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एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना |
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ||३-४३||

evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānamātmanā . jahi śatruṃ mahābāho kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam ||3-43||


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.

Word-by-word meanings

3.43 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 c

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Swami Gambirananda

3.43 [The Ast, introdcues this verse with, 'Tatah kim, what follows from that?'-Tr.] Understanding the Self thus [Understanding৷৷.thus:that desires can be conered through the knowledge of the Self.] as superior to the intellect, and completely establishing (the Self) is spiritual absorption with the (help of) the mind, O mighty-armed one, vanish the enemy in the form of desire, which is difficult to subdue.

Sri Shankaracharya

3.43 Buddhva, understanding; atmanam, the Self; evam, thus; as param, superior; buddheh, to the intellect; and samstabhya, completely establishing; atmana, with the mind, i.e. establishing (the Self) fully in spiritual absorption with the help of your own purified mind; O mighty-armed one, jahi, vanish; this satrum, enemy; kama-rupam, in the form of desire; which is durasadam, difficult to subdue-which can be got hold of with great difficulty, it being possessed of many inscrutable characteristics.

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This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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BG 3.43 — 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 des