For Eternal Beginners
यस्तु इन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभते अर्जुन ।
कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगम् असक्तः स विशिष्यते ॥ ७ ॥
yastu indriyANi manasA niyamyArabhate arjuna |
karmendriyaiH karmayogam asaktaH sa viziSyate || 7 ||
अर्जुन [arjuna] Arjuna, तु [tu] on the other hand, यः [yaH] the one who आरभते [Arabhate] initiates कर्मयोगम् [karmayogam] actions without attachment कर्मेन्द्रियैः [karmendriyaiH] through the organs of work, असक्तः [asaktaH] without being driven by outcomes, नियम्य [niyamya] controlling इन्द्रियाणि [indriyANi] those organs मनसा [manasA] with the mind - सः [saH] such a person विशिष्यते [viziSyate] is distinguished and superior.
Do your activities to realize your Self – instead of having your attachments agitate you.
Consider all the work you have been doing to attain your goals - be they your duties or any other actions. Do the same work while controlling your organs with your mind, tending them towards realizing the Self, without being driven by attachments. Take those very organs, which naturally tend towards activity and apply them to work without being driven by outcomes.
Then, it’s impossible for you to fall back to ignorance. In this way, you are superior to someone who believes in giving up the world to find the Self.