Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Verse 11

बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम् । धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ

balaṃ balavatāṃ cāhaṃ kāmarāgavivarjitam | dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo'smi bharatarṣabha

Translation

And of the energetic am I the energy devoid of passion and attachment; and in (all) beings I am the desire unopposed to dharma, O lord of the Bhāratas.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

balam

strength

balavatām

of the strong

asmi

am (I)

kāmarāgavivarjitam

by desire, and, by passion, and, abandoned

dharmāviruddhaḥ

with (to) duty, not opposed

bhūteṣu

in beings

kāmaḥ

desire

asmi

am (I)

bharatarṣabha

O Lord of the Bharatas

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Passion (kāma): thirst for objects not present to the senses. Attachment (rāga): love for those presented to the senses. I am that energy which is necessary for the bare sustenance of the body, certainly not that which causes thirst and attachment (for sense-objects) in the case of worldly mortals. So I am the desire not opposed to the teaching of the scriptures: I am, for instance, the desire for that much of eating and drinking, etc., which is necessary for the bare sustenance of the body.