Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (Adi Shankaracharya) 3.39
Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (Adi Shankaracharya) 3.39 · 3 · Verse 39
Sanskrit Original
।।3.39।। आवृतम् एतेन ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनः नित्यवैरिणा ज्ञानी हि जानाति अनेन अहमनर्थे प्रयुक्तः इति पूर्वमेव। दुःखी च भवति नित्यमेव। अतः असौ ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरी न तु मूर्खस्य। स हि कामं तृष्णाकाले मित्रमिव पश्यन् तत्कार्ये दुःखे प्राप्ते जानाति तृष्णया अहं दुःखित्वमापादितः इति न पूर्वमेव। अतः ज्ञानिन एव नित्यवैरी। किंरूपेण कामरूपेण कामः इच्छैव रूपमस्य इति कामरूपः तेन दुष्पूरेण दुःखेन पूरणमस्य इति दुष्पूरः तेन अनलेन न अस्य अलं पर्याप्तिः विद्यते इत्यनलः तेन च।।किमधिष्ठानः पुनः कामः ज्ञानस्य आवरणत्वेन वैरी सर्वस्य लोकस्य इत्यपेक्षायामाह ज्ञाते हि शत्रोरधिष्ठाने सुखेन निबर्हणं कर्तुं शक्यत इति
3.39 Jnanam, Knowledge; is avrtam, covered; etena, by this; nityavairina, constant enemy; jnaninah, of the wise. For the wise person knows even earlier, 'I am being induced by this into evil.' And he always [Both at the time when desire arises in him, and also when he is forced to act by it.] feels distressed. Therefore, it is the constant enemy of the wise but not of a fool. For the fool looks upon desire as a friend so long as hankering lasts. When sorrow comes as a conseence, he realizes, 'I have been driven into sorrow because of longings', but certainly not earlier. Therefore it is the constant enemy of the wise alone. In what form? Kama-rupena, in the form of desire-tha which has wish itself as its expression is kama-rupa; in that form-; (and) duspurena, which is an insatiable; analena, fire. That which is difficult to satisfy is duspurah; and (derivatively) that which never has enough (alam) is analam. Again, having what as its abode does desire, in the form of a viel over Knowledge, become the enemy of all? Since when the abode of an enemy is known, it is possible to easily slay the enemy, therefore the Lord says: