Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 42

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः | मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ||

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

They say the senses are superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses; the intellect is superior to the mind; and He (the Self) is superior to the intellect.

After teaching sense control (3.41), Krishna reveals the hierarchy of your inner world: the senses are higher than the body, the mind (manas) is higher than the senses, the intellect (buddhi) is higher than the mind, and the Self (Ātman) is beyond even the intellect. This isn't abstract philosophy—it's the map for winning every inner battle. The key insight: you can't control something from its own level. Your mind can't calm your mind. Your body can't motivate your body. You need to go up one level to gain leverage. Each higher level can observe and direct the one below it.