Word meanings
- evam
- thus
- buddheḥ
- than the intellect
- param
- superior
- buddhvā
- knowing
- sanstabhya
- subdue
- ātmānam
- the lower self (senses, mind, and intellect)
- ātmanā
- by higher self (soul)
- jahi
- kill
- śatrum
- the enemy
- mahā-bāho
- mighty-armed one
- kāma-rūpam
- in the form of desire
- durāsadam
- formidable
Translations
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.
Thus, O Mighty-Armed One, knowing Him to be beyond the intellect, and with His help, subdue your personal ego and kill your enemy, Desire, even though it is extremely difficult.
[The Ast, introduces this verse with, 'Tatah kim, what follows from that?'-Tr.] Understanding the Self thus as superior to the intellect, and completely establishing (the Self) through spiritual absorption with the (help of) the mind, O mighty-armed one, the enemy in the form of desire, which is difficult to subdue, vanishes.
।।3.42 -- 3.43।। इन्द्रियोंको (स्थूलशरीरसे) पर (श्रेष्ठ, सबल, प्रकाशक, व्यापक तथा सूक्ष्म) कहते हैं। इन्द्रियोंसे पर मन है, मनसे भी पर बुद्धि है औऱ जो बुद्धिसे भी पर है वह (काम) है। इस तरह बुद्धिसे पर - (काम-) को जानकर अपने द्वारा अपने-आपको वशमें करके हे महाबाहो ! तू इस कामरूप दुर्जय शत्रुको मार डाल।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 entitled The Yoga of Action.