Desire

When all the desires that dwell in the heart are let go, then the mortal becomes immortal and here attains Brahman.

यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः । अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते ॥ १४॥

The Blessed Lord said: It is desire, it is anger, born of the guna of passion, all-devouring and greatly sinful. Know this to be the enemy here.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः | महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ||३-३७||

Arjuna said: But by what is a person impelled to commit sin, even against his will, Varshneya, as if driven by force?

अर्जुन उवाच | अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुषः | अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ||३-३६||

In a person who dwells on the objects of sense, attachment to them arises; from attachment springs desire, and from desire comes anger.

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते | सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ||२-६२||

The Blessed Lord said: When one gives up all the desires that arise in the mind, Partha, and is content within the Self by the Self alone, then one is called steady in wisdom.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् | आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ||२-५५||

The happiness that arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, that is like nectar at first but like poison in the end — that is regarded as rajasic.

विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् | परिणामे विषमिव तत्सुखं राजसं स्मृतम् ||१८-३८||

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo is enveloped by the womb, so is this knowledge covered by that desire.

धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च | यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ||३-३८||

As the waters flow into the ocean, which, though ever filling, remains unmoved, so all desires enter the one who attains peace, not the one who craves those desires.

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् | तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ||२-७०||

Mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation for human beings. Attached to objects, it makes for bondage; free of objects, it is held to make for liberation.

मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः । बन्धाय विषयासक्तं मुक्त्यै निर्विषयं स्मृतम्

One who broods on desires, longing for them, is born again here and there through those desires. But for one whose desires are fulfilled, whose Self is realized, all desires dissolve here itself.

कामान् यः कामयते मन्यमानः स कामभिर्जायते तत्र तत्र । पर्याप्तकामस्य कृतात्मनस्तु इहैव सर्वे प्रविलीयन्ति कामाः ॥ २॥

But the resolve by which one holds fast to dharma, pleasure, and wealth, Arjuna, with attachment and craving for their fruits — that resolve, Partha, is rajasic.

यया तु धर्मकामार्थान्धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन | प्रसङ्गेन फलाकाङ्क्षी धृतिः सा पार्थ राजसी ||१८-३४||

The agent who is passionate, seeking the fruits of action, greedy, violent by nature, impure, swayed by joy and grief — that agent is declared to be rajasic.

रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः | हर्षशोकान्वितः कर्ता राजसः परिकीर्तितः ||१८-२७||

But action performed with great effort by one who seeks to fulfill desires or acts from egotism — that is declared to be rajasic.

यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहंकारेण वा पुनः | क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ||१८-२४||

This is the threefold gate of hell that destroys the self: desire, anger, and greed. Therefore one should abandon these three.

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः | कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||१६-२१||

Thus knowing Him who is higher than the intellect, steadying the self by the Self, slay this enemy in the form of desire, so hard to conquer, mighty-armed one.

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

Therefore, best of the Bharatas, first control the senses and slay this sinful destroyer of knowledge and discernment.

तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ | पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ||३-४१||

The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these it deludes the embodied one, veiling his knowledge.

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते | एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ||३-४०||

Knowledge is covered, Kaunteya, by this constant enemy of the wise, in the form of desire, an insatiable fire.

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा | कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ||३-३९||

'The Self that is free from evil, free from old age, free from death, free from sorrow, free from hunger and thirst, whose desires come true and whose intentions come true — that is what one should seek out, that is what one should desire to understand. One who finds and understands that Self attains all worlds and all desires.' So said Prajapati.

य आत्मापहतपाप्मा विजरो विमृत्युर्विशोको विजिघत्सोऽपिपासः सत्यकामः सत्यसंकल्पः सोऽन्वेष्टव्यः स विजिज्ञासितव्यः स सर्वाꣳश्च लोकानाप्नोति सर्वाꣳश्च कामान्यस्तमात्मानमनुविद्य विजानातीति ह प्रजापतिरुवाच

Know rajas to be of the nature of passion, arising from craving and attachment; it binds the embodied one through attachment to action, son of Kunti.

रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् | तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् ||१४-७||