76. Beware of Lust

Arjuna enquires, “How can a man perform evil even against his will as if he is compelled” (3.36). This is the most common question that arises when the first ray of awareness sets in.

Krishna says, “Lust, anger and greed (kaam, krodh and lobh) are three gates of hell leading to the destruction of self. Therefore, one should abandon all three” (16.21). Kaam (lust) and krodh (anger) are born out of rajo guna and are great evils full of insatiable craving and we should beware of them, as they are the foulest enemies here on Earth (3.37). Krishna further says that rajo guna is raagatmak (nature of passion) giving birth to the desires and it binds the embodied soul through attachment to action.

If we take the example of a car, the movement or speeding up is a quality born out of rajo guna and the accelerator is an instrument to achieve this. Similarly, slowing down or inertia is the nature of tamas and the brake is an instrument. The driver represents satva guna which is the balancing of acceleration and braking for a smooth and safe ride. The speedometer is an instrument for awareness. If the balance is lost, an accident is inevitable.

Lust is nothing but a loss of balance in our lives due to which we invest so much energy to attain pleasure; to possess something or someone; or to acquire power or fame. While making intense efforts to pursue these desires, we are completely under the delusion (3.29). Once it attains criticality we don’t have any control. Arjuna is referring to this loss of control as performing evil as if one is compelled. Anger is the natural consequence of unfulfilled desire.

The verse says that desire is insatiable, indicating that the more we try to satisfy it the more it grows. The rich seek more riches, and the powerful seek absolute power. The trick is to neither suppress nor satisfy them. Krishna cautions us to be aware of them when we are gripped with lust or fear, and this awareness itself will free us from their grip.