March 22 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 3; Verses 3.38-3.39 (Day 82) Karma Yoga

 March 22 – Day 82

Verse 3.38-3.39

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।

यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥ ३-३८॥ 

dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśho malena cha
yatholbenāvṛito garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛitam (38) 

தூ⁴மேனாவ்ரியதே¹ வஹ்னிர்யதா²த³ர்ஶோ மலேன ச¹ |
யதோ²ல்பே³னாவ்ருதோ¹ க³ர்ப⁴ஸ்த¹தா² தே¹னேத³மாவ்ருத¹ம் ||38|| 

38. As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo by the amnion, so is this enveloped by that. 

COMMENTARY: This means the universe.  This also means knowledge.  That means desire. 

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।

कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥ ३-३९॥ 

āvṛitaṁ jñānam etena jñānino nitya-vairiṇā
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya duṣhpūreṇānalena cha (39) 

ஆவ்ருத¹ம் ஞானமேதே¹ன ஞானினோ நித்¹யவைரிணா |
கா¹மரூபே¹ண கௌ¹ன்தே¹ய து³ஷ்பூ¹ரேணானலேன ச¹ ||39|| 

39. O Arjuna, wisdom is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise in the form of desire, which is unappeasable as fire! 

COMMENTARY: Manu says, “Desire can never be satiated or cooled down by the enjoyment of objects.  But as fire blazes forth the more when fed with Ghee (melted butter) and wood, so it grows the more it feeds on the objects of enjoyment.  If all the foodstuffs of the earth, all the precious metals, all the animals and all the beautiful women were to pass into the possession of one man endowed with desire, they would still fail to give him satisfaction.”

The ignorant man considers desire as his friend when he craves for objects.  He welcomes desire for the gratification of the senses; but the wise man knows from experience even before suffering the consequences, that desire will bring only troubles and misery for him.  So it is a constant enemy of the wise but not of the ignorant. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda [verses 38-39] 

By ‘desire’ is meant selfish desire, which is neither natural to life (as desire for food) nor the uncaused desire for God which is accompanied by wisdom and unselfishness and which naturally leads to its own extinction in God-realization. Desire and anger (hate) are two sides of the same coin.

Smoke hides fire and brings about darkness where there should be light. Similarly, desire envelops wisdom and brings about evil where there should be divinity.

The mirror is hidden by dust and cannot function. Similarly, desire nullifies wisdom and puts it out of commission. Even the wise man under the influence of desire is unable to see his own face! Hence our life is a song of regrets and remorse.

But there is one saving feature. Desire encloses wisdom but is unable to overwhelm it, dissolve it or even dilute it. Just as the amnion envelops the fetus in the womb, but the child is not adversely affected by it.

It is possible to fan the flame to dispel smoke. It is possible to wipe the mirror and to see one’s face in it. It is possible for the child to be delivered, untainted by the amnion. Even so, it is possible for wisdom to be fanned by right living and by right meditation; it is possible to wipe desire off wisdom by selfless service; it is possible in samādhi (perfect absorption of the mind) to deliver wisdom from the clutches of desire and to enjoy divine communion.

Desire to be desireless is indeed desirable. But it can be deceptive. Hence the need for the utmost vigilance – and even more, God’s grace.

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