March 3 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 3; Verses 3.06-3.07 (Day 63) Karma Yoga

 March 3 – Day 63

Verse 3.06-3.07

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।

इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥ ३-६॥ 

karmendriyāṇi sanyamya ya āste manasā smaran
indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyāchāraḥ sa uchyate (6) 

க¹ர்மேன்ந்த்³ரியாணி ஸந்யம்ய ய ஆஸ்தே¹ மனஸா ஸ்மரன் |
இந்த்³ரியார்தா²ன்விமூடா⁴த்¹மா மித்²யாசா¹ர: ஸ உச்¹யதே¹ ||6|| 

6. He who, restraining the organs of action, sits thinking of the sense-objects in mind, he, of deluded understanding, is called a hypocrite. 

Commentary: The five organs of action, Karma Indriyas, are Vak (organ of speech), Pani (hands), Padam (feet), Upastha (genitals), and Guda (anus).  They are born of the Rajasic portion of the five Tanmatras or Subtle elements; Vak from the Akasa Tanmatra (ether), Pani from the Vayu Tanmatra (air), Padam from the Agni Tanmatra (fire), Upastha from the Apas Tanmatra (water), and Guda from the Prithivi Tanmatra (earth).  That man who, restraining the organs of action, sits revolving in his mind thoughts regarding the objects of the senses is a man of sinful conduct. He is self-deluded.  He is a veritable hypocrite.

The organs of action must be controlled. The thoughts should also be controlled. The mind should be firmly fixed on the Lord. Only then will you become a true Yogi.  Only then will you attain to Self-realisation. 

यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन ।

कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥ ३-७॥ 

yas twindriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate ’rjuna
karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśhiṣhyate (7) 

யஸ்த்¹வின்த்³ரியாணி மனஸா நியம்யாரப⁴தே¹‌ர்ஜுன |
க¹ர்மேன்த்³ரியை: க¹ர்மயோக³மஸக்¹த¹: ஸ விஶிஷ்யதே¹ ||7|| 

7. But whosoever, controlling the senses by the mind, O Arjuna, engages himself in Karma Yoga with the organs of action, without attachment, he excels! 

Commentary: If anyone performs actions with his organs of action (viz., hands, feet, organ of speech, etc.) controlling the organs of knowledge by the mind, and without expectation of the fruits of the actions and without egoism, he is certainly more worthy than the other who is a hypocrite or a man of false conduct. (Cf 2.64, 2.68,4.21) 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda [verses 6-7] 

Kṛṣṇa’s yoga is karma yoga or buddhi yoga; the yoga that does not discourage activity, but, on the contrary, insists on intelligent dynamism. The man who refuses do his duty vainly rebels against God’s will. There is activity in his mind; if the mind is not active, he would cease to live. Even the mind’s recognition of the position of one’s own limbs is the result of wrong identification of the self with the body which is part of the world. Foolish suppression of mental activity will only result in an explosion which could take the form of a simple mental aberration, a criminal tendency or lunacy. What is vital is a direct perception of the conditioning which generates aspirations and aversions which in turn taint one’s mental and physical activity. Such perception dispels the psychological conditioning and its offspring (the ego), and reveals the divine as the source and goal of all life.

Kṛṣṇa’s ideal is one of self-controlled participation in the divine will, which is karma yoga. Control is not suppression or repression. In any field of life, suppression only means compression which, sooner or later, leads to explosion. We see this happen in the life of a man, of society, of communities and of nations. Control, on the other hand, is right expression – neither suppression nor license. This is the middle path of the Buddha, the buddhi yoga of Kṛṣṇa, the Christian way, and the Divine Life of our Master. An excellent parallel is seen in the expression – “Mr. So-and-so has good control of the car.” He knows when to stop or to start, which way to go and at what speed. The enigma of this yoga lies in its simplicity.

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