Arjuna asked “Then by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?”
· This Kāma (desire), this Krodha (wrath) borne of Rajah Guņa (mode of passion) is all devouring and greatly sinful. Know this as your greatest enemy.
· As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, similarly by that (Kāma/Krodha), this (ātmā) is covered.
· Jñāna is covered by this (Kāma/Krodha). The eternal enemy of Jñāni, in the form of Kāma, which is an insatiable fire.
· The
· senses (indriyāni),
· mind (manah) and
· intelligence (buddhih)
· are said to be the residing places of Kāma.
· By all these, (Kāma) bewilders and envelops Jñāna of the dehinam (embodied ātmā).
· Therefore from the beginning itself, you curb the sinful Kāma by regulating the senses. Certainly this is the destroyer of Jñāna and Vijñāna.
· The indriyāni (senses) are said to be superior (to the gross body),
· the manah is superior to the senses,
· the buddhi is still superior to the manah,
· and HE (the Self - ātmānah) is even superior to the buddhi.
· Thus
· knowing (which is) superior to buddhi,
· establishing in the ātmānam (the Self) through the ātmanā (the mind),
· win over the formidable enemy in the form of Kāma.
