Bhagavad-gītā 3.43
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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, 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.
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
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 |
Restrain the lower self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Distinguish action, duty, sacrifice, example, desire and attachment without treating karma-yoga as inactivity.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami Gambirananda[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.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaThus, knowing that which is higher than the intellect and fixing the mind with the help of the intellect in Karma Yoga, O Arjuna, slay this enemy which takes the form of desire, and which is difficult to overcome.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaRestrain the lower self by the higher Self. Subdue the lower mind by the higher mind.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
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- 1
Thus, O Mighty-Armed One, knowing Him to be beyond the intellect
- 2
with His help, subdue your personal ego and kill your enemy, Desire, even though it is extremely difficult
- 3
evam: thus
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