Bhagavad Gita 3.42
इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः। मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः॥
indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ | manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ ||
“The senses are said to be higher than the body; higher than the senses is the mind; higher than the mind is the intellect; and higher than the intellect is the Self.”- self
- mind
- discernment
- wisdom
What this verse is about
This verse speaks to the Self beneath the changing body and mind, the mind itself, friend or enemy, and the capacity to tell one thing from another, clearly.
✦ Contemplation
You are not your thoughts. The part that watches them is something quieter underneath.
✦ A small practice
Three times today, pause and ask: who is aware right now?
Chapter 3
The Yoga of ActionKarma Yoga
Why one cannot simply opt out of action, and how to act in the world without being bound by what one does.
Dilemmas this verse speaks to
Questions real people carry that this verse has something to say about.
Sit with this verse a little longer.
Ask Dharma how this verse might land in your own life, and receive a calm, verse-grounded reflection.
Ask Dharma about 3.42