Verse 3.41
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ। पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम्।।
Transliteration (IAST)
tasmāt tvam indriyāṇy ādau niyamya bharatarṣabha | pāpmānaṁ prajahi hy enaṁ jñāna-vijñāna-nāśanam ||
Word-by-Word Meanings
इन्द्रियाणि-the senses
आदौ-in the beginning
नियम्य-controlling
पाप्मानम्-this sinful one
प्रजहि-destroy
ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम्-destroyer of knowledge and realization
Translation
Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, first controlling the senses, slay this sinful destroyer of knowledge and realization.
Commentary
Krishna prescribes the remedy: begin by controlling the senses, since they are desire's outermost stronghold. The word 'adau' (first) indicates a progressive strategy - control senses, then mind, then intellect. Desire is called the destroyer of both theoretical knowledge (jnana) and direct realization (vijnana).
Themes
yogakarmajnana