Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 - Jnana Vignana Yoga - Sloka 11

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

The excellence in Beings come from God 10-12

1 Gita Sloka  every day - Chapter 7 - Jnana Vignana Yoga - Sloka 11

Yogi in meditation on the Lord

Balam valavatam asmi kama raga vivarjitam I

Dharma avirudhatah bhuteshu kamah asmi bharata rishabha II sloka 11

बलं बलवतां अस्मि काम राग विवर्जितं ।

धर्म अविरुधतः भूतेषु कामः अस्मि भरत ऋषभ ।। श्लोक ११

I am the strength of the strong devoid of desire and passion. In beings I am the desire, not contrary to dharma, O chief of the Bharatas.

Kama or desire is the hankering of the mind for objects that are invisible and not yet obtained, while raga or passion is the clinging and craving for the visible and obtained objects. That strength is abused which is directed towards the fulfillment of desire and passion. On the other hand, the strength utilised on noble and holy causes, gets sanctified. The doings of Ravana and Rama are examples of the abuse and proper use of strength.

Desire as such is not a vice. The desire to eat is a sanctioned one, when it is prompted by hunger. The desire for self- emulation is a virtue; the desire to excel another in good conduct is laudable. The keen desire to obtain the grace of the Lord is a divine gift and a prelude to God-vision.

Why does the mind deviate when one sits in meditation? It is due to base desires. A fly sits on sacramental food and next on filth. But the case of the bee is different. It sits on a blossom or in its hive and nowhere else. The worldly minded sadhakas are like the house fly and the paramahamsas  like the bee. The former are occasionally devoted and the latter are ever devoted to the Lord. 

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa