Chapter 3 · Verse 34

Karma Yoga

कर्मयोग

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ | तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ||३-३४||

indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāgadveṣau vyavasthitau . tayorna vaśamāgacchettau hyasya paripanthinau ||3-34||

In plain words

You must actively resist the natural pull of attraction and aversion that your senses feel toward the world. Do not let these twin forces control you. By using discrimination, you can rise above these impulses and perform your karma, or selfless action, without being bound by the illusions of maya, the cosmic power that misleads your mind.

Translation

3.34 Each sense has fixed attachment to, and aversion for, its corresponding object. But no one should come under their sway; for they are his foes.

Meaning

Each sense has got attraction for a pleasant object and aversion for a disagreeable object. If one can control these two currents viz. attachment and aversion he will not come under the sway of these two currents. Here lies the scope for personal exertion or Purushartha. Nature which contains the sum total of ones Samskaras or the latent selfproductive impressions of the past actions of merit and demerit draws a man to its course through the two currents attachment and aversion. If one can control these two currents if he can rise above the sway of love and hate through discrimination and Vichara or right eniry he can coner Nature and attain immortality and eternal bliss. He willl no longer be subject to his own nature now. One should always exert to free himself from attachment and aversion to the objects of the senses.

Word by word

इन्द्रियस्य इन्द्रियस्य of each sense अर्थे in the object रागद्वेषौ attachment and aversion व्यवस्थितौ seated तयोः of these two न not वशम् sway आगच्छेत् should come under तौ these two हि verily अस्य his परिपन्थिनौ foes.