Chapter 3, Verse 40 (Bhagavad Gita 3.40)
Chapter 3: Karm Yog – Path of Selfless Service
Sanskrit Shloka
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते। एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम्
Transliteration
indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣhṭhānam uchyate etair vimohayatyeṣha jñānam āvṛitya dehinam
Word Meanings
indriyāṇi—the senses; manaḥ—the mind; buddhiḥ—the intellect; asya—of this; adhiṣhṭhānam—dwelling place; uchyate—are said to be; etaiḥ—by these; vimohayati—deludes; eṣhaḥ—this; jñānam—knowledge; āvṛitya—clouds; dehinam—the embodied soul
Translation
The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these, it deludes the embodied one, veiling their wisdom.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse identifies the physiological and psychological strongholds of desire (kama), which functions as a parasite on our consciousness. By infiltrating the senses, clouding the mind with cravings, and corrupting the intellect's judgment, desire creates a mirage that conceals our true, eternal nature. The teaching highlights that spiritual bondage is not an external imposition but an internal hijacking of our faculties. Realization begins when one recognizes that these tools of perception are being manipulated by ego-driven impulses. Through vigilant self-awareness, one can reclaim these gates, shifting them from instruments of delusion to vehicles for enlightenment.