Chapter 3 · Verse 38 · Karma Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 3.38
Sanskrit
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथाऽऽदर्शो मलेन च। यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम्।।3.38।।
Transliteration
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśho malena cha yatholbenāvṛito garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛitam
In plain words
Right now, something is clouding what you know to be true — maybe it's a craving you can't shake, a fear that won't quiet, or a wound you keep touching. Krishna says: that cloud is not you, and it's not permanent. The clearer part of you — the part that knows right from wrong, that loves, that endures — it's still there, waiting for you to stop feeding the smoke with your attention. Just noticing the cloud without fighting it is how the clearing begins.
Word by Word
Just as smoke veils fire, dust clouds a mirror, and the womb conceals the growing child, so does desire obscure your true nature and the clarity of right action. The Self remains eternally pure, but the smoke of vasana—accumulated desires and conditioning—rises between you and direct seeing.
When you stop feeding the flames of craving, the smoke naturally clears, and what was always present becomes radiant again. Today, notice one desire that clouds your clarity, and simply observe it without judgment—this witnessing itself begins the clearing.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 3.38 — BG 3.38
Your Mantra Prescription
This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?
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