3.7 The other way round Krishna speaks
यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन
कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते
yas tvindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate ’rjuna
karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśhiṣhyate
But one who controls the senses with the mind, Arjuna, and takes up action with the organs of action while remaining unattached — that one is better.
Explanation
And the other way round is better.
Control the senses with the mind, and then take up action with the organs of action while remaining unattached.
The order is the whole teaching. Restraint goes on the inside and activity on the outside — which is exactly the inverse of what renunciation usually looks like from a distance.
Word by word
- yaḥ
- who
- tu
- but
- indriyāṇi
- the senses
- manasā
- by the mind
- niyamya
- control
- ārabhate
- begins
- arjuna
- Arjun
- karma-indriyaiḥ
- by the working senses
- karma-yogam
- karm yog
- asaktaḥ
- without attachment
- saḥ
- they
- viśhiṣhyate
- are superior
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