Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 34

Chapter 3 – Karma Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।
तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥

Transliteration

indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau .
tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau ॥

Meaning

Attraction and aversion are seated in the object of every sense. One should not come under their sway, for they are one's two foes on the path.

Word meanings

इन्द्रियस्य इन्द्रियस्य – of each sense
अर्थे – in its object
रागद्वेषौ – attraction and aversion
व्यवस्थितौ – lie in wait, are established
तयोः – of those two
वशम् – under the sway
न आगच्छेत् – should not come
हि – for
तौ – those two
अस्य – his
परिपन्थिनौ – foes, obstructors on the way

Anvaya (word order)

इन्द्रियस्य इन्द्रियस्य अर्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ; तयोः वशं न आगच्छेत्; हि तौ अस्य परिपन्थिनौ ।

Explanation

After showing in the previous verse the strength of nature, the Lord now gives the practical remedy. In the relation of each sense to its object, raga (attraction) and dvesha (aversion) are already lying in wait. The eye longs for the beautiful and recoils from the ugly; the tongue wants the sweet and shuns the bitter. This pull and push is what drives us.

The Lord says that using the senses and their objects is not itself sin, but coming under the ‘vasha’, the control, of these two is dangerous. Raga and dvesha are ‘paripanthinau’ — highwaymen lurking along the road who rob the seeker of peace and discrimination. Shankara says that one engaged in scripturally prescribed action should not fall under attraction and aversion but should follow the scripture. For Ramanuja they are obstacles on the road to liberation.

The solution here is not suppression but awareness. When we recognise attraction and aversion as they arise, a moment of discernment comes before we act on them. That gap is the space of freedom.

In today's life this verse is a useful lesson in noticing habits, reactions and impulses and not being governed by them.

Context

Verse 3.33 said that nature is strong and suppression achieves nothing. Verse 3.34 gives the way — not to fall under raga and dvesha. In 3.35 the glory of one's own dharma follows, and in 3.36 Arjuna asks why a person commits sin.

Life lesson

Whenever strong attraction or revulsion arises, pause a moment and watch it. That moment before reaction is your real freedom.

Key terms

Raga: attraction, attachment
Dvesha: aversion, hatred
Paripanthi: a foe on the path, a highwayman