The Kaama and its notorious power

Dear Friends, 

This week's post is from Sreemad Bhagavad Geeta, our sacred scripture by Sri Veda Vyasa. These are from the third Canto, the Karma Yoga, verses 36 and 37. There are several intersting questions raised by Arjuna (for our sake). The following is, one among such, with a proper reply from the Lord.

अर्जुन उवाच
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥

అర్జున ఉవాచ
అథ కేన ప్రయుక్తో అయం పాపం చరతి పూరుషః |
అనిచ్ఛన్నపి వార్ష్ణేయ బలాదివ నియోజితః ||

Arjuna uvaacha

aTha kaena prayukthO ayaM paapaM charathi pooruShaH |
anichChannapi vaarShNaeya balaadhiva niyOjithaH ||

Purport or Bhaava

Arjuna inquisitively questions the Lord

O! Lord Krishna (VaarshNaeya = born in the family of VrishiNis or Yadavas)! But, impelled by what (forceful reason) does man commit sin? Though loath to (unwilling to commit) sin, much against his wishes, constrained, as it were, by force he is driven to commit sin.

The inquisitive question is couched in such familiar words; it appears as though it is raised by some student like us. In fact Veda Vyaasa raised this here, for the sake of us, speaking through the mind of the disciple, Arjuna. Everyone understands intellectually what is RIGHT and what is WRONG, (who doesn’t know the moral and legal codes!) but it is only when one acts, invariably gets tempted to do the WRONG. Always, there is an inner war in all of us between our IDEOLOGY (the human in us) and our ACTION (the beast in us). The question here is what is the exact nature of the SATAN-in-our-bosom, which thus systematically loots away the good in us? It looks as though some impelling extraneous force is making us commit sin though we are unwilling to do so. Is it so?

श्री भगवानुवाच

काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुण समुभ्दवः ।
महाशनो महापाप्मा विध्द्-येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥

శ్రీ భగవానువాచ

కామ ఏష క్రోధ ఏష రజోగుణ సముద్భవః
మహాశనో మహాపాప్మా విద్ధ్యేనమిహ వైరిణమ్ ||

Shree bhagavaan uvaacha

kaama ESha krODha ESha rajOguNa samudhbhavaH
mahaashanO mahaapaapmaa vidhDhyaenamiha vairiNam ||

The Lord says to Arjuna: "Listen, I shall tell you who that enemy is of whom you have asked- who is the source of all evil"

The Bhagavaan affirmatively answers this conundrum (difficult problem)

It is the excessive desire or craving (Kaama) and it is the wrath (intense rage or anger of epic scale). The former is born out of extreme passionate activity (Rajas). The later is the resultant product of the former. The Kaama (we must for sure know) is voracious, of insatiable hunger, all devouring and is the greatest sinner. Let us know this thoroughly as our worst enemy ever.

Very often, we are reminded of the SIX internal enemies that conquer us if we do not attempt to subdue them. They are: Kaama (excessive desire or craving), KrOdha (intense anger or wrath), LObha (lust or perpetual craving for more and more of what we have got), MOha (illusion or the false understanding of what is right and wrong and the false perception of body-centric ideation), Madha (Ego or excessive self-centric arrogance that we are the supreme), Maathsarya (Vengeance and hatred). Of these SIX, only TWO are emphasized here in this reply by the Lord. Let us see the interplay of these SIX internal foes. 

The fundamental cause is the Kaama (craving). If it is fulfilled, we crave for more and more (show me one person who is satisfied with what is already granted!) and that results in LObha (Lust) and repeated fulfillment automatically begets the Madha (Ego). If the Kaama (craving) is not satisfied or meets with obstacles, it leads to KrOdha (intense rage or wrath) and also begets Maathsarya (hatred) on seeing those who have their desires fulfilled. All these five culminate in the sixth, the MOha (illusion).

Thus, if the Kaama is in full swing, born out of projected, eccentric, tangential and passionate activity – also called the Rajas, all its close associate culprits make happy inroads into our bosom and become permanent residents there. Thus, armed by the company of the five other terrorists, the fundamental culprit Kaama annihilates the good in us and perpetuates the beast in us.

Hence, the Lord has warned all of us (as though he is warning Arjuna) to be aware of this Kaama, the inner SATAN-in-our-bosom, and beware of this notorious criminal. The desire (Kaama) enshrouds the wisdom in us. It is this craving that forces men to commit sin. Desire may be defined as: A constant agitation of the mind, expressing as an uncontrollable impatience to gain something – simply can be termed craving.

We will continue in the next few weeks on looking at the echo of this message from the pens of other great saints and prophets. Till then, bye. With best wishes to all.

Dr Sarma