Adhyāya 42 — Mahābhūta–Indriya–Adhyātma-Vyavasthā
Brahmā’s Instruction on Elements and Faculties
पज्चेन्द्रियमहाकूलां मनोवेगमहोदकाम् । नदीं मोहद्वदां तीर्त्वा कामक्रोधावुभौ जयेत्
pañcendriya-mahākūlāṁ mano-vega-mahodakām | nadīṁ moha-dvadāṁ tīrtvā kāma-krodhāv ubhau jayet ||
Vāyu disse: “Tendo atravessado o rio da ilusão—cujas grandes margens são os cinco sentidos e cujas águas poderosas correm com a velocidade da mente—deve-se conquistar tanto o desejo quanto a ira.”
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse teaches inner victory: by crossing beyond delusion—fed by the senses and driven by the mind’s impulses—one must overcome the twin enemies of desire (kāma) and anger (krodha), which derail dharma and clear judgment.
Vāyudeva delivers a moral instruction using a vivid metaphor: human experience is like a dangerous river where the senses form the banks and the mind’s speed forms the flood; the listener is urged to ‘cross’ this delusion and thereby master desire and anger.