Knowledge of the Self, you’ll learn to control desire.

Karma Yoga

Chapter 3, Verse 37

 

śrī bhagavān uvāca 

kāma eṣa krodha eṣa 

rajoguṇa samudbhavaḥ 

mahāśano mahā-pāpmā 

viddhyenam-iha vairiṇam

 

The Lord says: It is desire, it is anger, born of the guna of rajas, all devouring, and impeller to sin. Know this to be the foe here.

The attraction and repulsion to objects of senses are the two thieves which constantly rob man of his spiritual wealth. The force which is behind this is an automatic reaction of the mind. When the mind is not in accordance with the Divine Will, it automatically becomes a rebel. It starts to rebel against the force of Nature itself. When you have a certain desire which is not fulfilled, you get angry, no? Where does this desire come from? It doesn’t come from the Atma, it comes from the mind.  

The mind is responsible for such a state! 

Bhagavan Krishna says, “If the desire is removed at the beginning itself, it will not give way to anger. But if the desire is starting to speak loudly, then one becomes one’s own enemy.” If one is not strongly enough into practicing his sadhana, one has not this inner spiritual power. If one doesn’t have the knowledge of the Self, if one doesn’t put God first, then one will always be drawn to these qualities. 

In the previous verse Arjuna asks, “What is the enemy of man?” And here Krishna answers, “This desire.” But to overcome desire, Krishna says, “You must have knowledge! Without knowledge, this desire will not be controlled. Without knowledge, this desire will make you always sinful. But with the knowledge of the Self, you’ll learn to control desire.”

Bhagavad Gita