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आवृतम् ज्ञानम् एतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्य वैरिणा ।
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेण अनलेन च ॥ ३९ ॥

AvRtam jJAnam etena jJAnino nitya vairiNA |
kAmarUpeNa kaunteya duSpUreNa analena ca || 39 ||

कौन्तेय [kaunteya] Arjuna, ज्ञानम् [jJAnam] the knowledge ज्ञानिनः [jJAninaH] of a conscious person आवृतम् [AvRtam] is hidden एतेन [etena] by this नित्य वैरिणा [nitya vairiNA] constant enemy कामरूपेण [kAmarUpeNa] called desire, दुष्पूरेण [duSpUreNa] by the longing for things that you aren’t supposed to own अनलेन च [analena ca] and by the tendency never to be satisfied.

At the core of a conscious being is knowledge. The knowledge of the Self is hidden by a constant enemy called desire, which gets us entangled in worldly pleasures. This desire clings to us due to two factors: Desire for things that we aren’t supposed to own and never being satisfied with what we have, never saying ‘enough’.

What does this ‘desire’ use, to stay attached to a conscious being and overpower the independence of the Self? The next Shloka explains…