Sanskrit
यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन । कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥
yas tv indriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate'rjuna karmendriyaiḥ karmayogam asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate
Translation
But who, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, with the organs of action without attachment, performeth yoga by action, he is worthy.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
The direct counterpart to verse 6’s hypocrite: here the mind actually governs the senses, and the organs of action perform karma-yoga without attachment — the same non-attachment formula stated in 2.47-48, now folded into a definition of who is genuinely superior. The order matters: mind disciplines senses first, then action follows without craving, rather than the reverse. Asaktaḥ — unattached — is the single word that separates this person from the one in verse 6; both are outwardly active, but only one is acting from a mind that has let go of the fruit. This is karma-yoga reduced to its minimum condition.
Study deeper
Word by word
- yas tvयस् त्व्
- but who (yaḥ + tu)
- indriyāṇiइन्द्रियाणि
- the senses
- manasāमनसा
- with the mind
- niyamyārabhate'rjunaनियंयारभतेऽर्जुन
- having controlled, begins, O Arjuna (niyamya + ārabhate + arjuna)
- karmendriyaiḥकर्मेन्द्रियैः
- with the organs of action
- karmayogamकर्मयोगं
- the yoga of action
- asaktaḥअसक्तः
- unattached
- sa viśiṣyateस विशिष्यते
- he excels (saḥ + viśiṣyate)
Commentary
Site Commentary
From the outside, the hypocrite of verse 6 and the karma-yogi of verse 7 can look identical — both are people visibly restraining the organs of action. The entire difference between them is invisible: whether the mind has actually disciplined the senses first, or is merely being dragged along behind a performance of control.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- Two people can look the same from the outside — both holding back, both disciplined in appearance — while one is genuinely at peace and the other is straining against private craving. Judge your own state honestly rather than by how controlled you appear.
Professional
- Two team members can display identical outward behavior — both quiet in a meeting, both not pushing back — while one has genuinely resolved their objection and the other is just suppressing it. Don't assume outward calm means the same thing in both cases; ask.
Family & Social
- Someone in your family can look outwardly compliant with an agreement while inwardly still resisting it, and from across the room the two states are indistinguishable — check in on what's actually happening internally rather than reading calm behavior as calm agreement.
Ask yourself
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