SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
SrI bhagavAn uvAcha
kAma Esha krOdha Esha rajOguNasamudhbhava: |
mahASano mahApApmA vidhdhyEnam iha vairiNam ||
word-by-word meaning
SrI bhagavAn uvAcha – Lord Shri Krishna replied
Esha: – the reason for what you asked about (worldly pleasures)
rajO guNa samudhbhava: – arises from rajO guNam (passion)
mahASana: – all-consuming
kAma Eva: – lust only;
Esha: – This lust (when blocked)
mahA pApmA – will lead to do great sins (towards those who blocked such lust)
krOdha: (bhavathi) – transform into anger
Enam – this lust (which is caused by rajas and transforms into anger)
iha – for this gyAna yOga
vairiNam vidhdhi – know that to be the enemy
Simple Translation
SrI bhagavAn replied:
The reason for what you asked about (worldly pleasures) is the all-consuming lust only which arises from rajO guNam (passion); this lust (when blocked) will lead to do great sins (towards those who blocked such lust) and will transform into anger; know that this lust (which is caused by rajas and transforms into anger) is the enemy for this gyAna yOga.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Lust (kāma) it is, —hate (krodha) it is—, which is begotten of rajo-guṇa[1. See Lect: XIV for an exhaustive treatment of the gunās. These are the three main characteristics of matter which keep the world moving. Satva is the tendency to produce goodness, purity, etc., Rajas is the tendency to act in the world with passions; and Tamas is the tendency to sloth, evil, etc.]. This foe, here (on earth), know, is all-consuming, all-polluting.'[2. Read II-62 to 64.]
What obstructs a person in his pursuit of Jñāna-Yoga is this lust, this appetite or longing for sense-objects, such as sound etc., sharpened all the more by past habits; because the person is attached to matter, the guṇas[3. See Lect: XIV for an exhaustive treatment of the gunās. These are the three main characteristics of matter which keep the world moving. Satva is the tendency to produce goodness, purity, etc., Rajas is the tendency to act in the world with passions; and Tamas is the tendency to sloth, evil, etc.] of which, rising and falling, constantly influence all beings.
This lust is a most devouring (or exacting) foe, and inveigles him into its province of sense-pleasures.
This self-same lust, when hampered in its course, turns into hate (or wrath) —the most sinful— displayed against those who come in the way (of gratification), and resulting in the perpetration of violent acts against (such) creatures.
Know this lust is begotten of rajo-guṇa[4. See Lect: XIV for an exhaustive treatment of the gunās. These are the three main characteristics of matter which keep the world moving. Satva is the tendency to produce goodness, purity, etc., Rajas is the tendency to act in the world with passions; and Tamas is the tendency to sloth, evil, etc.], and it is the adversary, hostile to Jñāna-Yoga.
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