The Bhagavad-gita (03.37) states that lust is the all-devouring sinful enemy of the world. In its capacity to devour everything that comes within its reach, lust is like a black hole. Once lust catches us in its gravity pull, it can gobble everything that makes us human: our cherished spirituality, our social dignity, our foundational morality, our human decency and even our basic civility.
The invisible yet formidable gravity pull of lust acts primarily on the mind and through the mind. In fact, the Gita (03.40) says that lust is located in the mind of the person who is provoked by it. This implies that it is not located in the object that provokes it, as we often assume. By thus pinpointing the location of lust, Gita wisdom ensures that we don’t blame externals for succumbing to it, thereby evading our responsibility to curb it.
Of course, an important part of our responsibility is to notice and avoid situations in which lust pulls us more forcefully. The mental pull of lust often increases when we are physically close to the objects that provoke lust. So the Gita (03.41) recommends that, as a beginning step, we regulate our senses, thereby maintaining a safe distance from provocative objects. As a more sustainable and comprehensive solution, the Gita (03.43) urges us to cultivate philosophical insight and situate ourselves in spiritual devotion. Devotion brings us within the spiritual pull of Krishna’s supreme beauty. When we let ourselves be pulled by Krishna, the pull of lust gradually subsides and finally ceases. Thus, we become free.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 03 Text 37
“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.”
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