FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 3.40

इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते । एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥ ४० ॥
indriyāṇi mano buddhir
[indriyaani mano buddhir]
asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate
[asyaadhishthaanam uchyate]
etair vimohayaty eṣa
[etair vimohayaty esha]
jñānam āvṛtya dehinam
[jnaanam aavritya dehinam]
Word-for-word
indriyāṇi — the senses manaḥ — the mind buddhiḥ — the intelligence asya — of this lust adhiṣṭhānam — sitting place ucyate — is called etaiḥ — by all these vimohayati — bewilders eṣaḥ — this lust jñānam — knowledge āvṛtya — covering dehinam — of the embodied .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
indriyāṇi mano buddhir
indriyāṇi
the senses
manaḥ
the mind
buddhiḥ
the intelligence
asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate
asya
of this lust
adhiṣṭhānam
sitting place
ucyate
is called
etair vimohayaty eṣa
etaiḥ
by all these
vimohayati
bewilders
eṣaḥ
this lust
jñānam āvṛtya dehinam
jñānam
knowledge
āvṛtya
covering
dehinam
of the embodied .
Important Words
  • indriyāṇi — the senses
    Plural. The outermost layer — the five jñāna and five karma senses. Kāma's first fortress. The grossest and most visible; also the most accessible to direct discipline.
  • manaḥ — the mind
    The middle faculty — the saṅkalpa-vikalpa apparatus. Kāma's second fortress, harder to dislodge than the senses because invisible. Manaḥ-śuddhi is the chapter's quiet next step.
  • buddhiḥ — the intelligence
    The discrimination faculty — same buddhi as in 3.1, 3.2, 3.43. Kāma's deepest fortress. When even buddhi is colonized, the soul rationalizes its own bondage. The verse warns that the cleanup goes deeper than most realize.
  • adhiṣṭhānam — sitting place
    From adhi-√sthā, to stand upon. The 'standing place' — the location from which kāma operates. The same word used for the divine substratum elsewhere; here turned to the negative — the enemy's seat. Knowing where the enemy *sits* is half the campaign.
  • vimohayati — bewilders
    Causative of vi-√muh — the verb of total delusion. Kāma is the active bewilderer; its agency is causative. The verse insists that the soul is not the original bewilderer; it is *being* bewildered.
  • dehinam — of the embodied
    Genitive of dehin, the embodied one — the soul-in-a-body. The verse is careful: it is not the soul-as-soul that is bewildered; it is the soul *insofar as embodied*. The label gives the diagnosis its scope.
The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.
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)
Strategic reconnaissance: kāma is not abstract; it has bases of operation — indriya, manas, buddhi. From these three positions it veils jñāna and confuses the embodied self. Knowing the enemy's stronghold is the first step toward retaking it.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Three tiers (sense, mind, intellect) match BG 3.42's hierarchy. The compound 'adhiṣṭhāna' (post, garrison) extends the warfare metaphor begun in 3.37 (vairin). Note the sequence: kāma is not the dehin himself but a hostile force that has occupied his stations. This separates the soul from the affliction — crucial for liberation.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
इन्द्रियाणि मनः बुद्धिः अस्य अधिष्ठानम् उच्यते; एषः एतैः ज्ञानम् आवृत्य देहिनम् विमोहयति।
indriyāṇi manaḥ buddhiḥ asya adhiṣṭhānam ucyate; eṣaḥ etaiḥ jñānam āvṛtya dehinam vimohayati|
The senses, the mind, and the intelligence are said to be its seat; by means of these it veils knowledge and bewilders the embodied being.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
इन्द्रियाणि मनः बुद्धिः अस्य अधिष्ठानम् उच्यते । एतैः विमोहयति एषः ज्ञानम् आवृत्य देहिनम् ॥
indriyāṇi manaḥ buddhiḥ asya adhiṣṭhānam ucyate | etaiḥ vimohayati eṣaḥ jñānam āvṛtya dehinam ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
इन्द्रियाणि indriyāṇi इन्द्रिय (n.) nom.pl. (nominative plural) the senses
मनः manaḥ मनस् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the mind
बुद्धिः buddhiḥ बुद्धि (f.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) the intelligence
अस्य asya dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) gen.sg. (genitive singular)m. its (kāma's)
अधिष्ठानम् adhiṣṭhānam अधि+√स्था → अधिष्ठान (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) seat, base
उच्यते ucyate √वच् pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is said
एतैः etaiḥ dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) ins.pl. (instrumental plural)n. by these
विमोहयति vimohayati वि+√मुह् caus. (causative) pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) bewilders
एषः eṣaḥ dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. this (kāma)
ज्ञानम् jñānam ज्ञान (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) knowledge
आवृत्य āvṛtya आ+√वृ abs. (absolutive) having covered
देहिनम् dehinam देहिन् (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) the embodied one
Purport

The enemy has captured different strategic positions in the body of the conditioned soul, and therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa is giving hints of those places, so that one who wants to conquer the enemy may know where he can be found. Mind is the center of all the activities of the senses, and thus when we hear about sense objects the mind generally becomes a reservoir of all ideas of sense gratification; and, as a result, the mind and the senses become the repositories of lust. Next, the intelligence department becomes the capital of such lustful propensities. Intelligence is the immediate next-door neighbor of the spirit soul. Lusty intelligence influences the spirit soul to acquire the false ego and identify itself with matter, and thus with the mind and senses. The spirit soul becomes addicted to enjoying the material senses and mistakes this as true happiness. This false identification of the spirit soul is very nicely explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.84.13) : yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ “A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of birth worshipable, and who goes to the place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental knowledge there is to be considered like an ass or a cow.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
40. The senses, mind and intelligence are the seats of this lust. By these, lust, covering the knowledge of the soul, bewilders the soul.
Commentary

Where is this lust situated? This verse explains. The great fortresses and cities of this enemy lust (adhiṣṭhānam) are the senses, mind and intelligence. And the sense objects starting with sound [Note: The sense objects or viṣaya, are sound, touch, form, taste and smell.] are the provinces [Note: The provinces nourish to the cities.] ruled by the king called lust. Lust bewilders the jīva (dehinam), by covering knowledge, using the senses, mind and intelligence.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
40. The senses, mind and intelligence are the seats of this lust. By these, lust, covering the knowledge of the soul, bewilders the soul.
Commentary

Since the enemy lust has gained strongholds, it conquers easily. That is explained in this verse. The senses, mind and intelligence become the abodes of lust (adhiṣṭhānam); they become the huge fortified cities of lust, for manifesting kāma through enjoying the sense objects (for the sense), by decision (of the mind) and ascertainment (of the intelligence). The senses objects are the citizens of those cities. By material senses, mind and intelligence (etaiḥ), wandering here and there for sense objects, lust thus bewilders the jīva, which should know ātmā, but which possesses a body made of matter (dehinam). Bewilderment means that lust makes the jīva disinclined to knowing ātmā and inclined to enjoy sense objects.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

The three modes of material nature cover the real knowledge of the living entity, about who he is in relation with Krsna and bewilder him who will identify with his body. Lust is the all‑devouring enemy, Krsna explained this. So it is important when one has an enemy, to know where his hold is. Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport: "The enemy has captured different strategic positions in the body of the conditioned soul, and therefore Lord Krsna is giving hints of those places, so that one who wants to conquer the enemy may know where he can be found."

These three, the senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of lust. Out of these which one is the best place to attack and control the enemy? Krsna answers:

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

Lust is the greatest enemy because it covers our knowledge of the Absolute Truth. And, as it has

already been explained in verse 28 of this chapter, it is that knowledge which makes the difference

between working for Kṛṣṇa and working for fruitive results.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.40 Indriyani, the organs; manah, mind; and buddhih, the intellect; ucyate, are said to be; asya, its, desire's; adhisthanam, abode. Esah, this one, desire; vimohayati, diversely deludes; dehinam, the embodied being; avrtya, by veiling; jnanam, Knowledg; etaih, with the help of these, with the organs etc. which are its abodes. [The activities of the organs etc. are the media for the expression of desire. Desire covers the Knoweldge of the Self by stimulating these.]
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.40 The senses, the mind and the intellect are the instruments of desire in so far as it overpowers the self through them. By means of these, viz., the senses, the mind and the intellect, which have been reduced to the position of servants through attachment to sense objects, desire deludes the embodied soul caught up in Prakrti by covering up Its knowledge. Here 'deluding' means making the self a victim of manifold illusions, by turning It away from the knowledge of Its true nature, and making It indulge in sensuous experiences.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.40 Indriyani etc. In the beginning, it stands on the sense organs at work. For example, when an enemy is sighted with eyes, he generates wrath about himself at the very place of the perceiver's sense-organ, then in the mind i.e., fancy, then in the intellect, i.e., resolve; and producing delusion in this way, it destroys knowledge. [The Lord] speaks of the means for avoiding this foe as :
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.40 The senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these it deludes the embodied by veiling his wisdom.
Commentary

3.40 इन्द्रियाणि the senses? मनः the mind? बुद्धिः the intellect? अस्य its? अधिष्ठानम् seat? उच्यते is called? एतैः by these? विमोहयति deludes? एषः this? ज्ञानम् wisdom? आवृत्य having enveloped? देहिनम् the embodied.Commentary If the abode of the enemy is known it is ite easy to kill him. So Lord Krishna like a wise army general points out to Arjuna the abode of desire so that he may be able to attack it and kill it ite readily.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.40 The organs, mind, and the intellect are said to be its abode. This one diversely deludes the embodied being by veiling Knowledge with the help of these.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.40 It works through the senses, the mind and the reason; and with their help destroys wisdom and confounds the soul.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.42 BG 15.9 BG 2.60 SB 11.26.22 SB 7.9.40 SB 5.6.3 CC Madhya 22.147 CC Madhya 22.87 CC Madhya 19.176 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.3Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.4
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Lust resides in the senses, the mind, and the intelligence — through these it bewilders the embodied soul.
Practical Applications
  • Map your enemy — note where craving most often gets its grip (sense, mind, intelligence).
  • Apply specific defenses for each layer — fasting for senses, japa for mind, scripture for intelligence.
  • Don't fight at one level when the enemy has retreated to another.
Reflection Questions
  • Which layer (sense / mind / intelligence) is most compromised in me?
  • What practice addresses that specific layer?
Analogy

An enemy with three fortresses cannot be defeated by attacking only one. Kāma holds the senses, the mind, and the intelligence — to liberate yourself, you must dislodge it from all three.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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