Shloka 39
Karma-Saṃnyāsa–Karma-Yoga Saṃvāda
Renunciation and the Discipline of Action
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा । कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च,और हे अर्जुन! इस अग्निके समान कभी न पूर्ण होनेवाले कामरूप ज्ञानियोंके नित्य वैरीकेः द्वारा मनुष्यका ज्ञान ढका हुआ है
āvṛtaṁ jñānam etena jñānino nityavairiṇā | kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca ||
Wahai putra Kuntī, pengetahuan pun terselubung oleh musuh abadi ini—nafsu yang berwujud hasrat—yang membara seperti api yang tak pernah terpuaskan.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire (kāma) is portrayed as a constant inner enemy that can obscure even a wise person’s discernment; therefore ethical clarity requires vigilance and self-control so that knowledge can guide action.
In the Gītā dialogue set on the battlefield, Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa (calling him ‘Kaunteya’ as a conventional vocative in the received text) while discussing the force that drives wrongdoing; this verse identifies desire as the veil over knowledge, likening it to an insatiable fire.