FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 3.37

శ్రీ భగవానువాచ కామ ఏష క్రోధ ఏష రజోగుణసముద్భ‍వః । మహాశనో మహాపాప్మా విద్ధ్యేనమిహ వైరిణమ్ ॥ ౩౭ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
[kaama esha krodha esha]
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
[rajo-guna-samudbhavah]
mahāśano mahā-pāpmā
[mahaashano mahaa-paapmaa]
viddhy enam iha vairiṇam
[viddhy enam iha vairinam]
Word-for-word
śri - bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said kāmaḥ — lust eṣaḥ — this krodhaḥ — wrath eṣaḥ — this rajaḥ - guṇa — the mode of passion samudbhavaḥ — born of mahā - aśanaḥ — all-devouring mahā - pāpmā — greatly sinful viddhi — know enam — this iha — in the material world vairiṇam — greatest enemy .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śri - bhagavān uvāca
the Personality of Godhead said
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
kāmaḥ
lust
eṣaḥ
this
krodhaḥ
wrath
eṣaḥ
this
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
rajaḥ - guṇa
the mode of passion
samudbhavaḥ
born of
mahāśano mahā-pāpmā
mahā - aśanaḥ
all-devouring
mahā - pāpmā
greatly sinful
viddhy enam iha vairiṇam
viddhi
know
enam
this
iha
in the material world
vairiṇam
greatest enemy .
Important Words
  • kāmaḥ — lust
    The most charged word in the chapter. Kāma — desire that exceeds dharma. Kṛṣṇa names the enemy in one syllable so that the soul can find it and fight it specifically. Naming is half the cure.
  • krodhaḥ — wrath
    Anger. The verse identifies kāma and krodha as a single phenomenon in two phases — desire that meets obstruction *becomes* wrath. The Gītā treats them as one enemy with two faces.
  • rajaḥ - guṇa — the mode of passion
    Compound. Kāma is *born* of rajas — the activity-mode. Not of tamas (lethargy) or sattva (clarity). The verse traces kāma to its specific guṇa-source so that anti-rajas measures (sattva-cultivation) become the obvious remedy.
  • mahā - aśanaḥ — all-devouring
    Compound: mahā (great) + aśana (eater). *Great-eater*. Kāma does not nibble — it eats *everything*. The compound is dramatic on purpose: the soul must not underestimate its appetite.
  • mahā - pāpmā — greatly sinful
    Compound: mahā + pāpman (sin). Not 'something that produces sin' — kāma *is* sin. The compound assigns the very category of pāpa to this single energy. Kāma is the engine, not just the smoke.
  • vairiṇam — greatest enemy
    From vaira, hostility. Not a weakness; not a habit; an *enemy*. The vocabulary is martial. Arjuna, holding a bow, is being told whom to actually aim at.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.
Purport

When a living entity comes in contact with the material creation, his eternal love for Kṛṣṇa is transformed into lust, in association with the mode of passion. Or, in other words, the sense of love of God becomes transformed into lust, as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt. Then again, when lust is unsatisfied, it turns into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and illusion continues the material existence. Therefore, lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the material world. Wrath is the manifestation of the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit themselves as wrath and other corollaries. If, therefore, the mode of passion, instead of being degraded into the mode of ignorance, is elevated to the mode of goodness by the prescribed method of living and acting, then one can be saved from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment. The Supreme Personality of Godhead expanded Himself into many for His ever-increasing spiritual bliss, and the living entities are parts and parcels of this spiritual bliss. They also have partial independence, but by misuse of their independence, when the service attitude is transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they come under the sway of lust. This material creation is created by the Lord to give facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill these lustful propensities, and when completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, the living entities begin to inquire about their real position. This inquiry is the beginning of the Vedānta-sūtras, wherein it is said, athāto brahma-jijñāsā: one should inquire into the Supreme. And the Supreme is defined in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś ca, or, “The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman.” Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme, or transformed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness – or, in other words, desiring everything for Kṛṣṇa – then both lust and wrath can be spiritualized. Hanumān, the great servitor of Lord Rāma, exhibited his wrath by burning the golden city of Rāvaṇa, but by doing so he became the greatest devotee of the Lord. Here also, in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord induces Arjuna to engage his wrath upon his enemies for the satisfaction of the Lord. Therefore, lust and wrath, when they are employed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, become our friends instead of our enemies.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
37. The Lord said: It is lust and then anger, arising from the mode of passion. Know this as the great devourer, the great ferocious one, the enemy.
Commentary

Lust, composed of the desire for the sense objects, impels a man to sin. A man, being urged by lust, engages in sin. This lust, appearing in a different form, becomes visible as anger. This means that lust, being obstructed by someone, transforms into anger. Lust arises from the mode of passion, and from lust in mode of passion arises anger in the mode of ignorance. “But after the fulfillment of desire, the desire should be finished.” “No, this lust is a great devourer. It is impossible to satisfy the expectations of desire.” As the smṛti says, yat pṛthivyāṁ vrīhi-yavaṁ hiraṇyaṁ paśavaḥ striyaḥ nālam ekasya tat sarvam iti matvā śamaṁ vrajet Understanding that all that is available on earth in the form of food, gold, animals and women is not enough for one person, one should go about with peaceful mind. Mahābhārata, Anuśāśana Parvā, Ch.13 [Note: There is a similar verse in Bhāgavatam 9.19.13] “If it is not possible to make an alliance with lust by giving (dāna), then is it possible to bring under control by sāma and bheda?” “No, lust is a very great demon (mahā-pāpmā).”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
37. The Lord said: It is lust and then anger, arising from raja guṇa. Know this as the great devourer, the great sinful one, the enemy.
Commentary

The Lord speaks. “Desire (kāma) for sense objects like sound, caused by previous impressions (vāsanā), instigates the jīva to commit sin even though the jīva does not want to do it. Kāma is the instigator.” “But anger is also seen to be the instigator in such things as cursing. You have said this in verse 34 (raga and dveṣa).” “True, but anger is not different from kāma. This kāma, when obstructed by some living being, becomes anger, just as milk becomes yogurt by addition of acid culture. The victory of kāma and krodha are one.” “How would you describe this kāma?” “It arises from the mode of rajas. This means that with the conquest of rajo guṇa by increase of sattva, kāma can be conquered. One cannot extinguish it by giving it what it wants (dāna): it is most voracious (mahāśanaḥ). The smṛti says: yat pṛthivyāṁ vrīhi-yavaṁ hiraṇyaṁ paśavaḥ striyaḥ nālam ekasya tat sarvam iti matvā śamaṁ vrajet Understanding that all that is available on earth in the form of food, gold, animals and women is not enough for one person, one should go about with peaceful mind. Mahābhārata, Anuśāśana Parvā, Ch.13 Nor can one control it using kind words (sāma), or by division (bheda), for it is very evil (mahā papmā). Being very powerful, since it forces one to engage even in forbidden acts by making one lose ones sense of discrimination, know that it is an enemy even in giving in to its demands (iha). Because it is impossible to reach conciliation with kāma by the three methods dāna, sāma, and bheda, it should be destroyed by daṇḍa, which will later be described. The Lord, residing within all actions, sets everything in motion everywhere, similar to the rain falling everywhere, but kāma (arising from vāsanās attached to the jīva) directly causes the actions, and thus is called the personification of sin (pāpmā) in verse 34.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

It interesting to note that lust is subtle, born of the mode of passion, and is not so easily noticeable until it is transformed into the mode of ignorance and turns into ang wrath. And lust must turn into wrath because it is impossible to satisfy lust. Why? What is the example that Krsna gives? Because it burns like fire. If one has fire and adds fuel to it, the fire will not be satisfied or subdued but will burn even more fiercely. Since passion breeds lust and lust turns into wrath, into ignorance, we should be meticulous in avoiding this mode of passion because it breeds lust which is "the all‑devouring sinful enemy of this world". It steals away one's intelligence.

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

Lust is that force which impels one to act sinfully

Characteristics of lust: 1. Born of mode of passion 2. Changes into wrath (born of the mode of ignorance) 3. Forces us to act sinfully 4. All-devouring greatest enemy of living entity
Focus of Learning

(a) When and what contact transforms ‘love’ into ‘lust’

Living entity comes in contact with material creation and eternal love for Krishna transforms into lust, in association with the mode of passion
Analogy: Milk in contact with sour tamarind transforms into yoghurt

(b) Elevate passion (lust) into mode of goodness & not degrade into mode of ignorance – How?

By the prescribed method of living and acting
Benefit – Then one can be saved from the degradation of wrath, by spiritual attachment

(c) Ever-blissful spiritual entities come to material world under lust. Why?

Because of misuse of their partial independence – service attitude is transformed into the propensity to Lord over
Purpose of material creation – To give facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill their lustful propensities

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXT 3.37

Lust also has its origin in transcendence
Lust originates when the soul’s inherent love for Krishna is refracted back upon himself
Thus lust, the intense desire to please one’s senses, is a reflection of the soul’s original intense desire to please Krishna’s senses

(a) Original nature of living entity

As part and parcel of the Supreme, he is originally spiritual, pure and free from all material contaminations
Therefore he is not subject to the sins of the material world

(b) Perverted nature of living entity

When living entity is in contact with material nature, he acts in many sinful ways without hesitation
Sometimes against his own will – He is forced to act even if he doesn’t want to

(c) Link between 3.36 & 3.37: What impels sinful action – Supersoul or not?

Sinful actions are not impelled by the Supersoul within, but are caused by another cause mentioned in Text 3.37
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.37 Esah, this; kamah, desire, is the enemy of the whole world, because of which the creatures incur all evil. This desire when obstructed in any way turns into anger. Therefore, krodhah, anger, is also identical with this (desire). It is rajoguna-samudbhavah, born of the ality of rajas; or, it is the origin of the ality of rajas. For, when desire comes into being, it instigates a person by arousing rajas. People who are engaged in service etc., which are effects of rajas, and who are stricken with sorrow are heard to lament, 'I have been led to act by desire indeed!' It is mahaasanah, a great devourer, whose food is enormous. And hence, indeed, it is maha-papma, a great sinner. For a being commits sin when goaded by desire. Therefore, viddhi, know; enam, this desire; to be vairinam, the enemy; iha, here in this world. With the help of examples the Lord explains how it is an enemy:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.37 The Lord said The highly ravenous desire is born of the Guna Rajas originating from old subtle impressions. It has for its objects sound and other sense contacts. It is a foe to him who is practising Jnana Yoga, as he is joined with Prakrti constituted of the Gunas which rise and subside periodically. It attracts him towards the objects of the senses. It is this desire alone which, when hampered, develops into anger towards those persons who are the cause of such hindrance. It is a powerful cause of sin. It incites the aspirant to do harm to others. Know this, which is born of the Guna called Rajas, as the natural enemy of Jnana Yogins.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.37 Kama esah etc. A total absence of difference among these two (desire and wrath) is indicated by the word esah 'this' twice uttered. These desire and wrath are ever interrelated and remain in an inseparable mutual co-existence. Hence [the Lord] well describes them only as identical. This is a swallower i.e., a devouer of the morsel of festival i.e., the happiness. The wrath alone is a bestower of sins as it is the cause of great sins. This is man of intelligence should view to be an enemy.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.37 The Blessed Lord said It is desire, it is anger both of the ality of Rajas, all-devouring, all-sinful; know this as the foe here (in this world).
Commentary

3.37 कामः desire? एषः this? क्रोधः anger? एषः this? रजोगुणसमुद्भवः born of the Rajoguna? महाशनः alldevouring? महापाप्मा allsinful? विद्धि know? एनम् this? इह here? वैरिणम् the foe.Commentary Bhagavan Bhaga means the six attributes? viz.? Jnana (knowledge)? Vairagya (dispassion)? Kirti (fame)? Aishvarya (divine manifestations and excellences)? Sri (wealth)? and Bala (might). He who possesses these six attributes and who has a perfect knowledge of the origin and the end of the universe is Bhagavan or the Lord.The cause of all sin and wrong action in this world is desire. Anger is desire itself. When a desire is not gratified? the man becomes angry against those who stand as obstacles on the path of fulfilment.The desire is born of the ality of Rajas. When desire arises? it generates Rajas and urges the man to work in order to possess the object. Therefore? know that this desire is mans foe on this earth. (Cf.XVI.21).

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.37 The Blessed Lord said This desire, this anger, born of the ality of rajas, is a great devourer, a great sinner. Know this to be the enemy here.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.37 Lord Shri Krishna: It is desire, it is aversion, born of passion. Desire consumes and corrupts everything. It is man's greatest enemy.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.39 BG 14.7 BG 16.21 SB 5.5.2 SB 11.8.7 SB 7.9.45 CC Ādi 4.165 CC Madhya 19.176 CC Antya 19.100 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.3Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.5
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
It is lust — born of rajas, all-devouring, the great enemy of the soul in this world.
Practical Applications
  • Name the enemy clearly — kāma (lust/craving) — rather than vague 'I'm just stressed.'
  • Recognize craving as the great opponent, not minor discomfort.
  • Address the cause, not just the symptom.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is craving operating in my life under another label?
  • What would change if I named it lust and treated it as enemy?
Analogy

A spark in dry grass, ignored at sunrise, is a wildfire by noon. Kāma is exactly that spark — small at first, all-devouring by the time you take it seriously. Name the enemy at the spark stage.

Stories
Viśvāmitra and Menakā

Viśvāmitra, a former king who had become a great ṛṣi through extraordinary tapasya, was nearly at the verge of brahmaṛṣi status when Indra sent the apsarā Menakā to test him. One contact with kāma's spark, and years of austerity dissolved. They lived together; a daughter, Śakuntalā, was born; only later did Viśvāmitra recover and begin again.

The verse names exactly what felled him: kāma, born of rajas, all-devouring, the great enemy. The story is not invented to flatter the verse — the Mahābhārata records it precisely as a warning against underestimating this single force. Even a near-brahmaṛṣi was eaten.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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