“Arjuna said, ’Impelled by whom, O son of the Vrishni race, doth a man commit sin, even though unwilling and as if constrained by force’?

“The Holy One said,—­’It is desire, it is wrath, born of the attribute of passion; it is all devouring, it is very sinful.  Know this to be the foe in this world.[166] As fire is enveloped by smoke, a mirror by dust, the foetus by the womb, so is this enveloped by desire.  Knowledge, O son of Kunti, is enveloped by this constant foe of the wise in the form of desire which is insatiable and like a fire.  The senses, the mind and the understanding are said to be its abode.  With these it deludeth the embodied self, enveloping (his) knowledge.  Therefore, restraining (thy) senses first, O bull of Bharata’s race, cast off this wicked thing, for it destroyeth knowledge derived from instruction and meditation.[167] It hath been said that the senses are superior (to the body which is inert).  Superior to the senses is the mind.  Superior to the mind is the knowledge.  But which is superior to knowledge is He.[168] Thus knowing that which is superior to knowledge and restraining (thy) self by self, slay, O mighty-armed one, the enemy in the shape of desire which is difficult to conquer.’”

Section XXVIII [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter IV)]

“The Holy One said,—­’This imperishable (system of) devotion I declared to Vivaswat:  Vivaswat declared it to Manu; and Manu communicated it to Ikshaku.  Descending thus from generation, the Royal sages came to know it.  But, O chastiser of foes, by (lapse of a) long time that devotion became lost to the world.  Even the same (system of) devotion hath today been declared by me to thee, for thou art my devotee and friend, (and) this is a great mystery.’

“Arjuna said,—­’Thy birth is posterior; Vivaswat’s birth is prior.  How shall I understand then that thou hadst first declared (it)?’

“The Holy One said,—­’Many births of mine have passed away, O Arjuna, as also of thine.  These all I know, but thou dost not, O chastiser of foes.  Though (I am) unborn and of essence that knoweth no deterioration, though (I am) the lord of all creatures, still, relying on my own (material) nature I take birth by my own (powers) of illusion.  Whenever, O Bharata, loss of piety and the rise of impiety occurreth, on those occasions do I create myself.  For the protection of the righteous and for the destruction of the evil doers, for the sake of establishing Piety, I am born age after age.  He who truly knoweth my divine birth and work to be such, casting off (his body) is not born again; (on the other hand) he cometh to me, O Arjuna.  Many who have been freed from attachment, fear, wrath, who were full of me, and who relied on me, have, cleansed by knowledge and asceticism, attained to my essence.  In whatsoever manner men come to me, in the selfsame manner do I accept them.  It is my way, O Partha, that men follow on all sides.[169] Those in this world