📿 Shloka Collection

Karmendriyani Samyamya

Gita 3.6 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3 — Karma Yoga
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।
इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥
Karmendriyani samyamya ya aste manasa smaran
Indriyarthan vimudhatma mithyacharah sa uchyate
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि
organs of action (hands, feet, etc.)
संयम्य
restraining, controlling
यः आस्ते
one who sits
मनसा स्मरन्
remembering with the mind, mentally dwelling on
इन्द्रियार्थान्
the objects of the senses
विमूढात्मा
deluded soul, a fool
मिथ्याचारः
a hypocrite, one of false conduct
सः उच्यते
such a person is called

Imagine someone who has locked the front door but left every window wide open. That is the person described here. The hands and feet are still. The body looks disciplined. But inside, the mind is feasting on every sense pleasure it can recall or imagine.

Krishna uses a sharp word for this: mithyachara, one whose conduct is false. When the outside does not match the inside, the entire exercise becomes a performance. Real spiritual practice requires alignment. What you do with your body and what you do with your mind must point in the same direction.

This extends the argument of 3.5. Since prakriti's gunas drive action from within, merely stopping the body's movement is not enough.

Gita 3.7 immediately provides the correct alternative: control the senses through the mind and act with detachment.

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