Desire, Desire, Desire!!

೭)
ಮನಸು ಬೆಳೆದಂತೆಲ್ಲ ಹಸಿವು ಬೆಳೆಯುವುದಯ್ಯ |
ತಣಿಸಲದನೊಗೆಯುವುದು ಬಗೆಬಗೆಯ ಯುಕ್ತಿ ||
ಮನುಜನೇಳಿಗೆಯದರಿನ್; ಆ ಮನಸಿನೇಳಿಗೆಗೆ |
ಕೊನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ? ಚಿಂತಿಸೆಲೋ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

What a beautiful way to start the verse, the hunger described till now is not the one that pertains to the body but to the mind. The bodily hunger can be easily satisfied; give it some food and it will ask only when it is hungry again. But the hunger of the mind is hard to satisfy. One conceives hundreds of ways to satisfy these modes of hunger, but only resulting in more of it; like getting stuck in a chakravyooha (an unsolvable puzzle) or a whirlpool or a tornado that intensifies and worsens over time, getting bigger and larger. In our attempts to overcome the ever burning desire we tend to employ tactics rather than a long term strategy.

A common analogy given in this regard is that of a raging forest fire that spreads beyond control. Physical hunger is associated with a satiable "digestive fire" or "vrikaagni", and material hunger (desire, lust) is associated with the insatiable "kaamaagni". In our attempt to control the raging fire we tend to give it more oil, creating an endless recursive loop. The first step towards managing this destructive fire is to "think" or "contemplate" about it - "ಚಿಂತಿಸೆಲೋ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ"!!!

೮)
ಬೇಕು ಬೇಕಿದು ಬೇಕು ಬೇಕಿದೆನಗಿನ್ನೊಂದು |
ಬೇಕೆನುತ ಬೊಬ್ಬಿಡುತಲಿಹ ಘಟವನಿದನು ||
ಏಕೆಂದು ರಚಿಸಿದನೊ ಬೊಮ್ಮನೀ ಬೇಕು ಜಪ |
ಸಾಕೆನಿಪುದೆಂದಿಗೆಲೊ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ ||

Greed needs no training, needs no instructions!! one need not go to a school to learn the "ಬೇಕು, ಬೇಕು" japa! Where does one learn this from? is there/this a problem? should not one be desiring, ambitious? As children we were happy, when did all the "trouble" start? No one can trace this, is it? are we not happy now (atleast we think we are)?!! Such questions confuse us or clarifies us. DVG seems to hint that this desire is beyond one's control, "ಏಕೆಂದು ರಚಿಸಿದನೊ ಬೊಮ್ಮನೀ ಬೇಕು ಜಪ ", as if the creator installed this as a feature! "ಸಾಕೆನಿಪುದೆಂದಿಗೆಲೊ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ", will we ever learn to say "enough"? He then says "ದಾಸರೋ ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಶುನಕನಂದದಿ ಜಗದ | ವಾಸನೆಗಳೆಳೆತಕ್ಕೆ, ದಿಕ್ಕುದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲಿ" - that we are slaves of these senses, running around this world directionless like an insect attracted to light only to die in the heat.

A few sholkas from Bhagawad Gita will add to the discussion here:

a) One should not fall under the control of senses and sense objects because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization (Chapter 3, Verse 34)

b) Lust which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world (Chapter 3, Verse 37)

c) As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is covered by different degrees of this lust (Chapter 3, Verse 38)

d) A man's pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire (Chapter 3, Verse 39)

e) The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him (Chapter 3, Verse 40)

So, Lord Sri Krishna clearly says that lust and excessive desire are our biggest enemies, but we let these enemies rule us! We host a greedy Duryodhana, a foxy Shakuni, a blind Dhirthrashtra, a mindless Dhushaasana within us, and engage in this everyday Kurukshetra - an incessant battle within to satisfy the five senses. How could one overcome these hurdles?

f) The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence (Chapter 3, Verse 42)

g) Knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust (Chapter 3, Verse 43)

Which level are we operating at? Sense level? Intelligence level? How is Mind different from Intelligence? This is a topic that I would love to explore on a different thread.

Sri KrishNaarpaNam!