Bg. 3.42

“You have shown that lust can be destroyed by controlling the senses through inclining them to niṣkāma karma yoga. This is like water held back by a closed dam. But at the time of performing activities related to the body (while not performing prescribed actions), with the freedom of action for the senses, lust will again revive, like water freed from a dam.” The Lord shows in two verses what he taught before in chapter two, that lust will be completely destroyed by realization of ātmā: raso’py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā (BG 2.59). The wise say that the senses are superior to the body made of five gross elements. This is because they are the occupants of the body, they are more subtle, and are not destroyed when the gross body perishes. [Note: The senses, as well as being the visible material ones with which we are familiar, also exist in subtle form in the subtle body, and continue with the ātmā, after giving up this material body.] The mind is superior to the senses, because the mind sets the senses in motion during the waking state, and during sleep, the mind remains as a ruler, while the senses merge into it. Intelligence is superior to the mind, because the intellect’s function of determining truth (niścaya) brings about the mental function of decision (saṅkalpa). That which is superior to the intelligence is the jīvātmā residing in the body, whose very form is knowledge, which is realized as distinct from the body, senses, mind and intelligence, and which is the cause of complete destruction of lust. The Kaṭha Upaniṣad says: indriyebhyaḥ parā hy arthā arthebhyaś ca paraṁ manaḥ manasas tu parā buddhir buddher ātmā mahān paraḥ Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.10 The meaning is as follows. The sense objects (arthā) are superior to, or more powerful than the senses because they are able to attract the senses. The mind is superior to the sense objects because it is the root of the actions of the senses for sense objects. The discerning and confirming intellect is superior to the mind which has doubt, because there must be verification of existence of enjoyment from the sense objects before action takes place. The jīva or ātmā, the enjoyer, is superior to the intellect, because it is the means of enjoyment or experience. This ātmā is the master (mahān) of the body, senses and internal functions (antaḥ karaṇa). [Note: Thus kāma can be described as a cause of sinful action, but the jīva is the enjoyer of kāma. He is the cause of kāma and its destroyer. Jīva destroys kāma by developing a taste for ātmā and the Lord. Thus the lord is not the cause of sin, nor karma.] At the same time, the activities for bodily maintenance will be achieved for the realized soul due to the force of previous practice, (not impelled by a reappearance of lust), like the continued turning of a wheel after it is set in motion.