Chapter 3, Verses 42–43

Verse 42

इन्द्रियाणि the senses, पराणि superior, आहुः (they) say, इन्द्रियेभ्यः than the senses, परम् superior, मनः the mind, मनसः than the mind, तु but, परा superior, बुद्धिः intellect, यः who, बुद्धेः than the intellect, परतः greater, तु but, सः He. Commentary: When compared with the physical body which is gross, external and limited, the senses are certainly superior as they are more subtle, internal and have a wider range of activity. The mind is superior to the senses, as the senses cannot do anything independently without the help of the mind. The mind can perform the functions of the five senses. The intellect is superior to the mind because it is endowed with the faculty of discrimination. When the mind is in a state of doubt, the intellect comes to its resuce. The Self, the Witness, is superior even to the intellect, as the intellect borrows its light from the Self.

Verse 43

एवम् thus, बुद्धेः than the intellect, परम् superior, बुद्ध्वा having known, संस्तभ्य restraining, आत्मानम् the self, आत्मना by the Self, जहि slay thou, शत्रुम् the enemy, महाबाहो O mightyarmed, कामरूपम् of the form of desire, दुरासदम् hard to coner. 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 entitledThe Yoga of Action.