Bhagavad Gita - Chapter III:
Karma Yoga
Text 31
Sanskrit working: English Wording:
Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions
and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free
from the bondage of fruitive actions.
Purport:
Text 32
Sanskrit working:  English Wording:
But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection. Purport: The flaw of not being Krsna conscious is clearly stated herein. As there is punishment for disobedience to the order of the supreme executive head, so there is certainly punishment for disobedience to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A disobedient person, however great he may be, is ignorant of his own self, and of the Supreme Brahman, Paramatma and the Personality of God- head, due to a vacant heart. Therefore there is no hope of perfection of life for him.
Text 33
Sanskrit working:  English Wording:
Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?
Purport: Academically, one may be very learned, but because of his long association with material nature, he is in bondage. Krsna consciousness helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even though one may be engaged in his prescribed duties in terms of material existence. Therefore, without being fully in Krsna consciousness, one should not give up his occupational duties. No one should suddenly give up his prescribed duties and become a so- called yogi or transcendentalist artificially. It is better to be situated in one's position and to try to attain Krsna consciousness under superior training. Thus one may be freed from the clutches of Krsna's maya.
 English Wording:
There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.
Purport: These propensities are to be curbed; otherwise they will be stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization. As long as the material body is there, the necessities of the material body are allowed, but under rules and regulations. And yet, we should not rely upon the control of such allowances. One has to follow those rules and regulations, unattached to them, because practice of sense gratification under regulations may also lead one to go astrayas much as there is always the chance of an accident, even on the royal roads. Although they may be very carefully maintained, no one can guarantee that there will be no danger even on the safest road. The sense enjoyment spirit has been current a very long, long time, owing to material association. Therefore, in spite of regulated sense enjoyment, there is every chance of falling down; therefore any attachment for regulated sense enjoyment must also be avoided by all means. But attachment to Krsna consciousness, or acting always in the loving service of Krsna, detaches one from all kinds of sensory activities. Therefore, no one should try to be detached from Krsna consciousness at any stage of life. The whole purpose of detachment from all kinds of sense attachment is ultimately to become situated on the platform of Krsna consciousness.
 English Wording:
It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another's duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.
Purport:
One should therefore discharge his prescribed duties in full Krsna
consciousness rather than those prescribed for others. Materially,
prescribed duties are duties enjoined according to one's psycho-
physical condition, under the spell of the modes of material nature.
Spiritual duties are as ordered by the spiritual master for the transcendental service of Krsna. But whether material or spiritual, one
should stick to his prescribed duties even up to death, rather than
imitate another's prescribed duties. Duties on the spiritual platform
and duties on the material platform may be different, but the principle of following the authorized direction is always good for the
performer.
When one is under the spell of the modes of material nature, one should follow the prescribed rules for his particular situation and should not imitate others. For example, a brahmana, who is in the mode of goodness, is nonviolent, whereas a ksatriya, who is in the mode of passion, is allowed to be violent. As such, fora ksatriya it is better to be vanquished following the rules of violence than to imitate a brahmana who follows the principles of nonviolence. Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Krsna consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of Krsna consciousness, the ksatriya may act as a brahmana, or a brahmana may act as a ksatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply. For example, Visvamitra was originally a ksatriya, but later on he acted as a brahmana, whereas Parasurama was a brahmana but later on he acted as a ksatriya. Being transcendentally situated, they could do so; but as long as one is on the material platform, he must perform his duties according to the modes of material nature. At the same time, he must have a full sense of Krsna consciousness. Text 36
Sanskrit working: English Wording:
Arjuna said: 0 descendant of Vrsni, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?
Purport:
A living entity, as part and parcel of the Supreme, is originally
spiritual, pure, and free from all material contaminations. There-
fore, by nature he is not subject to the sins of the material world. But
when he is in contact with the material nature, he acts in many sinful
ways without hesitation, and sometimes even against his will. As
such, Arjuna's question to Krsna is very sanguine, as to the perverted nature of the living entities. Although the living entity sometimes does not want to act in sin, he is still forced to act. Sinful
actions are not, however, impelled by the Supersoul within, but are
due to another cause, as the Lord explains in the next verse.
Text 37
Sanskrit working:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.
Purport:
When a living entity comes in contact with the material creation, his
eternal love for Krsna is transformed into lust, in association with
the mode of passion. Or, in other words, the sense of love of God
becomes transformed into lust, as milk in contact with sour tama-
rind is transformed into yogurt. Then again, when lust is unsatisfied,
it turns into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and illusion
continues the material existence. Therefore, lust is the greatest
enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure
living entity to remain entangled in the material world. Wrath is
the manifestation of the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit them-
selves as wrath and other corollaries. If, therefore, the mode of
passion, instead of being degraded into the mode of ignorance, is
elevated to the mode of goodness by the prescribed method of living
and acting, then one can be saved from the degradation of wrath by
spiritual attachment.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead expanded Himself into many for His ever-increasing spiritual bliss, and the living entities are parts and parcels of this spiritual bliss. They also have partial independence, but by misuse of their independence, when the service attitude is transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they commander the sway of lust. This material creation is created by the Lord to give facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill these lustful propensities, and when completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, the living entities begin to inquire about their real position. This inquiry is the beginning of the Vedanta-sutras, wherein it is said, athato brahma-jijndsd: one should inquire into the Supreme. And the Supreme is denned in Srimad- Bhagavatam "The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman." Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme, or trans- formed into Krsna consciousnessor, in other words, desiring every- thing for Krsnathen both lust and wrath can be spiritualized. Hanuman, the great servitor of Lord Rama, exhibited his wrath by burning the golden city of Ravana, but by doing so he became the greatest devotee of the Lord. Here also, in Bhagavad-Gita, the Lord induces Arjuna to engage his wrath upon his enemies for the satisfaction of the Lord. Therefore, lust and wrath, when they are employed in Rrsna consciousness, become our friends instead of our enemies. Text 38
Sanskrit working: English Wording:
As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.
Purport: The covered mirror is compared to the birds and beasts, and the smoke-covered fire is compared to the human being. In the form of a human being, the living entity may revive a little Krsna consciousness, and, if he makes further development, the fire of spiritual life can be kindled in the human form of life. By careful handling of the smoke in the fire, fire can be made to blaze. Therefore the human form of life is a chance for the living entity to escape the entanglement of material existence. In the human form of life, one can conquer the enemy, lust, by cultivation of Krsna consciousness under able guidance.
Text 39
Sanskrit working: English Wording:
Thus the wise living entity's pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
Purport: Advancement of material civilization on the basis of sense gratification means increasing the duration of the material existence of a living entity. Therefore, this lust is the symbol of ignorance by which the living entity is kept within the material world. While one enjoys sense gratification, it may be that there is some feeling of happiness, but actually that so-called feeling of happiness is the ultimate enemy of the sense enjoyer.
Sanskrit working: 
English wording:
The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.
Purport: "A human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of birth worshipable, and who goes to the place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental knowledge there, is to be considered like an ass or a cow."
Sanskrit working: 
English wording:
Therefore, 0 Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating thesenses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.
Purport: "The knowledge of the self and Supreme Self is very confidential and mysterious, but such knowledge and specific realization can be understood if explained with their various aspects by the Lord Himself." Bhagavad-Gita gives us that general and specific knowledge of the self. The living entities are parts and parcels of the Lord, and therefore they are simply meant to serve the Lord. This consciousness is called Krsna consciousness. So, from the very beginning of life one has to learn this Krsna consciousness, and thereby one may become fully Krsna conscious and act accordingly. Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Krsna consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate into lust. When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is very difficult to return to the normal condition. Nonetheless, Krsna consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional service. So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Krsna consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godheadthe highest perfectional stage of human life.
Sanskrit working: 
English wording:
The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.
Purport: If, therefore, the soul is directly engaged with the Supreme, naturally all other subordinates, namely, the intelligence, mind and senses, will be automatically engaged. In the Kathu Upanisad there is a similar passage, in which it is said that the objects of sense gratification are superior to the senses, and mind is superior to the sense objects. If, therefore, the mind is directly , engaged in the service of the Lord constantly, then there is no chance that the senses will become engaged in other ways. This mental attitude has already been explained. Pararh drstvd nivartate. If the mind is engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord, there is no chance of its being engaged in the lower propensities. In the Katha Upanisad the soul has been described as mahan, the great. Therefore the soul is above allnamely, the sense objects, the senses, the mind and the intelligence. Therefore, directly understanding the constitutional position of the soul is the solution of the whole problem. With intelligence one has to seek out the constitutional position of the soul and then engage the mind always in Krsna consciousness. That solves the whole problem. A neophyte spiritualist is generally advised to keep aloof from the objects of the senses. But aside from that, one has to strengthen the mind by use of intelligence. If by intelligence one engages one's mind in Krsna consciousness, by complete surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, automatically, the mind becomes stronger, and even though the senses are very strong, like serpents, they will be no more effective than serpents with broken fangs. But even though the soul is the master of intelligence and mind, and the senses also, still unless it is strengthened by association with Krsna in Krsna consciousness, there is every chance of falling down due to the agitated mind.
Sanskrit working: 
English wording:
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, 0 mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Krsna consciousness] and thusby spiritual strengthconquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
Purport: This is the sum total of this chapter. In the immature stage of material existence, philosophical speculations and artificial attempts to control the senses by the so-called practice of yogic postures can never help a man toward spiritual life. He must be trained in Krsna consciousness by higher intelligence. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Third Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita in the matter of Karma-yoga, or the Discharge of One's Prescribed Duty in Krsna Consciousness.
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