Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 3 - Shloka (Verse) 40

व्याख्या--'इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते'-- काम पाँच स्थानोंमें दीखता है (1) पदार्थोंमें (गीता 3। 34), (2) इन्द्रियोंमें, (3) मनमें, (4) बुद्धिमें और (5) माने हुए अहम् (मैं) अर्थात् कर्तामें (गीता 2। 51)। इन पाँच स्थानोंमें दीखनेपर भी काम वास्तवमें माने हुए 'अहम्'-(चिज्जडग्रन्थि-) में ही रहता है। परन्तु उपर्युक्त पाँच स्थानोंमें दिखायी देनेके कारण ही वे इस कामके वास-स्थान कहे जाते हैं।

ज्ञानको आच्छादित करनेवाला होनेके कारण जो सबका वैरी है वह काम कहाँ रहनेवाला है अर्थात् उसका आश्रय क्या है क्योंकि शत्रुके रहनेका स्थान जान लेनेपर सहजमें ही उसका नाश किया जा सकता है। इसपर कहते हैं इन्द्रियाँ मन और बुद्धि यह सब इस कामके अधिष्ठान अर्थात् रहनेके स्थान बतलाये जाते हैं। यह काम इन आश्रयभूत इन्द्रियादिके द्वारा ज्ञानको आच्छादित करके इस जीवात्माको नाना प्रकारसे मोहित किया करता है।

Considering that desire implies the absence of the capacity to act without a support, He shows the support preceded by a question—"What is the abode," etc.

Why is the abode of desire being made known, which is wished to be abandoned because of being an eternal enemy? To this, he says "For when known," etc.

He reveals that the senses and so forth are the abode of desire with the word "by these" (etaiḥ).

[Objection:] "It should have been stated as etābhiḥ [feminine]; how is it said as etaiḥ?" To this, he says "by the senses, etc." [implying grammatical agreement with the neuter indriyāṇi].

Upon Arjuna's expectation [inquiry] as to "what is its abode?" in order to destroy the enemy easily, He says "The senses," etc. The senses and so forth are said to be the abode, i.e., the support, of this desire.

By means of these supports, covering discriminative knowledge, it deludes the living being (jīva) in various ways.

However, regarding the view that "knowledge" is of the nature of [pure] Consciousness (cidātmaka)—that is not [correct], due to the reasoning stated [previously].

For the purpose of killing [the enemy], He states the enemy's abode with "The senses," etc.

"By these, covering knowledge"—for indeed, knowledge becomes covered by the intellect, etc., when they are engaged in objects.

For the enemy perishes when his abode is taken away (hṛta).

Moreover, "The senses," etc. This is the meaning: The senses, mind, and intellect, indeed, when possessed by desire, become inclined toward external objects.

And through these [faculties] being in such a state, this desire covers knowledge which is of the nature of the space of consciousness (cidākāśa), resembling the surface of a mirror. Wherein yogis see objects that are obstructed [hidden], distant, past, or future. As stated by the Teachers [Acharyas]: "Seeing the universe existing within oneself, like a city seen in a mirror..." "Existing within oneself" means within the body, "in the Self" means in Brahman known as the space within the heart (hārdākāśa). Covering that [knowledge] like a mirror by dirt, it particularly deludes the embodied soul (dehin)—the one identified with the body.

From the prefix vi [in vimohayati], it is understood that it deludes even the yogi, who is devoid of body-identification, to some extent during the state of rising from meditation (vyutthāna). The word construction is clear.

This desire presides over the self through these; thus the senses, mind, and intellect are its abode.

Through these—the senses, mind, and intellect—which have become the abodes of desire and are inclined toward objects, covering the knowledge of the embodied soul (dehin) who is conjoined with matter (prakṛti), it deludes him utterly (vimohayati). "Deludes variously" means it makes him averse to Self-knowledge and intent on the experience of sense-objects—this is the meaning.

Now, stating its abode, He speaks of the means of victory in the two [verses] beginning with "The senses" (indriyāṇi).

Since desire manifests through the seeing, hearing, etc., of objects, through resolve (saṃkalpa - mind), and through determination (adhyavasāya - intellect), the senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its abode.

Through these senses, etc., which possess functions like seeing and act as its supports, covering discriminative knowledge, it deludes the embodied soul.

Thus, the mode of covering has been stated; now, with the intention that the instruments of covering are to be stated subsequently for the purpose of teaching that they must be controlled, he [Ramanuja] says "By what instruments," etc. "Presides over the self" (ātmānam adhitiṣṭhati) means: attacking the independent self, it renders it dependent. The word "senses" (indriya) here refers to the external senses, according to the "logic of the bull and the ox" (gobalīvardanyāya—where a generic term is used for a specific subset when a distinct subset is mentioned separately). "Intellect" (buddhi) here means the determination that there is a goal (puruṣārtha) in what are not goals (apuruṣārtha).

To exclude grammatical derivations such as "location" (adhikaraṇa) which are not useful in the present context, he shows the derivation as "instrument" (karaṇa): "It presides through these" (adhitiṣṭhati ebhiḥ). The purport is that it is indeed said "it deludes by these" (etair vimohayati). To demonstrate the intermediate operation of the senses and so forth, which have become the instruments of the act of presiding, the phrase "inclined toward objects" is used.

"Conjoined with matter" (prakṛti-saṃsṛṣṭam)—by this explanation of the word "embodied" (dehin), the unavoidability of the senses, etc., and the subjection to the Gunas (modes of nature) are indicated—this is the purport. The prefix "vi" [in vimohayati] refers to the variety of delusion, as stated in [Vishnu Purana 6.7.11]: "That intelligence of Self in the non-Self, and the thought of 'mine' in what is not one's own..." With this intention, he says "deludes variously." Elaborating on the variety of delusion—through the delusion of unworthiness-of-experience regarding one's own Self (which is actually worthy of experience), and through the delusion of worthiness-of-experience regarding objects (which are not worthy)—he shows its utility in the present context with "from Self-knowledge" (ātmajñāna), etc.

मन की शान्ति और सन्तोष को लूट ले जाने वाले शत्रु काम के पहचाने जाने पर एक सैनिक के समान राजकुमार अर्जुन की अपने शत्रु के निवास स्थान के विषय में जानने की इच्छा थी। अध्यात्म के उपदेशक के रूप में भगवान् को यह बताना आवश्यक था कि यह काम कौन से स्थान पर रहकर अपनी अत्यन्त दुष्ट योजनाएँ बनाता है। कामना का निवास स्थान है इन्द्रियाँ मन और बुद्धि।बड़े विस्तृत क्षेत्र में अपराध करने वाले दस्यु दल के सरदार के एक से अधिक रहने के स्थान होते हैं जहाँ से वह पूरे दल का संचालन करता है। यहाँ भी कामनारूप शत्रु के स्थानों का स्पष्ट निर्देश किया गया है।बिना किसी नियन्त्रण एवं संयम के इन्द्रियां यदि विषयों में संचार करती हैं तो वे इच्छा के निवास के लिए प्रथम उपयुक्त स्थान हैं। इन्द्रियों के माध्यम से विषय की संवेदनाएँ मन में पहुंचने पर वह भी कामनाजन्य दुखों की उत्पत्ति के लिए उपयुक्त क्षेत्र का कार्य करता है। और अन्त में पूर्व विषयोपभोग की स्मृति से रंजित आसक्तियों से युक्त बुद्धि कामना का तीसरा सुरक्षित वासस्थान है।अविद्या से मोहित जीव शरीर के साथ तादात्म्य करके विषयोपभोग चाहता है। अविवेकपूर्वक मन और बुद्धि के साथ तादात्म्य करके भावनाओं एवं विचारों की सन्तुष्टि की वह इच्छा करता है।इन स्थानों पर इच्छा को खोजना माने शत्रु का सामना करना है। अन्त में शत्रु नाश कैसे करना है इसका वर्णन आगे के श्लोकों में किया गया है

"The senses," etc. Initially, when the senses are occupied [active], it [desire] resides [there].

Just as an enemy seen by the eye generates anger belonging to oneself right in the region of the sense organ.

Then in the mind, in resolve; then in the intellect, in determination; generating delusion through this channel, it destroys knowledge.

Why is "The senses," etc., stated when it was not asked? To this, he says: "For the sake of killing." For indeed, Arjuna asked about the "strong one" [impelling force] for this very purpose. Due to hearing two verbs, it is not [immediately] apparent towards what the instrumentality of the senses, etc., is directed. Due to proximity, it appears to be towards "deluding," but it appears otherwise too; hence he says "by these."

He explains that with "by the intellect, etc." Although stated generally as senses, etc., the specific grasp as "intellect, etc." [in the commentary] is to make known their predominance.

With "Therefore you," etc. [Verse 41], the restraint of the senses is taught for the purpose of killing desire. He explains that with "taken away" (hṛta). "Perishes" means it becomes capable of being destroyed.

Since, indeed, when the enemy's abode is known, he can be conquered with ease, He states his abode with "The senses" (indriyāṇi). The senses—meaning the ears and so forth which grasp sound, touch, form, taste, and smell, and speech and so forth which generate speech, taking, motion, excretion, and joy; and the mind (manas) which is of the nature of resolve (saṃkalpa); and the intellect (buddhi) which is of the nature of determination (adhyavasāya)—are said to be the abode, i.e., the shelter, of this desire.

Because this is so, through these senses and so forth acting as shelters and possessing their respective functions, this desire "deludes variously" (vimohayati).

Covering, i.e., concealing, "knowledge"—meaning discriminative knowledge—it [deludes] the embodied soul (dehin), meaning the one identified with the body.

To answer the inquiry "Where does that desire reside?", He says "The senses," etc. The senses—meaning ears, etc.; the mind—meaning the inner faculty (antaḥkaraṇa); and the intellect (buddhi)—meaning knowledge—are said to be, i.e., stated as, the abode or place of this desire.

Covering knowledge through these acting as instruments, this desire deludes the embodied soul specially. It indeed deludes by itself, but together with these acting as its shelters, it deludes more intensely—this is suggested by the prefix (vi in vimohayati).

The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be the abode, i.e., the shelter, of this desire.

Through these senses and so forth acting as shelters, covering, i.e., concealing, knowledge, this desire "deludes variously" (vimohayati) the embodied soul (dehin). Since this is so...

Now, stating its [desire's] abode, He speaks of the means of victory in the two [verses] beginning with "The senses."

इन्द्रियाणि the senses? मनः the mind? बुद्धिः the intellect? अस्य its? अधिष्ठानम् seat? उच्यते is called? एतैः by these? विमोहयति deludes? एषः this? ज्ञानम् wisdom? आवृत्य having enveloped? देहिनम् the embodied.Commentary If the abode of the enemy is known it is ite easy to kill him. So Lord Krishna like a wise army general points out to Arjuna the abode of desire so that he may be able to attack it and kill it ite readily.

Indriyani, the organs; manah, mind; and buddhih, the intellect; ucyate, are said to be; asya, its, desire's; adhisthanam, abode. Esah, this one, desire; vimohayati, diversely deludes; dehinam, the embodied being; avrtya, by veiling; jnanam, Knowledg; etaih, with the help of these, with the organs etc. which are its abodes. [The activities of the organs etc. are the media for the expression of desire. Desire covers the Knoweldge of the Self by stimulating these.]

The senses, the mind and the intellect are the instruments of desire in so far as it overpowers the self through them. By means of these, viz., the senses, the mind and the intellect, which have been reduced to the position of servants through attachment to sense objects, desire deludes the embodied soul caught up in Prakrti by covering up Its knowledge. Here 'deluding' means making the self a victim of manifold illusions, by turning It away from the knowledge of Its true nature, and making It indulge in sensuous experiences.