काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।
महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ |
mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 3.37)
“[In response to the question, ‘What causes a person to commit sin even against one’s will?’ Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:] It is kāma, of raja-guṇa in origin, voracious, and greatly harmful, and it is [kāma’s transformation upon obstruction] anger. Know this [i.e., kāma] to be the enemy here [i.e., on the path to mokṣa].”
Commentary
kāmaḥ prāktana-vāsanā-hetukaḥ śabdādi-viṣayako’bhilāṣaḥ puruṣaṁ pāpe prerayati | tad anicchum api so’sya preraka ity arthaḥ | nanv abhicārādau krodho’pi prerako dṛṣṭaḥ, sa ca ‘indriyasya’ ity ādau bhavatāpi pṛthag ukta iti cet, satyam | na sa tasmāt pṛthak, kintv eṣa kāma eva kenacic cetanena pratihataḥ krodho bhavati | dugdham ivāmlena yuktaṁ dadhi | kāma-jaya eva krodha-jaya iti bhāvaḥ | kīdṛśaḥ kāma ity āha rajo-guṇeti | sattva-vṛddhyā rajasi nirjite kāmo nirjitaḥ syād ity arthaḥ | na cāpekṣita-pradānena kāmasya nivṛttir ity āha mahāśana iti ‘yat pṛthivyāṁ vrīhi-yavaṁ hiraṇyaṁ paśavaḥ striyaḥ | nālam ekasya tat sarvam iti matvā śamaṁ vrajet ||’ iti smaraṇāt | na ca sāmnā bhedena vā sa vaśībhaved ity āha mahāpāpmeti yo’tyugro viveka-jñāna-vilopena niṣiddhe’pi pravartayati | tasmād iha jñāna-yoge enaṁ vairiṇaṁ viddhi | tathā ca dānādibhis tribhir upāyaiḥ sandhātum aśakyatvād vakṣyamāṇena daṇḍena sa hantavya iti bhāvaḥ | īśvaraḥ karmāntaritaḥ parjanyavat sarvatra prerakaḥ | kāmas tu svayam eva pāpmāgre iti tathoktam ||
(Gītā-bhūṣaṇa-ṭīkā)
“Kāma, that is, desire related to sounds and other objects of the senses caused by previous vāsanās [i.e., inclinations arising from impressions (saṁskāras) in the subconscious mind (citta) created by actions performed in the past] impels a person to sin. Therefore, it [i.e., kāma] is one’s impeller [in committing sin] even though one does not wish that. This is the meaning.
“[An objection is raised:] ‘Well, in black magic and the like, anger too is seen to be an impeller, and in [your statement in BG 3.34], ‘Attraction (rāga) and aversion (dveṣa) to an object of each sense is firmly established [i.e., bound to occur],’ that [i.e., anger] was mentioned even by you separately [i.e., even you mentioned aversion (dveṣa) as an element separate from attraction (rāga) earlier].’ If [this objection is raised, then in reply it is said], true. [But,] That [i.e., anger] is not [however] therefore separate [from kāma]. Rather, this, kāma itself, upon becoming obstructed by some entity, becomes anger just as milk combined with an acidic substance becomes yoghurt. The purport is that victory over desire is itself [i.e., also consequently leads to] victory over anger.
“[A query is posed:] ‘Kāma is [furthermore] of what nature?’ Thus, he says, ‘of raja-guṇa in origin’ (rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ). The meaning is that when rajas is conquered by an increase in sattva, kāma shall [also] be conquered. And it is not that the cessation of kāma occurs by giving [kāma] what is sought [by it, i.e., by the tactic known as giving (dāna) favors, concessions, and the like]. Thus, he says, ‘voracious’ (mahāśanaḥ) in according with the statement in the Smṛiti [i.e., in Hari-vaṁśa Purāṇa 22.38 and Mahābhārata 5.63.11], ‘All the rice, barley, gold, animals, and women on earth are not sufficient for one [person]. Deliberate on this and take to equanimity.’ And it is not that it shall become subdued by conciliation (sāma) or disunification (bheda) [either]. Thus, he says ‘greatly harmful’ (mahāpāpmā): [it is that] which is extremely fierce and impels [one] even towards that which forbidden by means of taking away one’s knowledge of [i.e., capacity for] discernment. Therefore, know this [viz., kāma] to be the enemy ‘here’ (iha), that is, in regard to the practice of knowledge (jñāna). Furthermore, because of [its] being impossible to ally with by way of the three means of giving (dāna) and so on [i.e., along with conciliation (sāma) or disunification (bheda)], it is to be destroyed with the stick (daṇḍa) [i.e., by application of force, which] to be described ahead [i.e., the means of destroying by force it will be explained ahead].
“Īśvara, hidden within karma, is the impeller everywhere like a rain cloud [i.e., like a rain cloud that showers water everywhere indiscriminately, meaning, Īśvara is indirectly an underlying impeller of the actions of a jīva]. Kāma, however, itself is [the direct impeller, i.e., kāma caused by vāsanās is the direct impeller of a jīva’s action], and thus earlier was called harmful.”