Sanskrit
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा । कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥
āvṛtaṃ jñānam etena jñānino nityavairiṇā kāmarūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca
Translation
Enveloped is wisdom by this constant enemy of the wise in the form of desire, which is insatiable as a flame.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The three similes of verse 38 are named as one thing: desire, wisdom’s “constant enemy,” insatiable like fire. Fire is a pointed choice of comparison, since verse 38 already used fire wrapped in smoke as the mildest of the three images — here desire itself becomes the fire, suggesting it isn’t only obscured by something, it’s also the very thing that keeps consuming fuel without end.