Verse 3.7

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 3.7:

यस् त्व् इन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन ।
कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्म-योगम् असक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥ ७ ॥

yas tv indriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate'rjuna |
karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate || 7 ||

yaḥ–who; tu–however; indriyāṇi–the senses; manasā–through the mind; niyamya–regulates; ārabhate–begins; arjuna–O Arjuna; karma-indriyaiḥ–by his working senses; karma-yogam–scripturally prescribed action, or karma; asaktaḥ–without attachment; saḥ–he; viśiṣyate–is superior.

But, O Arjuna, a person who performs action with his working senses in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures, who regulates his senses through the mind, and who is free from all fruitive desires, is superior.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

It is indicated here that even a married person who acts in accordance with scripture is recognized as superior to the false renunciant described in the previous verse. Śrī Bhagavān explains this by speaking this verse beginning with yas tu. Here, karma-yoga refers to action prescribed in scripture, and asaktaḥ means ‘without desire for the fruits of one’s activity’. This means that the person who acts according to the instructions of scripture, with no desire for the fruits of his activities, attains a superior condition. Śrī Rāmānujācārya says, “asambhāvita-pramādatvena jñāna-niṣṭhād api puruṣād viśiṣṭaḥ–that householder who has controlled his knowledge-acquiring senses (jñānendriyas) and his working senses (karmendriyas) is better than a so-called transcendentalist who makes a display of his knowledge.” The pseudo-transcendentalist may deviate because his senses are uncontrolled, but there is no possibility that a householder who has controlled his knowledge-acquiring senses will deviate or be careless while performing his prescribed duties with his working senses.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

In order to purify the heart, it is imperative to perform action prescribed in scripture without attachment. Those practitioners, or sādhakas, who after controlling their knowledge-acquiring senses (such as the eyes, ears and tongue), perform karma-yoga with their working senses (such as the legs, hands and speech) without desiring the fruits of their activities, and who are careful and attentive in their endeavour, are qualified to attain puruṣārtha, the supreme goal of human life. Such practitioners, who aspire for the transcendental goal, are superior to those who accept sannyāsa impetuously, forcibly controlling their working senses while enjoying sense objects through their knowledge-acquiring senses.