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Bhagavad-gītā 3.34

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ । तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥ ३४ ॥
indriyasyendriyasyārthe
[indriyasyendriyasyaarthe]
rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau
[raaga-dveshau vyavasthitau]
tayor na vaśam āgacchet
[tayor na vasham aagachchet]
tau hy asya paripanthinau
[tau hy asya paripanthinau]
Word-for-word
indriyasya — of the senses indriyasya arthe — in the sense objects rāga — attachment dveṣau — also detachment vyavasthitau — put under regulations tayoḥ — of them na — never vaśam — control āgacchet — one should come tau — those hi — certainly asya — his paripanthinau — stumbling blocks .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
indriyasyendriyasyārthe
indriyasya
of the senses
rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau
tayor na vaśam āgacchet
tau hy asya paripanthinau
indriyasya arthe
in the sense objects
rāga
attachment
dveṣau
also detachment
vyavasthitau
put under regulations
tayoḥ
of them
na
never
vaśam
control
āgacchet
one should come
tau
those
hi
certainly
asya
his
paripanthinau
stumbling blocks .
Important Words
  • indriyasya — of the senses
    Genitive singular. The verse moves into the close-up: not abstract attachment, but the *specific* current that runs between one sense and one object. The teaching is granular.
  • rāga — attachment
    From √rañj, to color. Rāga is the *coloring* of consciousness by an object — the mind takes the hue of what it has been near. A precise word: not merely 'liking' but being *colored*.
  • dveṣau — also detachment (aversion)
    Aversion — the inverse twin of rāga. The dual ending (-au) pairs the two; the verse insists they always come together. To be under rāga is already to be under dveṣa, and vice versa.
  • vyavasthitau — put under regulations
    Dual past participle of vi-ava-√sthā, established with proper differentiation. The pair is *already arranged* in the senses; you do not have to manufacture them. The work is not to install discipline but to refuse the existing pulls.
  • paripanthinau — stumbling blocks
    Dual — *the two robbers on the path*. From pari-pathin, one who haunts the road. A vivid image: rāga and dveṣa are not weaknesses but *highwaymen* lying in wait on the path of self-realization.
There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The strategic answer to verse 33. Don't fight nature directly; intercept it earlier. Rāga and dveṣa lie pre-installed in each sense-channel. Catch them before they capture the will, and svabhāva loses its compulsion.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
A subtle psychological move. The verse names rāga-dveṣa as the two 'paripanthins' (highwaymen on the path). Their place is precise: 'indriyasya indriyasya arthe' — at the meeting of sense and object. This is the contemplative junction where karma-yoga's discipline operates. Compare BG 2.64 (rāga-dveṣa-vimukta) and Patañjali Yoga Sūtra 2.7–8.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
इन्द्रियस्य इन्द्रियस्य अर्थे राग-द्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ; तयोः वशम् न आगच्छेत्; हि तौ अस्य परिपन्थिनौ।
indriyasya indriyasya arthe rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau; tayoḥ vaśam na āgacchet; hi tau asya paripanthinau|
Attachment and aversion are established with regard to the object of each and every sense; one should not come under their sway, for the two are indeed his way-blockers.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
इन्द्रियस्य इन्द्रियस्य अर्थे राग-द्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ । तयोः न वशम् आगच्छेत् तौ हि अस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥
indriyasya indriyasya arthe rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau | tayoḥ na vaśam āgacchet tau hi asya paripanthinau ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
इन्द्रियस्य indriyasya इन्द्रिय (n.) gen.sg. (genitive singular) of the sense (repeated for distributive)
अर्थे arthe अर्थ (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) with regard to the object
राग-द्वेषौ rāga-dveṣau राग + द्वेष nom.du. (nominative dual), dvandva cpd. (compound) attachment and aversion
व्यवस्थितौ vyavasthitau वि+अव+√स्था p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.du. (nominative dual)m. established, set in place
तयोः tayoḥ dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) gen.du. (genitive dual)m. of those two
न na ind. (indeclinable), negative not
वशम् vaśam वश (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) control, sway
आगच्छेत् āgacchet आ+√गम् opt. (optative) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) should come under
तौ tau dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.du. (nominative dual)m. those two
हि hi ind. (indeclinable), causal for, indeed
अस्य asya dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) gen.sg. (genitive singular)m. of him
परिपन्थिनौ paripanthinau परि+√पन्थ् → परिपन्थिन् (adj.) nom.du. (nominative dual)m. way-blockers, obstructors
Purport

Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are naturally reluctant to engage in material sense gratification. But those who are not in such consciousness should follow the rules and regulations of the revealed scriptures. Unrestricted sense enjoyment is the cause of material encagement, but one who follows the rules and regulations of the revealed scriptures does not become entangled by the sense objects. For example, sex enjoyment is a necessity for the conditioned soul, and sex enjoyment is allowed under the license of marriage ties. According to scriptural injunctions, one is forbidden to engage in sex relationships with any women other than one’s wife. All other women are to be considered as one’s mother. But in spite of such injunctions, a man is still inclined to have sex relationships with other women. These propensities are to be curbed; otherwise they will be stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization. As long as the material body is there, the necessities of the material body are allowed, but under rules and regulations. And yet, we should not rely upon the control of such allowances. One has to follow those rules and regulations, unattached to them, because practice of sense gratification under regulations may also lead one to go astray – as much as there is always the chance of an accident, even on the royal roads. Although they may be very carefully maintained, no one can guarantee that there will be no danger even on the safest road. The sense enjoyment spirit has been current a very long, long time, owing to material association. Therefore, in spite of regulated sense enjoyment, there is every chance of falling down; therefore any attachment for regulated sense enjoyment must also be avoided by all means. But attachment to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or acting always in the loving service of Kṛṣṇa, detaches one from all kinds of sensory activities. Therefore, no one should try to be detached from Kṛṣṇa consciousness at any stage of life. The whole purpose of detachment from all kinds of sense attachment is ultimately to become situated on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
34. Attachment and repulsion are firmly fixed in each of the sense objects. One should not come under control of attachment and repulsion. They are the two obstacles.
Commentary

Since the rules and restrictions of scripture do not have effect upon those of evil nature, one should limit the senses, if one is not under the influence of sinful nature arising from past sinful habits. That is described in this verse. The word indriya is repeated to indicate each of the sense objects of each of the senses. Attachment (rāga) for what is forbidden by scripture, such as giving gifts to other’s wives, or seeing or touching their bodies; or repulsion (dveṣa) for what is prescribed by scripture, such as distributing gifts to, serving, seeing and touching the guru, the brāhmaṇa, the holy places and visitors, are firmly fixed (viśeṣena avasthitau) in all the sense objects (form, smell, taste, touch and sound). One should not be under the control (vaśam) of attachment and repulsion. Another meaning is this. Attachment means seeing a woman (object of the eye) and hatred for those that obstruct that enjoyment. Therefore, the mind is attracted to what helps one attain one’s goals. The mind is attracted to tasty, tender rice as it is favorable for one’s goals, and the mind has dislike of tasteless hard rice, as it is against one’s goals. One has attachment to hearing and seeing one’s own sons, but dislikes seeing or hearing the sons of one’s enemies. One should not fall under the control of such attachment and repulsion.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
34. Attachment and repulsion are firmly fixed in each of the sense objects. Therefore one should not come under control of attachment and repulsion. They are the two obstacles.
Commentary

“If the actions of men were under the control of their sinful natures, then the positive and negative injunctions of scripture would be useless.” Repetition of the word indriyasya (of the sense) indicates all the senses—the knowledge senses such as the ear, and its sense object sound, and the action senses such as the voice and its sense object, words. Attraction and hatred (raga dveṣau) pleasure or discomfort to the individual, are fixed firmly (vyavasthitau), not in an unsettled way, in all these sense objects (indriyasya arthe). Even if they are prescribed by scripture, such things as talking to saintly persons, serving them or going to holy places, becomes the object of hatred, seen as unfavorable or disagreeable to the individual. But even though living entities have the tendency to follow these feelings of desire and hatred, the person desiring the highest good should not fall under the control of desire and hatred (tayoh), since (hi) they cause obstacles on his path (paripanthinau). They are like thieves standing in front of (pari) the traveler on the road (panthin). What is stated is this. Impressions (vāsanā) which have operated since beginningless time, give rise to such things as desire to speak to others’ wives, even though it is forbidden in the scriptures. Accompanying the desire arises knowledge of the positive features of doing so, and absence of knowledge of anything negative in doing so. This desire makes men act. In a similar way, hatred may develop concerning speaking to saintly persons, which is prescribed in the scriptures. This hatred manifests along with knowledge that speaking to saintly persons is undesirable, and lack of knowledge anything desirable in it. Thus he will avoid that situation. The scriptures, which direct one to associate with the saintly persons, will turn one away from, and make one detest what is forbidden, even though it is pleasurable to the mind, by making one understand the undesirable consequences of the forbidden act. And they will also make one have attraction for and engage in acts prescribed by scripture by making one understand their favorable results, even though these may be unpleasant for the mind. Thus the positive and negative injunctions of scripture are not useless. [Note: Vāsanās or saṁskāras, impressions are means by which experiences of previous lives stay with the jīva life after life. Under certain conditions, the impressions activate, creating memory of previous like or dislike. Desires appear, and thus the jīva acts. Though vāsanās or impressions are powerful to instigate the jīva to action, they do not make the jīva powerless to make his choices. Free will of the jīva exists along with his experience of vāsanās. This enables the jīva to choose the advice of scripture over his material desires.]

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

In other words, people according to their modes, they tend to do what their minds demand. And the mind is surrendered to the senses so whatever one is attached to one does and whatever one is aversed to he doesn't do. But Krsna explains here that there are principles to regulate our attachments and aversions. We shouldn't surrender to this and why? Because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self‑realization. And sel‑realization has to be accept as the purpose of life. So, what should we be controlled by? Not by our attachments or aversions but by sastra, by duty. And this faith and obedience this controls one's attachments and aversions.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Gradually purify them (conditioned souls) by dovetailing their sense enjoyment propensities

according to religious duty

Stumbling blocks on path of self-realization (3.34)
Attachment and aversion pertaining to senses and their objects
How to get out of it (3.34)
Do not come under the control of such attachment and aversion
There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXTS 3.33 – 3.34

Except for the self-realized all people are driven to act by the three modes of nature
Therefore the sincere aspiring spiritualist follows the path of regulation to gradually purify his modal attachments, while giving him enough sense gratification to pacify his mind
Still, if one clings on to the concessions given for sense gratification in the sastra, he risks falling down to sinful life
Focus of Learning

(a) Only ‘platform’ to be free from modes – Transcendental platform of Krishna consciousness (Ref.

Bg. 7.14)

(b) ‘High education’ fails to help – Impossible to get out of Maya simply by theoretical knowledge.

Examples:

Many so called spiritualists pose as advanced in science but inwards or privately, they are completely under the modes of nature
One may be academically learned but because of long association with material nature, he is in bondage

(c) ‘Without being fully in Krishna consciousness one should not give up one’s occupational duties –

because:

Krishna consciousness helps one to get out of material entanglement, even though one may be engaged in his material prescribed duties
No-one should suddenly give up his prescribed duties and become a so-called transcendentalist artificially
Stay in one’s position and try to attain Krishna consciousness under superior training
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.34 Raga-dvesau, attraction and repulsion, in the following manner-attraction towards desirable things, and repulsion against undesirable things; (vyavasthitau, are ordained,) are sure to occur, arthe, with regard to objects such as sound etc.; indriyasya indriyasya, of all the organs, with regard to each of the organs. As to that, the scope of personal effort and scriptural purpose are being stated as follows: One who is engaged in the subject-matter of the scriptures should, in the very beginning, not come under the influence of love and hatred. For, that which is the nature of a person impels him to his actions, verily under the influence eof love and hatred. And then follow the rejection of one's own duty and the undertaking of somody else's duty. On the other hand, when a person controls love and hatred with the help of their opposites [Ignorance, the cause of love and hatred, has discrimination as its opposite.], then he becomes mindful only of the scriptural teachings; he ceases to be led by his nature. Therefore, na agacchet, one should not come; vasam, under the sway; tayoh, of these two, of love and hatred; hi because; tau, they; are asya, his, this person's pari-panthinau, adversaries, who, like robbers, put obstacles on his way to Liberation. This is the meaning. In this world, one impelled by love and hatred misinterprets even the teaching of the scriptures, and thinks that somody else's duty, too, has to be undertaken just because it is a duty! That is wrong:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.34 An unavoidable attraction has been fixed for organs of sense like ear towards the objects like sound, and for organs of action like that of tongue towards their objects like tasty food. This longing is in the form of desire to experience these objects, which is caused by old subtle impressions. When their experience is thwarted, an unavoidable aversion is experienced. Thus, these two, attachment and aversion, bring under their control one who aspires to follow Jnana Yoga, and forcibly engage him in actions appropriate to them, in spite of his having established some sort of control over the senses. Such an aspirant fails to get the experience of the self, and therefore becomes completely lost. So no one practising Jnana Yoga should come under the sway of attachment and aversion, which are ruinous. These two, attachment and aversion, are indeed his unconerable foes that deter him from the practice of Jnana Yoga.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.34 See Comment under 3.35
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.34 Attachment and aversion for the objects of the senses abide in the senses; let none come under their sway; for, they are his foes.
Commentary

3.34 इन्द्रियस्य इन्द्रियस्य of each sense? अर्थे in the object? रागद्वेषौ attachment and aversion? व्यवस्थितौ seated? तयोः of these two? न not? वशम् sway? आगच्छेत् should come under? तौ these two? हि verily? अस्य his? परिपन्थिनौ foes.Commentary Each sense has got attraction for a pleasant object and aversion for a disagreeable object. If one can control these two currents? viz.? attachment and aversion? he will not come under the sway of these two currents. Here lies the scope for personal exertion or Purushartha. Nature which contains the sum total of ones Samskaras or the latent selfproductive impressions of the past actions of merit and demerit draws a man to its course through the two currents? attachment and aversion. If one can control these two currents? if he can rise above the sway of love and hate through discrimination and Vichara or right eniry? he can coner Nature and attain immortality and eternal bliss. He willl no longer be subject to his own nature now. One should always exert to free himself from attachment and aversion to the objects of the senses.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.34 Attraction and repulsion are ordained with regard to the objects of all the organs. One should not come under the sway of these two, because they are his adversaries.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.34 The love and hate which are aroused by the objects of sense arise from Nature; do not yield to them. They only obstruct the path.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)
Related verses
BG 2.62 BG 2.64 BG 5.22 SB 7.5.30 SB 11.26.1 SB 5.5.2 CC Madhya 19.170 CC Madhya 22.87 CC Madhya 22.145 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.7BRS 1.2.258
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Attachment and aversion to sense objects are obstacles in the way; do not come under their control.
Practical Applications
  • Notice the dual currents — likes pulling, dislikes pushing — and refuse to be steered by either.
  • Practice neutral engagement: do what dharma asks regardless of preference.
  • Catch your reactivity early before it locks in a course of action.
Reflection Questions
  • Which attachment-aversion pair has the most grip on me right now?
  • What would 'neutral engagement' actually look like in that situation?
Analogy

Two opposing winds blow on a flame — one fans it, one threatens to snuff it. Both move the fire. The lamp-bearer keeps the glass closed against both and walks the path lit only by what burns within.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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