BhG 3.42

syntax

indriyāṇi (the senses) parāṇi (superior) [santi iti] (they are) [te] (they) āhuḥ (they spoke),
indriyebhyaḥ (than the senses) manaḥ (the mind) param (superior) [asti] (it is),
manasaḥ tu (but than the mind) buddhiḥ (intelligence) parā (superior) [asti] (it is),
yaḥ tu (but he who) buddheḥ (than intelligence) parataḥ (far superior) saḥ (he) [asti] (is).

grammar

indriyāṇi	–	indriya 1n.3 n. – the senses (from: √ind – to be powerful);
parāṇi	–	para 1n.3 n. – beyond, ancient, final, the best, the supreme;
āhuḥ	–	√ah (to speak – inflected only in Perf., other forms from: √brū) Perf. P 1v.3 – they spoke;
indriyebhyaḥ	–	indriya 5n.3 n. – than the senses (from: √ind – to be powerful);
param	–	para 1n.1 n. – beyond, ancient, final, the best, the supreme;
manaḥ	–	manas 1n.1 n. – the mind (from: √man – to think);
manasaḥ	–	manas 5n.1 n. – than the mind (from: √man – to think)
tu	–	av. – but, then, or, and;
parā	–	para 1n.1 f. – beyond, ancient, final, the best, the supreme;
buddhiḥ	–	buddhi 1n.1 f. – intelligence, thought, understanding, knowledge, idea, opinion (from: √budh – to wake, to perceive, to understand);
yaḥ	–	yat sn. 1n.1 m. – he who;
buddheḥ	–	buddhi 5n.1 f. – than intelligence, thought, understanding, knowledge, idea, opinion (from: √budh – to wake, to perceive, to understand);
parataḥ	–	av. – farther, beyond, above (from: para – distant, beyond, out; indeclinable ablative with an ending: -tas);
tu	–	av. – but, then, or, and;
saḥ	–	tat sn. 1n.1 m. – he;

textual variants

yo buddheḥ → buddher yaḥ (than intelligence, he who);

Śāṃkara

The key:
an excerpt from the commented verse
quotes from the scriptures
starting polemic

It has been taught, “first master the senses, and cast off desire, thy enemy.” Now it may be asked, – Where should one take one’s stand and cast off desire? The answer follows:		indriyāṇy ādau niyamya kāmaṃ śatruṃ jahihi ity uktam | tatra kim āśrayaḥ kāmaṃ jahyāt ity ucyate —
They say that the senses are superior: superior to the senses is mind: superior to mind is reason; one who is even superior to reason is He.		indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ | manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ ||3.42||
The senses are five, the sense of hearing, etc. When compared with the physical body, which is gross, external, and limited, the senses are superior as they are comparatively more subtle and internal, and have a more extensive sphere of action. So say the wise. Superior to the senses is mind (manas, the impulsive nature) which is composed of thoughts and desires, of errors and doubts, (saṁkalpa and vikalpa). Superior to mind is reason (buddhi) characterized by determination (nischaya).		indriyāṇi śrotrādīni pañca | dehaṃ sthūlaṃ bāhyaṃ paricchinnaṃ cāpekṣya saukṣmyāntaratva-vyāpitvādy-apekṣayā parāṇi prakṛṣṭāny āhuḥ paṇḍitāḥ | tathā indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ saṃkalpa-vikalpātmakam | tathā manasas tu parā buddhir niścayātmikā |
So, He who is behind all things visible, inclusive of reason, the Dweller in the body, whom – it has been said – desire, seated in the senses and other quarters, bewilders by enveloping wisdom, – He, the Self, the witness of reason, is superior to reason.		tathā yaḥ sarva-dṛśyebhyo buddhy-antebhyo ’bhyantaro yaṃ dehinam indriyādibhir āśrayair yuktaḥ kāmo jñānāvaraṇa-dvāreṇa mohayatīty uktam | buddheḥ paratas tu sa | sa buddher draṣṭā | para ātmā ||3.42||

Rāmānuja

jñānavirodhiṣu pradhānam āha

jñānavirodhe pradhānānīndriyāṇy āhuḥ, yata indriyeṣu viṣayavyāpṛteṣu ātmani jñānaṃ na pravartate / indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ indriyeṣu uparateṣv api manasi viṣayapravaṇe ātmajñānaṃ na saṃbhavati / manasas tu parā buddhiḥ manasi vṛttyantaravimukhe ‚pi viparītādhyavasāyapravṛttau satyāṃ jñānaṃ na pravartate / sarveṣu buddhiparyanteṣu uparateṣv apīcchāparyāyaḥ kāmo rajassamudbhavo vartate cet, sa evaitānīndriyādīny api svaviṣaye vartayitvā ātmajñānaṃ niruṇaddhi / tad idam ucyate, yo buddheḥ paras tu saḥ iti / buddher api yaḥ paras sa kāma ityarthaḥ

Śrīdhara

yatra citta-praṇidhānena indriyāṇi niyantuṃ śakyante, tad ātma-svarūpaṃ dehādibhyo vivicya darśayati indriyāṇīti | indriyāṇi dehādibhyo grāhyebhyaḥ parāṇi śreṣṭhāny āhuḥ sūkṣmatvāt prakāśakatvāc ca | ataeva tad-vyatiriktatvam apy arthād uktaṃ bhavati | indriyebhyaś ca saṅkalpātmakaṃ manaḥ param tat-pravartakatvāt | manasas tu niścayātmikā buddhiḥ parā | niścaya-pūrvakatvāt saṅkalpasya | yas tu buddheḥ paratas tat-sākṣitvenāvasthitaḥ sarvāntaraḥ sa ātmā | taṃ vimohayati dehinam iti dehi-śabdokta ātmā sa iti parāmṛśyate

Madhusūdana

nanu yathā kathaṃcid bāhyendriya-niyama-sambhave ‚py āntara-tṛṣṇā-tyāgo ‚tiduṣkara iti cen, na | raso ‚py asya paraṃ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Gītā 2.59] ity atra para-darśanasya rasābhidhānīyaka-tṛṣṇā-tyāga-sādhanasya prāg-ukteḥ | tarhi ko ‚sau paro yad-darśanāt tṛṣṇā-nivṛttir ity āśaṅkya śuddham ātmānaṃ para-śabda-vācyaṃ dehādibhyo vivicya darśayati indriyāṇīti | śrotrādīni jñānendriyāṇi pañca sthūlaṃ jaḍaṃ paricchinnaṃ bāhyaṃ ca deham apekṣya parāṇi sūkṣmatvāt prakāśakatvād vyāpakatvād antaḥsthatvāc ca prakṛṣṭāny āhuḥ paṇḍitāḥ śrutayo vā | tathendriyebhyaḥ paraṃ manaḥ saṅkalpa-vikalpātmakaṃ tat-pravartakatvāt | tathā manasas tu parā buddhir adhyavasāyātmikā | adhyavasāyo hi niścayas tat-pūrvaka eva saṅkalpādir mano-dharmaḥ | yas tu buddheḥ paratas tad-bhāsakatvenāvasthito yaṃ dehinam indriyādibhir āśrayair yuktaḥ kāmo jñānāvaraṇa-dvāreṇa mohayatīty uktaṃ sa buddher draṣṭā para ātmā | sa eṣa iha praviṣṭaḥ itivad dvyavahitasyāpi dehinas tadā parāmarśaḥ | atrārthe śrutiḥ –

indriyebhyaḥ parā hy arthā arthebhyaś ca paraṃ manaḥ |
manasas tu parā buddhir buddher ātmā mahān paraḥ ||
mahataḥ parama-vyaktam avyaktāt puruṣaḥ paraḥ |
puruṣān na paraṃ kiṃcit sā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ || [KaṭhU 1.3.10-11] iti |

atrātmanaḥ paratvasyaiva vākya-tātparya-viṣayatvād indriyādi-paratvasyāvivakṣitatvād indriyebhyaḥ parā arthā iti sthāne ‚rthebhyaḥ parāṇīndriyāṇīti vivakṣābhedena bhagavad-uktaṃ na virudhyate | buddher asmad-ādi-vyaṣṭi-buddheḥ sakāśān mahān ātmā samaṣṭi-buddhi-rūpaḥ paraḥ mano mahān matir brahma pūr buddhiḥ khyātir īśvaraḥ iti vāyu-purāṇa-vacanāt | mahato hairaṇyagarbhyā buddheḥ param avyaktam avyākṛtaṃ sarva-jagad-bījaṃ māyākhyaṃ māyāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ vidyād iti śruteḥ | tad dhedaṃ tarhy avyākṛtam āsīt iti ca | avyaktāt sakāśāt sakala-jaḍa-varga-prakāśakaḥ puruṣaḥ pūrṇa ātmā paraḥ | tasmād api kaścid anyaḥ paraḥ syād ity ata āha puruṣān na paraṃ kiṃcid iti | kuta evaṃ yasmāt sā kāṣṭhā samāptiḥ sarvādhiṣṭhānatvāt | sā parā gatiḥ | so ‚dhvanaḥ pāram āpnoti tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam ity ādi-śruti-prasiddhā parā gatir api saivety arthaḥ | tad etat sarvaṃ yo buddheḥ paratas tu sa ity anenoktam

Viśvanātha

na ca prathamam eva mano-buddhi-jaye yatanīyam aśakyatvād ity āha indriyāṇi parāṇīti | daśa-dig-vijayibhir api vīrair durjayatvād atibalatvena śreṣṭhānīty arthaḥ | indriyebhyaḥ sakāśād api prabalatvān manaḥ paraṃ | svapne khalv indriyeṣv api naṣṭeṣv anaśvaratvād iti bhāvaḥ | manasaḥ sakāśād api parā prabalā buddhir vijñāna-rūpā | suṣuptau manasy api naṣṭe tasyāḥ sāmānyākārāyā anaśvarātvād iti bhāvaḥ | tasya buddheḥ sakāśād api parato balādhikyena yo vartate, tawsyām api jñānābhyāsena naṣṭāyāṃ satyāṃ yo virājata ity arthaḥ | sa tu prasiddho jīvātmā kāmasya jetā | tena vastutaḥ sarvato ‚py atiprabalena jīvātmanā indriyādīn vijitya kāmo vijetuṃ śakya eveti nātrāsambhāvanā kāryeti bhāvaḥ

Baladeva

nanu mudrita-yantrāmbu-nyāyena niṣkāma-karma-pravaṇatayendriya-niyamane kāma-kṣatir iti tvayā pradarśitam | atha daihika-karma-kāle mukta-yantrāmbu-nyāyenendriya-vṛtti-prasāre kāmasya punar ujjīvatāpattiḥ syād iti tatra raso ‚py asya paraṃ dṛṣṭvā [Gītā 2.59] iti pūrvopadiṣṭena viviktātmānubhavena niḥśeṣā tasya kṣatiḥ syād iti darśayati indriyāṇīti dvābhyām |

pāñcabhautikād dehād indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur paṇḍitāḥ | tac cālīkatvāt tato ’tisūkṣmatvāt tad-vināśe ‚vināśāc ca | indriyebhyaḥ manaḥ paraṃ jāgare teṣāṃ pravartakatvāt svapne teṣu svasmin vilīneṣu rājya-kartṛtvena sthitatvāc ca | manasas tu buddhiḥ parā, niścayātmaka-buddhi-vṛttyaiva saṅkalpātmaka-mano-vṛtteḥ prasarāt | yas tu buddher api parato ‚sti, sa dehī jīvātmā cit-svarūpo dehādi-buddhy-antar-viviktayānubhūtaḥ san niḥśeṣa-kāma-kṣati-hetur bhavatīti | kaṭhāś caivaṃ paṭhanti –

indriyebhyaḥ parā hy arthā arthebhyaś ca paraṃ manaḥ |
manasas tu parā buddhir buddher ātmā mahān paraḥ || ity ādi |

asyārthaḥ – indriyebhyo ‚rthā viṣayās tad-ākarsiktatvāt parāḥ pradhāna-bhūtāḥ | viṣayendriya-vyavahārasya mano-mūlatvād arthebhyo manaḥ paraṃ viṣaya-bhogasya niścaya-pūrvakatvāt saṃśayātmakān manaso manaḥ paraṃ viṣaya-bhogasya niścaya-pūrvakatvāt saṃśayātmakān manaso niścayātmikā buddhiḥ parā buddher bhogopakaraṇatvāt tasyāḥ sakāśād bhoktātmā jīvaḥ paraḥ sa cātmā mahān dehendriyāntaḥkaraṇa-svāmīti daihikaṃ karma tu pūrvābhyāsa-vaśāc cakra-bhramitvat setsyati