Ramanuja's Gita Bhashyam - Chapter 3 - Sloka 42

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Adidevananda's translation of Ramanuja Gita Bhashya, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The origin of sin - 36-43

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yoga - Sloka 42

Indriyani parani ahuh indriyebhyah param manah I

Manasah tu para buddhih yah buddheh paratah tu sah II sloka 42

इन्द्रियाणि पराणि आहुः इन्द्रियेभ्यः परम् मनः ।

मनसः तु परा बुद्धिः यः बुद्धेः परतः तु सः ।। श्लोक ४२ 

The senses are high they say; the mind is higher than the senses; the intellect is higher than the mind; but what is greater than the intellect is that desire.

The senses are called the important obstacles of knowledge, because when the senses keep operating on their objects, the knowledge of the self cannot arise. "The mind is higher than the senses" : even if the senses are withdrawn, if the manas (mind) ruminates over the sense objects, knowledge of the self cannot be had; "the intellect(buddhi)  is higher than the mind" ie., even if the mind is indifferent to sense objects, a perverted decision  by the intellect can obstruct the dawn of knowledge of the self. But even when all of them upto the intellect are quietened from their activity, if desire, originating from Rajas is operating, it obstructs the knowledge of the self by inducing the senses to operate in their fields. Thus it is said here, " but what is greater than the intellect is that desire" - such is the sense of the last sentence here.