Chapter 3 Shloka 39
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा।
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च।।३९।
Bhagwan continues:
O Arjuna! Knowledge is covered by this insatiable fire of desire – the eternal foe of the man of wisdom.
The Lord condemns rajoguna and the desire born of rajoguna and says that the fire of desire is difficult to extinguish and acts as a veil over a wise man’s (gyani’s) knowledge.
Why does the Lord call one whose knowledge is thus veiled, a gyani? Arjuna had asked, “What prompts a man to sin – even though unwilling, as if perforce?” In other words, why does he become so helpless that he cannot stop himself? Little one, such a one possesses knowledge, but that knowledge is cloaked because:
a) he is still identified with his body;
b) his doership still persists;
c) he is not established in the spirit of yagya;
d) he knows the difference between right and wrong but has not put this into practice in his actions;
e) he has acquired much knowledge, but that knowledge has not yet become a fire in which his attachments could be consumed;
f) he can talk about the state of desirelessness, but he is not desireless.
g) externally he may appear to be a sadhu, but in his mind he still enjoys the objects he has renounced;
h) even though he may have acquired all the knowledge, if the memory of sense objects pervades the mind, the individual lives in illusion and even his knowledge does not bear fruit.
Little one, if you do not translate knowledge into your practical life, your knowledge will not gain strength. Then rajoguna will erupt time and again, and this enemy of the gyani will veil his knowledge.
This rajoguna, replete with desire and greed, will constantly strengthen the individual’s cravings.
