yoked to the activities of the senses by reason of being in conjunction with the Prakrti, should, in the beginning itself, i.e., at the very beginning of the practice of the means for release, control the senses by the practice of Karma Yoga, which provides for the regulation of the working of the senses. And then you must destroy, i.e., slay this sinful enemy, which is in the shape of desire and which destroys knowledge and discrimination, i.e., knowledge relating to the nature of the self and of the discriminative power, which is the means to gain this knowledge. Sri Krsna speaks of that which is most important among the adversaries:
The rule is that, by conquering the shelters of enemy, the enemy can be conquered. The shelters of lust are the senses, the mind and intelligence, which are respectively increasing difficult to conquer. The senses may be difficult to control, but they are easier to conquer than the other items. Therefore, first the senses should be conquered. Therefore, you should control the senses. Though the uncontrollable mind wants to steal others’ wives or properties, one should not engage the senses, by carefully considering the situation of the functioning of the senses such as eyes, ear, hands or feet. Kill this ferocious lust (papmanam). This means that by restricting the senses, after some time the mind will become freed of lust.
Now Lord Krishna gives the antidote to avoid being controlled by kama or lust. For the novice practitioner the advice is to immediately by strength of mind control the sense in the very beginning before being deluded. For one more advanced knowledge of Vedic scriptures can assist one in evading being controlled by kama. For one even more advanced knowledge of the atma or soul and ones true position can protect one from the ravages of kama. Or it can also denote accepting a spiritual master who is transcendant to kama and receiving relevant instructions to fortify oneself or by means of meditation on the Supreme Lord. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanisad IV.IV.XXI it states: The intelligent aspirants understanding should achieve intuitive knowledge.
By controlling the stations where kama or lust resides it can be eradicated but Lord Krishna is giving special instructions that kama must be restrained within the senses at the very beginning well before they are able to make contact with the objects of the senses. Now begins the summation. The Supreme Lord Krishna is the maintainer and energiser of everything in creation. His authorised avatars and expansions are His parts and parcels. All other Gods without any exception are mere subsidiaries of His expansions and these other gods descend downwards from Brahma. Demons and asuras or those possessing no inner light are continuously being degraded by kama and mixed with their arrogance arouse great evil. The demoniac are the most deluded and degraded of all living beings. The least influenced by kama like smoke covering fire are the noble and righteous beings. The next more influenced by kama like dust covering a mirror are those of mixed natures sometimes aware of their actions and sometimes not. The most influenced by kama like an embryo imprisoned in the womb are the are demonic who are great evil doers. Like Agni or fire kama is also all devouring that is why it called analena or fire. Therefore kama residing in the senses it can be restrained and destroyed only by the weapon of Vedic wisdom. Kama envelopes the mind and intellect prior to atma tattva or soul realisation; but even after atma tattva is achieved it has been seen that kama is so powerful that it is able to exert its influence as kama is never satiated and thus vigilance is still required before moksa or complete release from the material existence has been attained.
One who is interested in qualifying for jnana yoga or the cultivation of Vedic knowledge must restrain the natural out going tendency of the five senses from pursuing sense objects. But the mighty enemy kama or lust covertly causes dissent in the enquiring of atma tattva or realisation of the soul and contrarily causes enthusiasm for procuring the delights of the senses. One understanding that the senses operate in their own natural sphere within the physical body, directs them to perform the appropriate occupational duties according to ones rank and station in life in karma yoga or the performance of prescribed Vedic activities and thus the senses are constrained. Lord Krishna thus gives the key to vanquishing this great enemy known as kama which is so terrible and which destroys both jnana or spiritual knowledge and vijnana or spiritual wisdom.
One who is interested in qualifying for jnana yoga or the cultivation of Vedic knowledge must restrain the natural out going tendency of the five senses from pursuing sense objects. But the mighty enemy kama or lust covertly causes dissent in the enquiring of atma tattva or realisation of the soul and contrarily causes enthusiasm for procuring the delights of the senses. One understanding that the senses operate in their own natural sphere within the physical body, directs them to perform the appropriate occupational duties according to ones rank and station in life in karma yoga or the performance of prescribed Vedic activities and thus the senses are constrained. Lord Krishna thus gives the key to vanquishing this great enemy known as kama which is so terrible and which destroys both jnana or spiritual knowledge and vijnana or spiritual wisdom.
Tasmaat twam indriyaanyaadau niyamya bharatarshabha; Paapmaanam prajahi hyenam jnaana vijnaana naashanam.
tasmāt—therefore; tvam—you; indriyāṇi—senses; ādau—in the very beginning; niyamya—having controlled; bharata-ṛiṣhabha—Arjun, the best of the Bharatas; pāpmānam—the sinful; prajahi—slay; hi—certainly; enam—this; jñāna—knowledge; vijñāna—realization; nāśhanam—the destroyer
