Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 42
Chapter 3 – Karma Yoga · Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit verse
इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः ।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥
Transliteration
indriyāṇi parāṇyāhurindriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ .
manasastu parā buddhiryo buddheḥ paratastu saḥ ॥
Meaning
They say the senses are superior to the body; superior to the senses is the mind; superior to the mind is the intellect; and that which is beyond the intellect is the Self.
Word meanings
- इन्द्रियाणि – the senses
- पराणि – superior, subtler
- आहुः – they say
- इन्द्रियेभ्यः – than the senses
- परम् – higher
- मनः – the mind
- मनसः – than the mind
- तु – but
- परा – higher
- बुद्धिः – the intellect
- यः – who
- बुद्धेः – than the intellect
- परतः – beyond
- सः – that (the Self)
Anvaya (word order)
इन्द्रियाणि पराणि आहुः; इन्द्रियेभ्यः मनः परम्; मनसः तु बुद्धिः परा; यः तु बुद्धेः परतः, सः (आत्मा) ।
Explanation
This verse is a beautiful ladder of Self-science. The Lord explains the inner structure of a person in order: the senses are subtler and stronger than the gross body and its objects; above the senses is the mind, which directs them and is subtler; above the mind is the intellect, subtler still, since it decides; and beyond even the intellect is the Self, the witness of all.
In this order each higher level can govern the lower. The mind can restrain the senses, the intellect can give the mind discrimination, and awareness of the Self is the basis even of the intellect. Shankara explains that to conquer the senses named as the seat of desire, one must see what stands above them. Ramanuja takes it as pointing to the nature of the individual soul.
‘Yo buddheh paratas tu sah’ — he who is beyond the intellect. With this pronoun the Lord does not name the Self but only points, for what the senses, mind and intellect cannot grasp, words too cannot fully say.
The practical message is that when desires blaze, we should lift our awareness one level higher — from sense to mind, from mind to discrimination, and from discrimination to our own witnessing nature.
Context
After commanding in 3.41 that the senses be controlled, verse 3.42 builds the ladder by which this becomes possible. In 3.43 the knowledge is used for the final command to slay desire.
Life lesson
When an impulse arises, do not fight at the same level; go one level higher: first think with the mind, then with discrimination, and finally rest in your witnessing awareness. Control then becomes natural.
Key terms
- Para
- higher, subtler
- Buddhi
- the deciding faculty of discrimination
- Atman
- the witness consciousness beyond even the intellect