Class Summary for June 4, 2024 - Chapter-3 Slokas 36 - 39

Summarized by Sudha Radhakrishnan:

  • Opening Prayers, Breathing Exercise & Meditation

  • Quick recap of previous class:

    • Increase our saadhana time.

    • Follow the NATO (Not attached to the outcome) principle.

    • Keep calm and be in the zone always.

  • Reiteration of a sample Saadhana package:

    • Wake up prayers.

    • Daily Prayers/Pooja

    • Yoga.

    • Pranayama.

    • Meditation.

    • Shravanam & Mananam.

    • Volunteering by picking an activity with no tangible benefit to us.

    • Night time introspection.

    • Keeping a journal to capture the FIR (Frequency, Intensity & Recovery time) of our actions.


To summarize, basically follow a package to suit each one’s needs. 

  • In this class we spoke about the main theme of verses 36, 37, 38 and 39 in Chapter 3.

Arjuna asks Lord Krishna, why do people still do bad deeds?  The Lord explains it’s because of the underlying desires. Desires lead us to ultimate failure.  It is the state of our mind when we are ignorant of the fact that we are all complete!

Desires are maximum impactful in the Rajasic (action oriented) state, not exhibiting and dormant in the Tamasic (lazy) state and are managed in the Satvik (contented) state.  

We spoke about the happiness formula ( = desires fulfilled/desires entertained), wherein the happiness is at an infinite level when the desires entertained is zero or none!

A beautiful analogy was drawn to Ravana (Rajasic), Kumbakarna (Tamasic) and Vibheeshana (Satvik) states of mind.   

Several ways were discussed to curb desires in various settings: 

  • Sleeping on a desire!

  • Introspection.

  • Drafting an email and reviewing the next day.

  • Sublimate and substitute along with the three yogas (Karma, Bhakthi & Gnana)

  • Writing your worries/desires on a sheet of paper and burning it, as followed in an ancient Hawaian temple.  



  • Gurudev’s video - Chapter 3, Verse 36

He explains what a sin is? An action becomes a sin, only when someone knows it is wrong and still does it to satisfy his or her sense pleasures.

  • Gurudev’s video - Chapter 3, Verse 37

Lust or the supreme desire is the dark, dreary force that compels us to act opposite to our intellect!

  • Summary & Closing Prayers.

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