Summary:

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 38: Binding desires create three levels of obstacles to knowledge. Weak binding-desires resemble fire covered by smoke, requiring minimal effort as time and exposure to teachings like Bhagavad Gita naturally blow away tamasic clouds and restore innate wisdom. Sturdy binding-desires are like dust covering a mirror, demanding initiative, thorough cleaning, and firm rejection along with environmental changes. Strong binding-desires operate like a foetus in the womb, requiring full maturation time as deeply entrenched neuro-pathways cannot be rushed and may require lifetime work. Viveka (discrimination) becomes covered by distorted facts and unchecked claims, giving rise to irrational desires. What gives rise to irrational/inappropriate actions? Like fire is covered by smoke – viveka (discrimination) is covered by binding-desires, distorted facts and unchecked claims. What gives rise to binding-desires? Identification with the wanting person (ahamkara) and the psychological need for validation, recognition, and maintaining the self-image of someone important.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 39: Desires function as an insatiable fire and constant enemy of the wise (jnani), denying common sense. Additionally, the buddhi tricks you into feeling inadequate when not desiring. Desires oppose common sense by prioritizing personal satisfaction over objective assessment involving multiple variables that need attention. They create tunnel-vision. The root cause behind endless desires is due to limited “I”, as every desire stems from a sense of limitation (as it's impossible to desire when there is absence of limitation), with each fulfilled desire temporarily masking sense of inadequacy, but never touching the root cause. Even wise persons face constant battle between abiding by wisdom and pressures of raga-dvesha (likes-dislikes). Solutions include redirecting attention to higher purposes and having someone hold you accountable.

Revision of Verse 36-37:

Why you don’t do what is to be done:

What is to be done – is neglected or postponed due to pressure of binding desires (also called binding likes-dislikes) – which promise immediate satisfaction.

Furthermore, when these binding likes-dislikes are not satisfied – anger arises (either externalized/internalized) due to conviction that “I can’t live without this, my well-being and cheerfulness depends upon it, why would God take away something so important for me!!!”.

All situations, objects and experiences are pursued to invoke a pleased self

Situations, experiences and objects do satisfy us by temporarily ceasing the insistent voice created by binding desires, “I want, I want, I want”

But you don’t really want the object. What you want is a satisfied “I”. Not knowing this, one takes the object as THE means of satisfaction, and goes a long way to get it – in most cases transgressing dharma.

However the object has no intrinsic happiness in it. If it did, it would invoke a pleased self in all. Additionally, sometimes no object is gained – while a simple sunset or a piece of music invokes a pleased self.  

Krishna says, these desperate measures taken (caused by binding-desires) to invoke a satisfied-me at any cost, are your greatest enemy because they incur papam – negative consequences that’ll bother you later.

In short, binding-desires make you go against what's appropriate and mature, all for the sake of invoking a pleased-I for a short while.

How unfulfilled binding-desire creates further distortions in thinking…

Each time binding-desire is unfulfilled, there is perturbation because it hurts self-esteem because your well-being was intricately connected to the desired object/experience.

Then to restore emotional balance, one tells oneself a new story to reduce the anger (or frustration, depression) created.

Since you can’t keep track of new stories created, your relationship to the desired object becomes convoluted – taking one farther away from empirical reality in reference to the desired object.  Now one can’t appreciate similar objects in the future, as they too invoke attached past contradictory stories.

How did it all start?  

In short, it all started by telling yourself, “Things need to happen my way because my wellbeing depends on it!”.   Or “I absolutely MUST get ___, because I'm a good person, because ___ (justifications)”.

For example, Arjuna was dismissive (driven by raga-dvesha) towards Karna who wanted to participate in archery with the Pandavas. Simultaneously, Duryodhana wasn’t under influence of raga-dvesha, thus was able to objectively recognize Karna’s talent, and took him in.

It shows that even good people like Arjuna fall prey to binding desires (which later leads to anger, ie: regret in Arjuna's case) – and they miss opportunities result of saying “no” to things that would've otherwise positively influenced their life.

Difference between Binding-Desires and Non-Binding?  

1. Binding Desires:
   • Thought difficult initially, you have a choice to say “no” to them or reduce participation by at least 5%.
   • When denied to you, or unfulfilled, you’re deeply disturbed. You feel your self-worth and quality of life is compromised.
2. Non-Binding Desires:
   • Do your best to obtain them. Recognize results aren’t entirely up to you. Meaning, when they’re denied, or unfulfilled, you remain relatively composed and solution-focused, because self-worth and emotions aren't compromised.
   • They are healthy and necessary for survival. EG: Taking care of body, emotions, right perspective, doing the right thing, general security & variety, moksha.

 NEXT VERSE: Krishna shows 3 levels of problems binding-desires create and you need to address…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 38:
Three levels of binding-desires

धूमेन आव्रियते वह्निः यथा आदर्शः मलेन च ।
यथा उल्बेन आवृतः गर्भः तथा तेन इदम् आवृतम् ॥ ३-३८॥
dhūmena āvriyate vahniḥ yathā ādarśaḥ malena ca ।
yathā ulbena āvṛtaḥ garbhaḥ tathā tena idam āvṛtam ॥ 3-38॥

Just as the fire is covered by clouds of smoke, just as a mirror is covered by dust, and just as a foetus is covered by the womb, so too, knowledge is covered by (binding) desire.

Three levels of problems binding desires create, which you need to resolve…

Level 1 (Weak binding-desires): Fire covered by clouds of smoke:

What do you need to do to see the fire covered by smoke? Don’t do anything, or very little. For instance, the very smoke that covers the fire, will remove itself. Meaning, lot of your confusion will go away in time. In reference to some patterns, you need not do much then acknowledge them – while listening to B.G.

Some people came in the world with healthy patterns which got gradually covered by social voices. Hearing B.G, serves like the wind, it blows the tamasic clouds away, quickly restoring your thinking back to what was always natural to you; re-claiming forgotten innate wisdom you came with.

Another way to interpret this: The very viveka (compared to fire) that’s supposed to serve you, has covered itself through distorted facts and unchecked claims, which gave rise to binding/irrational desires.

Level 2 (Sturdy binding-desires): Mirror covered by dust:

The dust won’t go by waiting. Even if blow on it, more dust accumulates soon. Here, initiative and effort is required. Not only the mirror requires thorough cleaning, but the very room needs a change that keeps delivering more dust. It requires a firm “No!”.

With some dedication, repetition and change of standards – the patterns are smoothed out or significantly reduced.

Level 3 (Strong binding-desires): Foetus covered by womb:

Strongest desires operate like a foetus in the womb. You know it’s there, but it remains ambiguous and requires the full nine months to emerge clearly so you can work with it. Can’t hurry the process. Must wait 9 months / 10 years / etc. 

Similarly, you can’t quick-fix some deeply engrained habits in your life. Some challenges will remain for a lifetime. Here, lot of work is required because neuro-pathways are deeply entrenched.

When get impatient, remember, no effort goes wasted. You’re not wasting time.

Notice there’s no level 4 (impossible to remove, or not worth undoing). Meaning there's no excuse for inaction.

NEXT VERSE: (1) Binding-desires are enemies of the wise (jnanis), (2) Reason why common sense isn’t common (due to binding-desires, where my validation, happiness alone become a variable, neglecting other variables)…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 39:
Binding-desires are enemies of the wise (jnanis)…

आवृतम् ज्ञानम् एतेन ज्ञानिनः नित्यवैरिणा ।
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेण अनलेन च ॥ ३-३९॥
āvṛtam jñānam etena jñāninaḥ nityavairiṇā ।
kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇa analena ca ॥ 3-39॥

Knowledge is covered by this insatiable fire of desire, the constant enemy of the wise, Kaunteya (Arjuna)!

“Insatiable Fire of Desire”

Let’s look at nature of desires…

Insatiable: Like fire, the more fuel you offer it, the more it demands. There exists no such thing as a final desire, that once fulfilled, will leave you perfectly complete and full.

Influences your buddhi: Even when you’re not experiencing a wanting, your buddhi condemns this state: “You’re not desiring. What’s wrong with you!” This condemnation makes you feel like you’re not living life to the fullest, which generates a new desire to escape the perceived inadequacy.

Enemy of common sense: Desires are an enemy to common sense, because common sense involves connecting multiple variables and assessing the best situation for everyone involved. It also necessitates being objective, stepping out of the situation and looking at it from different angles. However desires make your satisfaction (or recognition, love, attention) alone the most important variable. Thus people without common sense are unable to see nuances.

Relationship to Desires and “I”:

Root cause of endless desires is limited “I”: Every desire is born from sense of being limited. Until the “I” (desiring entity, who is actually Brahman) is recognized to be whole and complete, the desire for more objects and experiences will never end.

Each satisfied desire is temporary: Each fulfilled desire temporarily masks your sense of limitation – but never eliminates the root cause; that your identity is tied to a limited instrument.

Solutions To Managing Desires:

According to Karma-Yoga – not all desires are destructive as we’ve seen above in description of “non-binding desires”.

Those that are considered binding (meaning your well-being is deeply tied to a certain outcome), you need to find your own way to reduce their hold on you. Methods include redirection of attention to a higher purpose, to a project that keeps you busy, having someone hold you accountable.

“Constant enemy of the wise”

There’s always a battle between abiding by wisdom you’ve gained, and pressures of likes-dislikes.

EG: You’ve learned that each person is on their own journey and may not see things as you do – but your pressures compel you to condemn them.

Binding-desires aren’t an enemy of the self, but of jnani’s clarity, of the joy of recognizing Ishvara in all forms. Binding-desires can reassert a sense of limitation (give impression that jnani's isn't complete, even though he/she has attained moksha). When people complain, “My nature is unchanging Awareness. I am Brahman. That's 100% clear. But I still don’t feel free nor joyful” – that’s because of binding-desires. Though you’re enlightened, you feel distant from the truth.

Even though the wise person (jnani) knows perfection is only at level of Atma, he/she still needs to constantly strive to do best at level of the mind, behaviour, words and thoughts.

For example, there’s cases of spiritual teachers who had affairs with students, thinking he is giving female students a favor by sleeping with them. Even a wise person’s mind can even fall prey to binding raga-dvesha, accidentally misuse power, come from projections, etc.

Additionally, unlike the non-discriminating person who learns through consequences, the wise person suffers the additional burden of knowing better while acting against one’s own understanding.

Attitude a wise person should have towards desires:

Even when you know the Self, you can’t afford to become lazy, complacent and comfortable in the know-how. Because binding desires are your constant enemy (nitya-vairina). Fact is, jnani’s mind can always be a little kinder, more forgiving and nuanced – all the while knowing Self is free of this brilliant mind.

The wise person neither ignores emotions (which produces apathy and disinterest in life), nor gets carried away by them. Instead uses the buddhi to manage them, which is called emotional intelligence.

Questions and Answers: All About Binding-Desires

1. What gives rise to irrational/inappropriate actions?
   • Like fire is covered by smoke – viveka (discrimination) is covered by binding-desires, distorted facts and unchecked claims.
2. What gives rise to binding-desires?
   • Identification with the wanting person (ahamkara) and the psychological need for validation, recognition, and maintaining the self-image of someone important.
3. How a binding desire starts?
   • Stage 1: The build up.
     • “That's nice”  > “It would be nice to have it”  > “It would be really nice to have”  > “I want it”  > “I really want it”  > 
   • Stage 2: Binding-desire established
     • “I must have it because it will complete me, and ___, and  ___”  > “If I don't have it, I can't function properly”.
   • Observations:
     • Notice you reached stage of binding-desire by persuading yourself again-and-again why you should have it. You become a salesman to yourself. 
     • Each time you convince yourself more – a desire for an object or experience becomes more binding.
     • Since pressure of BINDING-desire is painful, you have to take to emergency procedures to remove the pain. How to remove pain? By getting first aid (fulfilling the desire).  Additionally in emergency, dharma becomes low priority because all that matters in that moment is accomplishing (getting the object).
4. When binding-desire is unfulfilled, why does anger follow?
   • Because the wanted object/experience is now part of your identity. So it feels like a chunk of you is denied. 
5. Can noble causes become binding?
   • Yes. Even learning Vedanta, or study of any field meant to help you, can become a binding desire – because your well-being or self-worth becomes dependent on it.  This often makes good people hostile towards alternative views, and even preventing you from being involved in other areas which could build your character even more.
6. Relationship between Needs, Wants and Desires? Needs are Non-binding desires. Wants are binding-desires.

NEXT VERSE: Talks about 3 centers where binding desires delude you, and where you can reclaim control…

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Course was based on Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.

Recorded 28 Sept, 2025