Verse 3-39 – Bhagavad Gita

आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा \| कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च \|\| 39\|\|

“O Son of Kunti, the constant enemy of wise men is the insatiable flame of desire, by which wisdom is concealed.”

Commentary

The most wise and discerning people are actively cautious and alert to any manifestation of personal desires. Every day they offer actions to God without personal attachments, thinking of Him as the doer. In doing so, they experience wisdom and bliss. This may seem monotonous or extraordinary to a few because there is total absence of excitement for sense pleasures, the passionate cravings, deep longings and fun indulgences that seemingly make us human. Where is the fun and excitement if sense pleasures are denied and I live as a robot just controlling my personal desires and actively working for God? True, yet it is counter-intuitive. Does the sun stop its monotonous job of just rising and setting to indulge in some personal desire? Does the ocean think of stopping its daily action of flapping waves to test what would happen if it flows differently? Does the earth think of revolving in some other direction once in a while? Do all the natural elements think of randomly straying even slightly? By offering themselves completely in service, they enjoy a different experience. Hence we respect oceans, sun, rivers and trees as Gods.

One movie, one song, one food item, one touch, one drink, one place, one thing, one person, one situation or a combination of any of them will never give permanent happiness. Yes, they give momentary happiness that lasts for sometime – a few moments to a few years – but still not permanent. Lord Krishna says all sense perceptions are insatiable like oil on fire because there is no end to such desires. The permanent treasure of wisdom hidden behind the sense desires is revealed by offering every ounce of our thought, feeling and action in service to humanity and to God.