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 conquer.
In simple words
Krishna closes the chapter: "Now that you know that your true Self is above the intellect, above the mind, above the senses — use that higher Self to steady yourself. And with that strength, Arjuna, defeat this enemy called desire — it is hard to conquer, but you can do it."
Word-by-word meanings
एवम्thusबुद्धेःthan the intellectपरम्superiorबुद्ध्वाhaving knownसंस्तभ्यrestrainingआत्मानम्the selfआत्मनाby the Selfजहिslay thouशत्रुम्the enemyमहाबाहोO mightyarmedकामरूपम्of the form of desireदुरासदम्hard to coner
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 constant and intense Sadhana can coner it ite easily. Desire is the ality of Rajas. If you increase the Sattvic ality in you? you can coner desire. Rajas cannot stand before Sattva.Even though desire is hard to coner? it is not impossible. The simple and direct method is to appeal to the Indwelling Presence (God) through prayer and Japa.Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita? the science of the Eternal? the scripture of Yoga? the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna? ends the third discourse entitledThe Yoga of Action.
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
With this verse, not only does this chapter conclude, but the definitive guidance that Arjuna sought is also provided herein. Only through knowledge born of direct experience of the Self can we destroy the ignorance of the Self. Ignorance itself gives rise to desire, whose dwelling places are the senses, mind, and intellect. Through the practice of meditation, when we withdraw our attention from external objects, the body, mind, and intellect, and establish ourselves firmly in our true nature, then the intellect—the very source of desire—is transcended. So long as we identify ourselves with the limitations of the body, mind, and other conditioning factors, we cannot recognize our pure and divine nature. More than this, we continually mistake our suffering, bound, and limited ego for our true Self. Once we directly experience the splendor of our true nature, we shall be able to hold our mind in complete mastery. Like the sage Gautama Buddha, the mind of an enlightened person cannot create any disturbance in his inner being, for his mind remains under his complete control. It is noteworthy that the knowledge of truth expounded in the Gita teaches the constructive building of life, not the neglect or destruction of life's possibilities. Desire is a painful wound, and the remedy prescribed here is the healing balm of knowledge. Through the application of this knowledge, we can remain as masters of all circumstances, both inner and outer. One who attains this goal is called a sage, a rishi, or a prophet of the divine.
Thus concludes the third chapter, named the Yoga of Action, in the Sri Bhagavad Gita Upanishad—the knowledge of Brahman and the science of yoga—in the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna.
The name of this chapter is the Yoga of Action. The word yoga means, through the discipline of Self-development, to unite the inferior and base with the superior and excellent. Any discipline through which this goal can be attained is called yoga.