Devanagari
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥ ४३ ॥
Verse text
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā
saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā
jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho
kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam
Synonyms
evam
—
thus
;
buddheḥ
—
to intelligence
;
param
—
superior
;
buddhvā
—
knowing
;
saṁstabhya
—
by steadying
;
ātmānam
—
the mind
;
ātmanā
—
by deliberate intelligence
;
jahi
—
conquer
;
śatrum
—
the enemy
;
mahā-bāho
—
O mighty-armed one
;
kāma-rūpam
—
in the form of lust
;
durāsadam
—
formidable.
Translation
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
43. Thus, understanding that the soul is superior to the intelligence, being established in the self by the self, destroy the enemy in the form of lust, which is difficult to conquer.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
43. Thus, understanding that the soul is distinct from the intelligence, fixing the mind in the soul by the fixed intelligence, destroy the enemy in the form of lust, which difficult to conquer. O Mighty-armed Arjuna. .
Purport
This Third Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is conclusively directive to Kṛṣṇa consciousness by knowing oneself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without considering impersonal voidness the ultimate end. In the material existence of life, one is certainly influenced by propensities for lust and desire for dominating the resources of material nature. Desire for overlording and for sense gratification is the greatest enemy of the conditioned soul; but by the strength of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can control the material senses, the mind and the intelligence. One may not give up work and prescribed duties all of a sudden; but by gradually developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can be situated in a transcendental position without being influenced by the material senses and the mind – by steady intelligence directed toward one’s pure identity. This is the sum total of this chapter. In the immature stage of material existence, philosophical speculations and artificial attempts to control the senses by the so-called practice of yogic postures can never help a man toward spiritual life. He must be trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by higher intelligence.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Third Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of Karma-yoga, or the Discharge of One’s Prescribed Duty in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
This verse concludes the topic. Understanding that the jivātmā is superior to the intelligence, understanding that it is separate from all coverings, destroy the unconquerable lust by being firms in the self by the self. [Note: Baladeva, Rāmānuja, Madhva and Śrīdhara all take the verse as “fixing the mind by the intelligence.” The justification for Viśvanātha’s version (Śaṅkāra holds the same view) could be that the self is the strongest, and therefore should be established in its position first. But that can only be done by itself, not by something inferior. When the soul is firm, then it controls senses, mind, intelligence and lust..]
This chapter chiefly speaks of niṣkāma-karma as a sādhana, and also speaks of jṣāna, its goal, in a secondary way. [Note: This refers to the verses starting from verse 39.]
This is the commentary on the third chapter of the Gītā, for the joy of the devotees’ minds, following the line of the ācāryas.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
By My teaching (evam), realizing (buddhvā) that ātmā, possessing condensed bliss and knowledge, which is distinct from and superior to the intelligence (buddheḥ param), because it sets in motion all material things such as the body, making the mind (ātmānam) fixed in that ātmā of bliss and knowledge by such discerning intelligence (ātmanā), destroy the enemy in the form of lust, even though it is difficult to conquer (durāsadam). You are mighty-armed to conquer physically. Now you should conquer lust, O mighty-armed Arjuna.
The third chapter explains that one should principally practice niṣkāma karma yoga, and secondarily, jṣāna yoga which arises from it, for gaining a vision of the ātmā.
Chapter 4
Surrender Unto Me
The way these four sections had fit together:
First we heard Arjuna's question about renunciation and work; and then in the 2nd Section, "Niskama karma",we got Krsna's reply that one should work with the spirit of renunciation; then Krsna explained in Section C, the Vedic system that through surrender to the Vedas and Vedic cultur becomes elevated from karma‑kanda to karma‑yoga by performing the prescribed system of sacrifice; and then on the niskama karma‑yoga level one doesn't have any material desires, one is detached, one is in the mode of goodness. And then, should one still do his prescribed duties when one is unattached to the fruits of his work? And the answer was in the Section D ‑ "Yes! You should do your duties! And why?
To set the correct example! Therefore My dear Arjuna whether you have material desires or you don't have material desires, you should fight!" Then Arjuna in the final Section asked a very intelligent question to which Krsna answered: "one may have knowledge but beware because at any stage your knowledge can be covered and you will be forced to act against your prescribed duties and do what you shouldn't do ‑ that is LUST! Beware of it!
And where is lust born from? It is born of PASSION." The mode of passion is doubled dangerous and even more dangerous than the mode of ignorance and if one accept the mode of passion it will degrade one to the mode of ignorance. Krsna's conclusion is to control the senses, mind and intelligence by getting intelligence trained by regulating the senses and getting one's intelligence trained and fixed up in Krsna consciousness.
Krsna has explained in this Chapter, the importance of transcendental knowledge because that is what elevates one from the platform of sakama to niskama, therefore the next Chapter is dedicated to explain transcendental knowledge ‑ the essential ingredient that changes one's consciousness from passion to goodness, from bewilderement to illumination.
QUESTIONS: Sakama karma‑yoga is part of "sambhanda‑jnana", relation with the Supreme; so does this sakama karma‑yoga entails relationship with Krsna or be established in the Absolute platform?
Answer: It depends on one's consciousness. One can perform this, desiring to merge with Brahman and be situated on the Absolute platform (that could be one's goal) or if one is fortunate by good association, he can practice bhakti‑yoga to attain the lotus feet of Krsna. He becomes a bhakti‑yogi or karma‑yogi; the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
The demigods are examples of sakama bhaktas because they have material desires. They work for Krsna give the fruits of their work to Him, but they have material desires.
Question: What is the difference between sakama karma and karma‑kanda?
Answer: In karma‑kanda the desire is just for the fruit of the work and there is no transcendental objective. Sakama karma‑yoga means that one desires the fruit of his work because he is in passion, yet he accepts that Krsna is the ultimate goal of life. The example of this would be someone who is living outside of temple, he lives with his family, he has a job, he is making a lot of many and he is giving part to Krsna. This person is attached to his work and its fruits and it is a mista make him move to a temple because he may later because upset or bitter because his knowledge was not situated on the right platform to actually be detached.
And the paralel with that, the karma‑kandi would be someone who is just working, doing his prescribed duties. He just works and uses all the fruits of his labor for his sense gratification.
(END OF NOTES ON CHAPTER THREE)