यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन |
कर्मेन्द्रियै: कर्मयोगमसक्त: स विशिष्यते || 7||
yas tvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate ’rjuna
karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśhiṣhyate
yas tvindriyani manasa niyamyarabhate ’rjuna
karmendriyaih karma-yogam asaktah sa vishishyate
Translation
BG 3.7: But those karm yogis who control their knowledge senses with the mind, O Arjun, and engage the working senses in working without attachment, are certainly superior.
Commentary
The word karm yog has been used in this verse. It consists of two main concepts: karm (occupational duties) and Yog (union with God). Hence, a karm yogi is one who performs worldly duties while keeping the mind attached to God. Such a karm yogi is not bound by karma even while performing all kinds of works. This is because what binds one to the law of karma is not actions, but the attachment to the fruits of those actions. And a karm yogi has no attachment to the fruits of action. On the other hand, a false renunciant renounces action, but does not forsake attachment, and thus remains bound in the law of karma.
Shree Krishna says here that a person in household life who practices karm yog is superior to the false renunciant who continues to dwell on the objects of the senses in the mind. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj contrasts these two situations very beautifully:
mana hari meṅ tana jagat meṅ, karmayog tehi jāna
tana hari meṅ mana jagat meṅ, yaha mahāna ajñāna
(Bhakti Śhatak verse 84) [v3]
“When one works in the world with the body, but keeps the mind attached to God, know it to be karm yog. When one engages in spirituality with the body, but keeps the mind attached to the world, know it to be hypocrisy.”
