Summary:

Q & A session based on CH3, Verse 38-39: Why common sense isn't so common, how binding desires are formed, and why they're enemy of both the ajnani and jnani…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 38 – Revision:

What gives rise to irrationality and inappropriate behavior?

Student responses collected:

• Lack of emotional maturity – unable to pause and assess what the situation truly calls for
• State of mind/mood – the same mind thinks good things sometimes, bad things at other times
• Environment – huge impact on behavior, sound levels, surroundings, who's around you
• Fear – particularly fear of lack, which promotes desire and survival mode
• Overwhelming responsibilities – too much on one's plate shuts down viveka (discrimination)
• Extreme stimuli – too much data coming in
• Expectations – unfulfilled expectations leading to reactions
• Reacting unconsciously – not being present, not pausing before acting
• Lack of experience – not having fallen enough to learn how to remain grounded
• Instant gratification and temptation
• Wrong perspectives
• Physical discomfort – creates irritability and fatigue
• Ignorance of wholeness – not knowing we are part of the whole
• The Path of Least Resistance: It's much easier to go with whatever is available in front of you than to sift through and consider better options. This is why we often act irrationally despite knowing better.

Narrowing Down to One Root Cause: All these responses can be categorized under one root cause according to Krishna: binding desires.

What gives rise to binding desires? The pursuit of completion. My identity is still placed in the small, limited body-mind complex. That small, limited seeker constantly attempts to fill itself up by reaching the Anandamaya Kosha (bliss sheath) – through different means. Does to enjoy. Cycle of karta-bhokta. 

How Binding Desires Start:

• Stage 1: You see an object and innocently think, “That's nice.”
• Stage 2: Next time – “That's really nice.” (No big deal, innocent)
• Stage 3: “Wow.” (More attention)
• Stage 4: “Kind of want that. I think I want that.”
• Stage 5: “I really want that.”
• Stage 6: “I must have it.”
• Stage 7: “I'm going to get it.”

You are now in the stage of binding desire.

What happened in this process? You became your own salesman. A binding desire is persuading oneself through a constant repetition that I need it, why it should be in my life, how it's going to complete me, ways it'll create a better life for me, etc… 

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 39 – Revision:
Binding Desires as Enemy of the Wise

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, O Kaunteya (Arjuna)!

The word jñāninaḥ (wise person) in this verse can be understood in two ways, and both interpretations are valid.

ANGLE 1: Binding Desires as Enemy of the Ajñāni (Discriminating Seeker)

Who is This “Wise Person”?

In this first interpretation, jñānī refers to the mumukṣu/jijñāsu – the sincere, discriminating seeker who:

• • Has intellectual clarity and discrimination (viveka)
  • Knows what should be done and what should not be done (kārya-akārya-vivekī)
  • Is mature and discerning but not yet firmly established in Self-knowledge

Why is Binding Desire an “Enemy” for the Seeker?

1. 1. It Covers Discriminative Knowledge: Just as smoke covers fire or dust covers a mirror, binding desire covers knowledge and discerning power (jñānam āvṛtya). Due to bias, it makes you stuck in your view, unwilling or unable to see alternative views.
   2. It Overpowers Your Wisdom: Even though you KNOW a certain desire is not good for you, the pain of caring the desire compels you to fulfill it to end the pain of bearing it. Just like compulsion to scratch mosquito bite to relive yourself from the itch momentarily.
   3. It is Insatiable (Duṣpūreṇa Analena): A binding desire is like fire – the more fuel you give it, the more it demands. 

Real-Life Examples from Seekers (Ajñānis) Who Fell To Binding-Desires

1. 1. The Spiritual Teacher Who Fell: A well-known yoga teacher in the West had clear intellectual understanding of brahmacharya (celibacy) and appropriate conduct. He taught thousands about self-control. Yet his binding desire for power and sexual gratification led him to inappropriate relationships with students. He knew it was wrong before, during, and after – but the binding desire overpowered his discrimination. His knowledge was covered by desire.
   2. The Meditator's Food Obsession: A dedicated meditation practitioner understood the teachings on moderation and knew that overeating was harming his health and meditation practice. Yet every evening, binding desire for comfort through food would overpower his discrimination. He would eat excessively, feel guilt afterwards, and repeat the cycle daily. The desire was his constant enemy on the path.

Key Teaching for Sincere Seekers:

For the ajñāni, binding desires must be progressively weakened through:

• • Strengthening the buddhi (intellect/discrimination)
  • Environmental management
  • Pratipaksha bhavana (cultivating opposite thoughts)
  • Karma yoga (using every setback as opportunity to assess your emotional responses, and recognize it's coming from the infallible order)

ANGLE 2: Binding Desires as Enemy of Jñāni's Body-Mind (Attained Moksha)

Binding desires are NOT enemies to the Self (Ātman) because the Self is attributeless (nirguṇa), actionless, ever-free, nothing can touch awareness (since it doesn't have attributes).

Rather, binding-desires ARE enemies to the jñāni's mind. Meaning even after complete Self-knowledge – knowing “I am the limitless, actionless Ātman” – the mind is still a product of prakṛti (nature) governed by:

• • Mechanical habits (saṁskāras)
  • Patterns of thinking (vāsanās)
  • Accumulated conditioning from lifetimes

Cognitively: The jñāni has no problem. The understanding is crystal clear – “I am limitless awareness.”

Emotionally: Old habitual thoughts still arise: “I am limited. I am hurt. I am inadequate.” – which if left unchecked, persist at level of the mind. This is called viparīta-bhāvanā – habitual erroneous notions running contrary to knowledge.

EG: It's not like a jñāni/jivanmukta will suddenly stop smoking upon enlightenment, or remove their lifelong habit (which can also be called binding-desire as it restricts free will) of speaking abrasively. That binding desire or habit pattern continues in the mind even though the jñāni knows “I am not the body, smoking cannot touch me.”

In this sense, binding-desires are enemies to jnani's mind's peace and steadiness of mind, ability to appreciate Ishvara in all forms, clarity and spontaneous right action. Nobody wants to live with a mind that keeps yapping for 20+ years, even though you know you're free!

Real-Life Examples from Jñānis with Residual Binding-Desires

1. 1. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's Attachment to Devotees: Ramakrishna had such intense love for his devotees that when they were away, he would sometimes cry like a child missing his mother. Was this a binding desire at the mind level? Yes. Did it touch his Self-knowledge? No. He himself acknowledged these patterns and worked through them.
   2. Nisargadatta Maharaj's Cigarette Smoking: Nisargadatta Maharaj continued smoking cigarettes throughout his life, even as a jñāni. When asked why he didn't stop if he knew it was harmful, he said the body-mind has its habits. The binding desire for tobacco continued at the mind level, even though he was firmly established as awareness. He eventually developed throat cancer, yet remained untouched in his true nature.
   3. Yajñavalkya's Personal Issues: Even the great sage Yajñavalkya, who gave the most profound teachings in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, had to deal with domestic conflicts between his two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani. The residual patterns of preference, attachment, and relating had to be worked through. 

The Role of Nididhyāsana for the Jñāni

Nididhyāsana is NOT to gain new knowledge. It is to:

• • Eliminate viparīta-bhāvanā (contrary habitual notions)
  • Allow emotions to catch up with the knowledge
  • Clear residual vāsanās that create mental disturbance

The Journey: From Knowing to Being

• • Śravaṇa (listening) gives knowledge: “I am Brahman”
  • Manana (reflection) removes all doubts about this
  • Nididhyāsana (contemplation) repeatedly think about the teachings until the habit of seeing limitation fades

SUMMARY: Both Angles Are True

For the Ajñāni (Seeker):

• • Binding desires cover knowledge that could arise
  • They are obstacles to gaining Self-knowledge
  • They must be actively weakened through practices
  • They are the constant enemy preventing liberation

For the Jñāni (Liberated):

• • Binding desires cannot cover the knowledge already gained
  • They are obstacles to expressing Self-knowledge fully
  • They gradually lose their binding quality through nididhyāsana
  • They are enemies to peace, not to the Self

Both need to work with binding desires – the ajñāni to remove the obstruction to knowledge, the jñāni to remove the obstruction to the full expression and emotional assimilation of that knowledge.

Key Points of Verse 39:

1. Binding desires are “insatiable fire” (duṣpūreṇa analena) – they can never be fully satisfied, only transcended
2. They are “constant enemies” (nityavairī) – not occasional problems but ongoing challenges requiring ongoing work
3. The word “wise” includes both seekers and the liberated – showing that the journey continues even after moksha, just in a different way
4. Knowledge alone is not enough – it must be supported by practice, contemplation, and patience with the mind's patterns
5. There is no complacency – whether seeker or liberated, the work with the mind continues with compassion and dedication

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

Recorded 5 Oct, 2025