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Bhagavad Gita 3.43

Chapter 3, Verse 43

Part of 3: Karm Yogकर्मयोग

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना। जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम्॥

Transliteration

evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam

Meaning

Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer.

Word-by-word meaning
evamthusbuddheḥthan the intellectparamsuperiorbuddhvāknowingsanstabhyasubdueātmānamthe lower self (senses, mind, and intellect)ātmanāby higher self (soul)jahikillśhatrumthe enemymahā-bāhomighty-armed onekāma-rūpamin the form of desiredurāsadamformidable
Commentary

Restrain the lower self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind. It is difficult to coner desire because it is of a highly complex and incomprehensible nature. But a man of discrimination and dispassion who does constant and intense Sadhana can coner it ite easily. Desire is the ality of Rajas. If you increase the Sattvic ality in you, you can coner desire. Rajas cannot stand before Sattva. Even though desire is hard to coner, it is not impossible. The simple and direct method is to appeal to the Indwelling Presence (God) through prayer and Japa. Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the third discourse entitledThe Yoga of Action.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 43?
Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer.
Which chapter and verse of the Bhagavad Gita is this?
This is verse 43 of Chapter 3 (Karm Yog — Path of Selfless Service) of the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture of 18 chapters and 700 verses spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.