Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 41 — Karma Yoga
Sanskrit
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ | पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ||३-४१||
Transliteration
tasmāttvamindriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha . pāpmānaṃ prajahi hyenaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam ||3-41||
Hindi Meaning
।।3.41।। इसलिये, हे अर्जुन ! तुम पहले इन्द्रियों को वश में करके, ज्ञान और विज्ञान के नाशक इस कामरूप पापी को नष्ट करो।।
English Meaning
Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bhāratas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.
Commentary
The Lord advised Arjuna to regulate the senses from the very beginning so that he could curb the greatest sinful enemy, lust, which destroys the urge for self-realization and specific knowledge of the self. Jñāna refers to knowledge of self as distinguished from non-self, or in other words, knowledge that the spirit soul is not the body. Vijñāna refers to specific knowledge of the spirit soul’s constitutional position and his relationship to the Supreme Soul. It is explained thus in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.9.31) : jñānaṁ parama-guhyaṁ me yad vijñāna-samanvitam sa-rahasyaṁ tad-aṅgaṁ ca gṛhāṇa gaditaṁ mayā “The knowledge of the self and Supreme Self is very confidential and mysterious, but such knowledge and specific realization can be understood if explained with their various aspects by the Lord Himself.” Bhagavad-gītā gives us that general and specific knowledge of the self. The living entities are parts and parcels of the Lord, and therefore they are simply meant to serve the Lord. This consciousness is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, from the very beginning of life one has to learn this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and thereby one may become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and act accordingly. Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate into lust. When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is very difficult to return to the normal condition. Nonetheless, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional service. So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godhead – the highest perfectional stage of human life.
Hinglish Commentary
Bhagwan ne Arjuna ko samjhaya ki shuruaat se hi apne indriyon ko sambhalna zaroori hai, taaki wo apne sabse bade dushman, kaam, ko control kar sakein. Yeh kaam hi hai jo atma ki pehchaan aur atma gyaan ki iccha ko khatam kar deta hai. Jñāna ka matlab hai apne aap ki jaankari, jo non-self se alag hai, yaani yeh samajhna ki aatma sharir nahi hai. Aur vijñāna ka matlab hai aatma ki asli sthiti aur uska sambandh Paramatma se. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam mein yeh kaha gaya hai ki yeh gyaan bahut gupt aur rahasyamay hai, lekin agar Bhagwan khud isse samjhayein, toh yeh gyaan samajhna asaan ho jata hai. Bhagavad-gītā humein apne aap ka ye general aur specific gyaan deti hai. Hum sab Bhagwan ke hissa hain, aur isliye humara maqsad Bhagwan ki seva karna hai. Is gyaan ko Kṛṣṇa consciousness kehte hain. Isliye, zindagi ke shuruat se hi humein Kṛṣṇa consciousness seekhna chahiye, taaki hum poori tarah se Kṛṣṇa conscious ho sakein aur us hisaab se kaam karein. Kaam asal mein Bhagwan ki prem ka ulta roop hai, jo har jeev ke liye swabhavik hai. Lekin agar koi shuruaat se Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein padhai kare, toh yeh prem kabhi kaam mein nahi badalta. Jab Bhagwan ka prem kaam mein badal jata hai, toh wapas normal condition mein aana bahut mushkil hota hai. Lekin Kṛṣṇa consciousness itni shakti-shali hai ki agar koi der se shuru bhi kare, toh wo bhi Bhagwan ka bhakt ban sakta hai, bas devotional service ke niyam follow karke. Isliye, kisi bhi jeevan ke charan se ya jab iski zarurat samajh aaye, tab koi bhi Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein apne indriyon ko sambhalna shuru kar sakta hai, aur kaam ko Bhagwan ke prem mein badal sakta hai – jo insani zindagi ka sabse uncha avastha hai.
Chinmaya Commentary
जैसा कि पहले भी कहा जा चुका है श्रीकृष्ण बिना पर्याप्त तर्क दिये किसी सत्य का प्रतिपादन मात्र नहीं करते। अब वे यहाँ भी युक्तियुक्त विवेचन के पश्चात् इन्द्रियों को वश में करने का उपदेश देते हैं जिसके सम्पादन से अन्तकरण में स्थित कामना को नष्ट किया जा सकता है।इच्छा को यहाँ पापी कहने का कारण यह है कि वह अपने स्थूल रूप में हमें अत्यन्त निम्न स्तर के जीवन को जीने के लिए विवश कर देती है। धुएँ के समान सात्त्विक इच्छा होने पर भी हमारा शुद्ध अनन्तस्वरूप पूर्णरूप से प्रगट नहीं हो पाता। अत सभी प्रकार की इच्छाएँ कमअधिक मात्रा में पापयुक्त ही कही गयी हैं।चिकित्सक को किसी रोगी के लिए औषधि लिख देना सरल है परन्तु यदि वह औषधि आकाशपुष्प से बनायी जाती हो तो रोगी कभी स्वस्थ नहीं हो सकता इसी प्रकार गुरु का शिष्य को इन्द्रिय संयम का उपदेश देना तो सरल है परन्तु जब तक वे उसका कोई साधन नहीं बताते तब तक उनका उपदेश आकाश पुष्प से बनी औषधि के समान ही असम्भव समझा जायेगा।हम किस वस्तु का आश्रय लेकर इस इच्छा का त्याग करें इस प्रश्न का उत्तर है