Bhagavad Gita 3.37

Sanskrit

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः । महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥3.37॥

Transliteration

kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ | mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhyenamiha vairiṇam ‖3.37‖

Meaning

“The Blessed Lord said: It is desire, it is anger, born of the guna of rajas, all-devouring, greatly sinful. Know this to be the enemy here.”

Key learning

The real troublemaker inside us is unchecked desire, which turns into anger the moment it gets blocked. They are two sides of the same force, and it's never satisfied. The more you feed it, the bigger it gets. Treat it as your main inner enemy, one worth understanding and beating.

How to apply this today

Notice that your anger almost always hides a blocked want underneath. Road rage is really wanting control you can't have. Fury at a family member is often wanting to be appreciated and feeling ignored. Find and name the want behind the anger, and the anger settles down. Remember, giving in to a craving feeds it rather than ending it.

Theme: The Yoga of Action

This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: Karma Yoga , read all verses in this chapter.

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