3.43 Thus knowing Him Who is superior to the intellect and restraining the self by the Self, slay thou, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to coner.

3.42-43 Indriyani etc. Evam etc. 'Because the sense-organs are different from the sense-objects that indicate the foe [in estion]; from them the mind is different; from that too different is the intellect; what is instrinsically different from the intellect also is the Self; so due to wrath, risen at the sense-organs, how can there be a disturbance in the mind, in the intellect or in the Self ?' Let one contemplate in this manner. This is what is meant here. This is intention of the experts of the Rahasya [literature] : The Supreme I-consciousness viz., the awareness 'All I am', which remains beyond the intellect, and the essence of which allows no difference-that is indeed the highest identity. Therefore no furstration (or cut) can be for That which is complete all around; hence wrath etc., do not rise [in It]. Therefore, taking hold of the Supreme Energy which in essence is Consciousness, you must slay the foe, the wrath which is ignorance in essence.

They say the senses are superior (to the gross body) — more excellent, powerful, illuminating, pervasive, and subtle. Superior to the senses is the mind; superior even to the mind is the intellect; and that which is superior even to the intellect is (desire). Thus, O mighty-armed one, knowing that which is superior to the intellect — (desire) — and subduing the self by the self, slay this enemy in the form of desire, which is difficult to conquer. **Commentary:** The senses are said to be superior to the body or the sense objects. The meaning is that through the senses, objects are known, but through the objects, the senses are not known. The senses exist even without objects, but without the senses, the existence of objects cannot be established. Objects do not have the power to illuminate the senses; rather, the senses illuminate the objects. The senses remain the same, but the objects keep changing. The senses are pervasive, and the objects are pervaded, meaning objects fall within the scope of the senses, but the senses do not fall within the scope of objects. Compared to objects, the senses are subtle. Therefore, compared to objects, the senses are superior, powerful, illuminating, pervasive, and subtle. 'Superior to the senses is the mind' — The senses do not know the mind, but the mind knows all the senses. Among the senses, each sense knows only its own object, not the objects of other senses. For example, the ears know only sound, not touch, form, taste, or smell; the skin knows only touch, not sound, form, taste, or smell; the eyes know only form, not sound, touch, taste, or smell; the tongue knows only taste, not sound, touch, form, or smell; and the nose knows only smell, not sound, touch, form, or taste. But the mind knows the five sense organs and their objects. Therefore, the mind is superior, powerful, illuminating, pervasive, and subtle compared to the senses. 'But superior to the mind is the intellect' — The mind does not know the intellect, but the intellect knows the mind. The intellect knows the state of the mind — whether it is calm or agitated, correct or incorrect, etc. It also knows whether the senses are functioning properly or not. The meaning is that the intellect knows the mind and its thoughts, as well as the senses and their objects. Therefore, the intellect is superior (more excellent, powerful, illuminating, pervasive, and subtle) to the mind, which is itself superior to the senses. 'But that which is superior even to the intellect' — The master of the intellect is the 'I' (ego). The gross body is the 'object', the senses are the external instruments, and the mind-intellect are the internal instruments. The gross body is superior (more excellent, powerful, illuminating, pervasive, and subtle) to the senses, and superior to the senses, mind, and intellect is the 'I', which is the doer. In that 'I' (the doer) resides desire, meaning worldly longing. One's true existence (being-ness), i.e., one's essential nature, is conscious, immutable, and of the nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss). When it identifies with the inert (the body born of Prakriti), then the ego ('I') arises and becomes the doer-nature. Thus, in the doer, there is an inert aspect and a conscious aspect. Primarily due to the inert aspect, there is attraction towards the world, and primarily due to the conscious aspect, there is attraction towards God. The meaning is that due to the predominance of the inert aspect, worldly (pertaining to the world) desires remain, and due to the predominance of the conscious aspect, spiritual (pertaining to God) desire remains. The inert aspect is perishable, so worldly desires are perishable, and the conscious aspect is eternal, so the spiritual desire is destined to be fulfilled. Therefore, worldly desires (cravings) cease, and the spiritual desire (the desire for liberation from the world, the curiosity for Self-knowledge, and the aspiration for divine love) is fulfilled. Worldly desires can arise but cannot endure. However, spiritual desire can be suppressed but cannot be destroyed. The reason is that worldly desires are unreal, and spiritual desire is real. Therefore, a seeker should neither hope for the fulfillment of worldly desires nor despair about the fulfillment of spiritual desire. In reality, at the root, there is only one desire, which is for one's own essential part, God. But due to association with the inert, this desire becomes twofold, and man, in his error, begins to desire inert objects to fulfill his real desire through the changing inert (world). The reason is that worldly desires are another's dharma (duty/nature), and spiritual desire is one's own dharma. However, when both worldly and spiritual desires exist in a seeker, conflict arises. Due to this conflict, during times of worship, meditation, holy company, etc., the spiritual desire remains awake, but at other times, his spiritual desire is suppressed, and worldly desires (for enjoyment and accumulation) arise. As long as worldly desires persist, a seeker cannot maintain a firm resolve to practice spiritual disciplines. Without the awakening of spiritual desire, the seeker's progress does not occur. When the seeker develops the single, firm aim of attaining God alone, this conflict ceases, and only the spiritual desire remains strong in the seeker. With only one spiritual desire remaining strong, the seeker easily attains God. Therefore, it is very necessary for the seeker to eliminate the conflict between worldly and spiritual desire. In the pure essential nature, there is a spontaneous attraction or inclination towards one's own essential part, God, which is called love. When one assumes a relationship with the world, that love is suppressed, and desire arises. As long as desire remains, love is not awakened. As long as love is not awakened, desire is not completely destroyed. Primarily due to the inert aspect, in which the desire for worldly enjoyments (desire) resides, there also resides, primarily due to the conscious aspect, the desire for God. Therefore, in reality, desire resides only in the inert aspect, but that too is due to association with the conscious. As soon as association with the conscious is severed, desire is destroyed. The meaning is that as soon as the conscious severs its relationship with the inert, the ego, which is the identification of the inert with the conscious, is destroyed, and with the destruction of the ego, desire is destroyed. The strong reasoning that desire resides in the inert aspect of the ego is this: Without a generic (elemental) unity among the three — the visible world, the senses that perceive it, the intellect, and the perceiver himself, the experiencer — the experiencer cannot be attracted towards the objects of experience. The reason is that attraction occurs only among things of the same kind, not among different kinds. For example, the eyes are attracted only towards form, not towards sound. This applies to all senses. The intellect is also attracted towards objects of understanding (discrimination and thought), not towards objects like sound, etc. (If it is, it is only by taking the senses along). Similarly, the Self (conscious) has an essential oneness with God; therefore, the Self is attracted towards God. This essential oneness is experienced only by completely renouncing the inert aspect, i.e., by completely severing the assumed relationship with the inert. Upon experiencing it, love awakens. In love, not even a trace of inertness (unreality) remains; i.e., there is an absolute absence of inertness. The extremely subtle aspect of the effect of Prakriti, the causal body (the unmanifest seed state), is the inert aspect of the ego. Desire resides in this causal body. Due to identification with the causal body, desire appears to be in the Self. Upon the cessation of identification, one experiences one's own pure essential nature, in which there is not even a trace of desire. Upon experiencing the essential nature, desire ceases completely. 'Thus knowing that which is superior to the intellect' — Earlier, it was stated that the senses are superior to the body, the mind is superior to the senses, the intellect is superior to the mind, and that which is superior to the intellect is desire. Now, the intent of saying to know desire, which is superior to the intellect, in the above words, is that this desire resides in the ego. In one's real essential nature, there is no desire. If desire were in the essential nature, it would never cease. Desire arises only due to identification with the perishable inert. Even in identification, if desire resides, it is in the inert, but it appears to be in the essential nature. Therefore, knowing this desire, which is beyond the intellect, one should destroy it. 'Subduing the self by the self' — The means to kill the desire residing in the ego, which is beyond the intellect, is to subdue oneself by oneself, i.e., to keep one's relationship only with one's pure essential nature or with one's essential part, God, which truly exists. This same idea is expressed in the sixth chapter, fifth verse, by the words 'uddhared atmanatmanam' and in the sixth verse by the words 'yenatmaivatmana jitah'. The essential nature (the Self) is directly a part of God, and the body, senses, mind, intellect are parts of the world. When the essential nature turns away from its essential part, God, and faces Prakriti (the world), then desires arise in it. Desires arise from a sense of lack, and lack occurs due to relationship with the world because the world is of the nature of lack alone — 'nasato vidyate bhavah' (Gita 2:16). As soon as the relationship with the world is severed, desires are destroyed because in the essential nature there is no lack — 'nabhavo vidyate satah' (Gita 2:16). Even after turning away from God and assuming a relationship with the world, the real desire (need or hunger) of the jiva is only to attain its essential part, God. In the form of "May I always live, may I know everything, may I become happy forever," it actually desires only the Sat-Chit-Ananda nature of God, but due to assuming a relationship with the world, it mistakenly wants to fulfill these desires through the world itself. This is desire. This desire can never be fulfilled. Therefore, this desire must be destroyed. He who has connected himself with the world can also disconnect it. Therefore, the Lord has commanded to sever one's relationship with the world by oneself and kill desire. In subduing oneself by oneself, there is no practice, because practice occurs only with the help of the world (body, senses, mind, and intellect). Therefore, in practice, the help of the relationship with the world has to be taken. In reality, abidance in one's own essential nature or attainment of God does not occur with the help of the world; rather, it occurs by oneself through renunciation (severance of relationship) of the world. The crucial point is that when the conscious assumes a relationship with the inert, it has desire for the world (enjoyment) as well as for God. Upon assuming a relationship with the inert, the jiva makes this mistake: it begins to desire worldly objects to fulfill its desire or aspiration for the Sat-Chit-Ananda nature of God through the world itself. Consequently, neither of these two desires (without Self-knowledge) ever ceases. To know the world, separation is necessary, and to know God, oneness with God is necessary because, in reality, the Self is distinct from the world and non-different from God. But by desiring the world, the Self assumes its non-difference or proximity to the world, which is never possible, and by desiring God, the Self assumes its difference or distance (aversion) from God, but this possibility does not exist. However, cultivating spiritual desire to eliminate worldly desires is very useful. If spiritual desire becomes intense, worldly desires automatically cease. Upon the complete cessation of worldly desires, spiritual desire is fulfilled; i.e., the ever-attained God is experienced. The reason is that God is indeed ever-present everywhere, but due to the presence of worldly desires, He is not experienced. 'O mighty-armed one, slay this enemy in the form of desire, which is difficult to conquer.' 'Mighty-armed' means one with great and powerful arms, i.e., a hero. By addressing Arjuna as 'mighty-armed', i.e., a hero, the Lord indicates that you are capable of subduing this enemy in the form of desire. While maintaining a relationship with the world, it is very difficult to destroy desire. This desire, covering even the great ones' discrimination, diverts them from duty, leading to their downfall. Therefore, the Lord has called it a difficult-to-conquer enemy. Calling desire a difficult-to-conquer enemy is meant to encourage greater vigilance regarding it, not to cause despair by considering it unconquerable. A particular desire arises, is fulfilled, unfulfilled, and ceases; therefore, mere desires are subject to arising and destruction. But the Self continuously exists and knows the arising and destruction of desires. Therefore, it can easily sever its relationship with desires because, in reality, there is no relationship. Hence, a seeker should never be afraid of desires. If the seeker has a firm purpose for his own welfare, he can easily kill desire. In renouncing desires or in attaining God, all are free, eligible, capable, and competent. But in fulfilling desires, no one is free, eligible, capable, or competent. The reason is that desire is never going to be fulfilled. God has given the human body only for His attainment. Therefore, renouncing desire is not difficult. It seems difficult only because of giving importance to worldly objects of enjoyment. To eliminate the desire for happiness (favorable conditions), God sends sorrow (unfavorable conditions) from time to time so that one may not desire happiness — if you desire, you will only get sorrow. A person desirous of worldly objects can never escape sorrow; this is the rule because enjoyments born of contact are indeed causes of sorrow. The Self (essential nature) has infinite strength. It is by attaining its existence and strength that the intellect, mind, and senses become existent and strong. But due to connecting itself with the inert, it is forgetting its own strength and considering itself subordinate to the intellect, mind, and senses. Therefore, to kill the enemy in the form of desire, knowing oneself and recognizing one's own strength is very necessary. Desire occurs due to relationship with the inert and resides in the inert alone. Due to identification, it appears to be in the Self. If there is no relationship with the inert, there is no desire at all. Therefore, here, the intent of killing desire is actually to indicate the absolute absence of desire. Conversely, if one accepts the existence of desire, i.e., craving, and tries to eliminate it, then eliminating craving is difficult. The reason is that, in reality, craving has no independent existence. Craving arises, and that which arises will be destroyed — this is the rule. If one simply does not crave anew, previous cravings will automatically be destroyed. Therefore, the meaning of eliminating craving is not to create new cravings. It is by considering worldly things like the body as 'I', 'mine', and 'for me' that one experiences a sense of lack in oneself, but man mistakenly wants to fulfill that lack also through worldly objects. Therefore, he craves those objects. But in reality, till date, no one's lack has ever been fulfilled by worldly objects, nor can it ever be. The reason is that the Self is imperishable, and objects are perishable. Though the Self is imperishable, by desiring the perishable, no benefit is gained, and no loss remains either. Therefore, the Lord, declaring craving as the enemy, commands to kill it. Through Karma Yoga, this craving is easily destroyed. The reason is that a practitioner of Karma Yoga performs every action, from the smallest to the greatest, for the sake of attaining God and for others alone, not for fulfilling cravings. He performs every action with a desireless attitude and only for the welfare and happiness of others, never for himself. The time, understanding, materials, and strength he has are not his own; rather, they are received and will be parted with. Therefore, never considering them as his own, he engages them selflessly (considering them as the world's) in the service of the world alone. He engages them entirely in the service of the world, not keeping anything saved for himself. Only by not considering them as his own can they be engaged entirely in service; otherwise not. A Karma Yogi does nothing for himself, desires nothing for himself, and considers nothing as his own. Therefore, in him, cravings are easily destroyed. Upon the complete destruction of cravings, his aim is fulfilled, and he, finding himself within himself, becomes one for whom everything is done, known, and attained; i.e., nothing remains for him to do, know, or attain. Thus, with the utterance of the divine names Om Tat Sat, the third chapter named Karma Yoga, in the Upanishad in the form of the divine dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, which is the science of Brahma and Yoga, is complete.