Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 43

एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना । जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम्

evaṃ buddheḥ paraṃ buddhvā saṃstabhyātmānamātmanā | jahi śatruṃ mahābāho kāmarūpaṃ durāsadam

Translation

Thus knowing Him who is superior to reason, subduing the self by the self, slay thou, O mighty-armed, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to conquer.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

evam

thus

buddheḥ

than the Reason

param

the greater

buddhvā

having known

saṃstabhya

having steadied

ātmānam

the self

ātmanā

by the Self

jahi

slay (thou)

śatrum

the enemy

mahābāho

O mighty-armed (ii. 26)

kāmarūpam

(39) (of) the form of desire

durāsadam

difficult to approach

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Thus understanding the Self who is superior to reason and subduing the self by the self — i.e., steadily composing the self by means of the self (Right Knowledge) — do thou slay desire. It is difficult to conquer desire on account of its complex and incomprehensible nature.