Ramanuja's Gita Bhashyam - Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga - sloka 41

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

The origin of sin - 36-43

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yaoga - Sloka 41

Tasmat tvam indriyani adau niyamya bharata rishabha I

Papmanam prajahi hi enam gyan vigyan nashanam II sloka 41

तस्मात त्वां इन्द्रियाणि आदौ नियम्य भारत ऋषभ ।

पाप्मानं प्रजहि हि एनं ज्ञान विज्ञान नाशनं ।। श्लोक ४१ 

Therefore, O Arjuna, controlling the senses in the very beginning, slay this sinful thing that destroys both knowledge & discrimination.

A person engaged in Jnana Yoga, is to abandon activities of all the senses. However, desire turns him away from the self by creating infatuation for objects of the senses. For the same reason, we who are yoked to the activities of the senses, being in conjunction with Prakriti, should control the senses by practice of karma yoga. This has to be done at the very beginning since it provides for the regulation of the senses. And then we must slay this desire since it destroys knowledge and discrimination - ie. knowledge relating to the nature of self and the discrminative power, which is the means to gain this knowledge.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga - Sloka 42

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The origin of sin - 36-43

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yaoga - 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 said to be superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and what is superior to the intellect is Atman.


 A thing subtle is always superior to another which is gross. The senses 5 in number, excel the gross body. Mind dominates over the senses and hence is superior to them. Intellect comes above the mind in that it decides while the later merely feels. Atman supplies light to the intellect itself and therefore it is above all these instruments utilised by It.


The skin and other coverings of a fruit are of varying grades. The interior sheaths progressively assume more and more of the characteristics of the pulp which is the main factor in it. Similarly in the makeup of the man, the subtle organs are more akin to Atman, than the gross.


Desire clings more tenaciously to the subtle than to the gross. Attachment to the body easily gives place to the attachment to the senses; from the senses it shifts to the mind; from the mind it rises to the intellect. Attachment to all of these categories leads to bondage and brings untold misery to the embodied. 


How to do away with desire, subtle as well as gross, is the next question. The solution to this is presented in the final sloka of this chapter.

Ramanuja's Gita Bhashyam - Chapter 3 - sloka 40

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

The origin of sin - 36-43

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yoga - Sloka 40

Indriyani mano buddhir asya adhistanam uchyate I

Etaih vimohayati eshah gyanam avrutya dehinam II sloka 40

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिर् अस्य अधिस्तनं उच्यते ।

एतैः विमोहयति एषः ज्ञानं आवृत्य देहिनां ।। श्लोक ४० 

The senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be instruments of desire; by these it empowers the embodied self after veiling Its knowledge.

The senses, the mind and the intellect are the instruments of desire in so far as it empowers the self through them. By means of these ie, the senses mind and intellect, which have been rendered to the position of servants  through attachment to sense objects, desire deludes Prakriti by covering up its knowledge. The self is becomes a victim of these desires, turning away from its true nature and indulging in sensuous experiences.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga - Sloka 41

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The origin of sin - 36-43

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yaoga - Sloka 41

Tasmat tvam indriyani adau niyamya bharata rishabha I

Papmanam prajahi hi enam gyan vigyan nashanam II sloka 41

तस्मात त्वां इन्द्रियाणि आदौ नियम्य भारत ऋषभ ।

पाप्मानं प्रजहि हि एनं ज्ञान विज्ञान नाशनं ।। श्लोक ४१ 

Therefore, O eminent of the Bharatas, mastering first the senses, slay it - the sinful, the destroyer of knowledge & realisation.

When the protecting fort is taken by storm, the enemy's position becomes vulnerable.It is easy to subdue him then. Lay hold of the senses, mind and intellect, using them for divine causes and desire is therefore done away with.

A clear grasp of the teachings of the scriptures is classified here as knowledge. Intuiting the Reality is realization. Both of these become impossible to a man of worldly desires. The splendour of Atman gets smothered by desires, which is therefore condemned as sinful. The conqueror of desire is indeed a hero.  

Ramanuja's Gita Bhashyam - Chapter 3 - sloka 39

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

The origin of sin - 36-43

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yaoga - Sloka 39

Avrutam gyanam etena gyaninah nitya vairina I

Kama rupena kaunteya dushpurena analena cha II sloka 39

आवृतं ज्ञानं एतेन ज्ञानिनः नित्य वैरिण ।

काम रूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेण अनलेन च ।। श्लोक ३९ 

The knowledge of the intelligent self is enveloped by this constant enemy O Arjuna, which is of the nature of desire, and which is difficult to gratify and is insatiable.

The knowledge, having the self for its subject,(the Jiva) whose nature is knowledge, is enveloped by this constant enemy in the shape of desire. This brings about attachment for sense-objects. This desire is difficult to satisfy  since it has for its object things unworthy of attainment and is insatiable, ie., never attains satisfaction.

Ramanuja's Gita Bhashyam - Chapter 3 - sloka 38

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

The origin of sin - 36-43

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yaoga - Sloka 38

Melkote Tirunarayana Perumal

Dhumena avriyate vahnir yatha adarshah malenacha I

Yatha ulbena avrutah garbhah tatha ten idam avrutam II sloka 38

धूमेन आव्रियते वह्निर यथा अदर्शः मलेनाच ।

यथा उल्बेन आवृतः गर्बः तथा तेन इदं आवृतं ।। श्लोक ३८ 

As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an  embryo is encased in the membrane, so is this world covered by desire.


As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as an  embryo is encased in the membrane, so are embodied beings covered by this desire.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga - Sloka 40

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The origin of sin - 36-43

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 3 -Karma Yoga - Sloka 40

Indriyani mano buddhir asya adhistanam uchyate I

Etaih vimohayati eshah gyanam avrutya dehinam II sloka 40

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिर् अस्य अधिस्तनं उच्यते ।

एतैः विमोहयति एषः ज्ञानं आवृत्य देहिनां ।। श्लोक ४० 

The senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be its seat; by these it deludes man by veiling his wisdom.

The fort that protects the enemy has to be spotted out before laying siege to it.  The foe of desire has usurped the fort of the heart of man. He has captivated the senses, mind and intellect. Perforce he makes them serve his base pleasures. The senses are sent out on lustful missions. The mind is made to cogitate on covetuous concepts. The intellect is directed on designs that are vulgar. The intellect is directed on designs that are vulgar. These instruments that are evolved to serve the Supreme are alas, utilised in profligacy

The mind directed to sensuous things is like a holy man living in the midst of hooligans, or like a wealthy man living in a slum. 

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa