Bhagavad-gītā 3.43
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना। जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम्।।3.43।।
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam
Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect, and restraining the self by the Self, destroy, O mighty-armed, that enemy, the unseizable foe, desire.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| śhatrum | the enemy |
| mahā-bāho | mighty-armed one |
| kāma-rūpam | in the form of desire |
| durāsadam | formidable |
Use the word map to follow the relation among evam (thus), ātmanā (by higher self (soul)), and durāsadam (formidable). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to work offered without possessiveness. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 3.43.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Distinguish action, duty, sacrifice, example, desire and attachment without treating karma-yoga as inactivity.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Thus, knowing Him who is superior to the intellect
- 2
restraining the self by the Self, destroy, O mighty-armed, that enemy, the unseizable foe, desire
- 3
evam: thus
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.43, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 3.43 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 3.43 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 3.43 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.43, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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