Bhagavad Gita BG 3.34
Chapter 3, Verse 34 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ । तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥ ३४ ॥
indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau tayor na vaśam āgacchet tau hy asya paripanthinau
Meaning
Attraction (rāga) and aversion (dveṣa) toward their respective sense objects are situated in each sense. One should not come under their control, for they are the enemies on one's path.
Understanding
After the observation in v33 that even the wise act according to their nature, Krishna now identifies the two specific forces that go wrong: rāga (attraction, craving) and dveṣa (aversion, repulsion). These are seated at the junction of sense and sense-object — they are the automatic reactions built into perception. Seeing a pleasant thing triggers rāga; encountering an unpleasant thing triggers dveṣa. These are not problems in themselves, but becoming vaśam (enslaved by, controlled by) them is what chains the soul. The word paripanthinau (enemies blocking the path) is vivid — rāga and dveṣa stand like bandits on the road to liberation. One must pass through them without being captured.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| इन्द्रियस्य अर्थे | indriyasya arthe | toward the sense object / in relation to the sense and its object |
| रागद्वेषौ | rāga-dveṣau | attraction and aversion / craving and repulsion |
| व्यवस्थितौ | vyavasthitau | situated / stationed / established |
| वशम् | vaśam | control / power / sway |
| परिपन्थिनौ | paripanthinau | enemies blocking the path / obstacles / roadblocks |
| तयोः | tayoḥ | of those two (raga and dvesha) |
| न | na | not (one should not come) |
| आगच्छेत् | āgacchet | should come under / should fall into |
| तौ | tau | those two (attachment and aversion) |
| हि | hi | for / indeed (causal) |
| अस्य | asya | his / one's (obstacles on the path) |