Verse 40
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते | एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् || ४० ||
Transliteration
indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate etair vimohayaty eṣa jñānam āvṛtya dehinam
Synonyms
indriyāṇi—the senses; manaḥ—mind; buddhiḥ—intellect; asya—of this lust; adhiṣṭhānam—sitting place; ucyate—is said to be; etaiḥ—by all these; vimohayati—bewilders; eṣaḥ—this lust; jñānam—knowledge; āvṛtya—covering; dehinam—the embodied soul.
Translation
“The senses, mind, and intellect are said to be the seats of this desire. Through these, it veils knowledge and bewilders the embodied soul.”
Multi-Tradition Commentary
Desire operates through three levels: the senses (grossest), the mind (subtler), and the intellect (subtlest). A person may control the senses through external discipline but remain enslaved by mental craving; they may calm the mind through meditation but retain intellectual justifications for indulgence. True liberation requires purification at all three levels, which is why a comprehensive spiritual practice is necessary.
Practical Application (Modern Life)
Audit where desire holds its strongest grip over you: at the level of the senses (physical craving), the mind (emotional longing), or the intellect (rationalizations for indulgence). Different practices target different levels: fasting and sense-restraint address the sensory level; mantra and meditation address the mental level; self-inquiry and Vedantic study address the intellectual level. Build a practice that works at your dominant level.