Shloka
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ |
पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ||३-४१||Transliteration
tasmāttvamindriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣabha .
pāpmānaṃ prajahi hyenaṃ jñānavijñānanāśanam ||3-41||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
3.41. Therefore, O best among the Bharatas, by controlling completely the sense-organs in the beginning [itself], you must avoid this sinful one, destroying the knowledge-action.
Shri Purohit Swami
3.41 Therefore, O Arjuna, first control thy senses and then slay desire, for it is full of sin, and is the destroyer of knowledge and of wisdom.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
3.41 Or the passage jnana-vijnana-nasana may be an adverb [modifying the verb ‘must avoid’] meaning ‘by destroying it i.e., by keeping it off by means of knowledge (thought) i.e., by means of the mind and by means of superior knowledge (superior thought) i.e., by means of the intellect.’ The intention is this : One must not allow, in the fancy, [the wrath] risen in the sense-organs, and must not make any resolve about [the foe], fancied. The logic in this regard (in the above means) [ the Lords ] explains in a couple of verses:
Sri Ramanuja
3.41 For whatever reason a person engaged in Jnana Yoga, which is of the nature of abandoning the activities of all the senses, should control this enemy in the shape of desire which turns him away from the self through creating infatuation for objects of the senses - for the same reason, you, who are yoked to the activities of the senses by reason of being in conjunction with the Prakrti, should, in the beginning itself, i.e., at the very beginning of the practice of the means for release, control the senses by the practice of Karma Yoga, which provides for the regulation of the working of the senses. And then you must destroy, i.e., slay this sinful enemy, which is in the shape of desire and which destroys knowledge and discrimination, i.e., knowledge relating to the nature of the self and of the discriminative power, which is the means to gain this knowledge.
Sri Krsna speaks of that which is most important among the adversaries:
Sri Shankaracharya
3.41 Since this is so, therefore, O scion of the Bharata dynasty, adau niyamya, after first controlling; indriyani, the organs; prajahihi, renounce; enam, this one, the enemy under consideration; which is papmanam, sinful-which is desire that is accustomed to sinning; and jnana-vijnana-nasanam, a destroyer of learning and wisdom, jnana, learning, means knowledge about the Self etc. from the scripures and a teacher. Vijnana, wisdom, means the full experience of that. Renounce, i.e. discard, from yourself the destroyer of those two-learning and wisdom, which are the means to the achievement Liberation. It has been said, ‘After first controlling the organs, renounce desire the enemy’. As to that, by taking the support of what should one give up desire? This is being answered:
Swami Adidevananda
3.41 Therefore, O Arjuna, controlling the senses in the very beginning, slay this sinful thing that destroys both knowledge and discrimination.
Swami Gambirananda
3.41 Therefore, O scion of the Bharata dynasty, after first controlling the organs, renounce this one [A variant reading is, ‘prajahi hi-enam, completely renounce this one’.-Tr.] which is sinful and a destroyer of learning and wisdom.
Swami Sivananda
3.41 Therefore, O best of the Bharatas (Arjuna), controlling the senses first, do thou kill this sinful thing, the destroyer of knowledge and realisation.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
3.41 तस्मात् therefore? त्वम् you? इन्द्रियाणि the senses? आदौ in the beginning? नियम्य having controlled? भरतर्षभ O best of the Bharatas? पाप्मानम् the sinful? प्रजहि kill? हि surely? एनम् this? ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् the destroyer of knowledge and realisation (wisdom).Commentary Jnana is knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures. This is indirect knowledge or Paroksha Jnana. Vijnana is direct knowledge or personal experience or Anubhava through Selfrealisation or Aparoksha Jnana. Control the senses first and then kill desire.