Summary:

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 6: One who physically restrains the organs of action but mentally dwells on sense objects is deluded (vimūḍhātmā) and a hypocrite (mithyācāra). Like the monk still carrying the woman in his thoughts hours after the river crossing, we cannot make lucid decisions while nursing resentments. The solution is to stop seeing oneself as a victim, recognize our role in situations, and release mental preoccupation with past events rather than carrying them like a broken record of rumination.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 7: Karma-yoga is superior (viśiṣyate) to mere restraint of action. It involves controlling sense organs through the mind while remaining unattached (asaktaḥ) to results — not because you're told to “remain unattached”, but because the joy and sense of purpose comes from your actions, thus you're naturally less concerned about the destination (results). Unlike ordinary action driven by personal likes and dislikes (rāga-dveṣas) seeking personal wellbeing — karma-yoga is motivated by inner purification (antaḥ-karaṇa śuddhi) and liberation (mokṣa). It transforms every action into an offering to Īśvara, based on understanding an interconnected world, thus it drops you further into īśvara-sṛṣṭi.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 8: Every thought requires one of three choices: do something with it, modify it, or ignore it. This thought-choice-action sequence determines accountability, resulting in merit or demerit (punya/papa). The extent to which we exercise these choices reflects our free will, with life itself revealing our true intentions through various situations. Niyatam karma (“what is to be done”) encompasses survival actions, duties according to one's place in the world (svadharma), and actions that bring long-term peace even if not immediately gratifying. Action is superior to inaction because without action, nothing is accomplished—the Vedas prescribe four action-based human goals (purushartha): security (artha), pleasure (kama), righteousness (dharma), and liberation (moksha), with no fifth goal of “inaction.” Additionally, actions performed with karma-yoga attitude become a means (sādhana) for inner growth leading to liberation.

Revision:

Arjuna asks, “Krishna, you tell me what should I do. Act or abandon action and pursue knowledge alone?”. It seems more direct going to seclusion and contemplating on Atma”. But it’s not as easy as that because you’re carrying the troubled mind with you.

We frequently encounter cases in both Buddhist and Advaita traditions where practitioners struggle with sexual urges and pornography consumption. This challenge reflects how the mind can become dominated by powerful desire energies. Similar patterns appear with gossip or emotional quick-fixes — both serving as forms of mental consumption for temporary satisfaction.

As discussed previously, desire management can be dealt with these two powerful methods:

1. Immediately take a deep breath and exhale slowly. This slows dopamine release in anticipation of self-gratification. 
2. Immediately stand up and move. Immediately remove yourself from the physical location for 5 minutes.  

Krishna advises channeling rajasic tendencies into constructive action rather than suppression. Through activity, life reveals the aspects of your inner world needing refinement. He emphasizes that complete inaction is impossible — everyone must act in some capacity.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 6:
Why Action is Better Then Inaction or Renunciation

कर्म-इन्द्रियाणि संयम्य यः आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् ।
इन्द्रियार्थान् विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः सः उच्यते ॥ ३-६॥
karma-indriyāṇi saṃyamya yaḥ āste manasā smaran ।
indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ saḥ ucyate ॥ 3-6॥

The one who, controlling the organs of action, sits with the mind remembering those sense objects is deluded and is called a person of false conduct.

Consider This Before Taking to Sannyasa:

Suppose Arjuna goes to quiet mountains, wishing to contemplate on Atma. Then his mind starts ruminating the life story of those who hurt him, nursing the same kind of resentment he did in the forest. His mind is good as a broken record.

For example, after a break-up, if you don’t have a friend or activity to distract you — your mind alternates between ruminating on past good times and hurt. Mind becomes preoccupied with Kurukshetra (symbol for life in general).

Story Illustrates Even Monks Aren't Free of the Broken-Record Mind: 

Two monks were walking in a forest. They spotted a woman attempting to cross a river. One of monks lifts her across so her clothes are unspoiled, and releases her on the other side of the bank. Some hours later, the second monk snaps, “You’re a monk. Why did you touch a woman?”. The other monk replies, “I did what needed to be done, I let her go hours ago, and you’re still carrying her in your head!”.  Story also shows you can’t make lucid decisions and speak wisely while nursing resentment of past unresolved events. Same thing could’ve happened to Arjuna, not allowing him to contemplate freely.

Solution:

• First is to remind yourself, “That person did what they did, but I can’t afford to carry it in my head because it'll rob me of my peace and right to be happy.”
• Come to terms with those situations/people who consistently appear on the screen of your mind, and start the cycle of negative thinking.
• Common cause of negative thinking is seeing yourself a victim (“I have been wronged”). Solution is to see your role in the situation. For example, if you're holding a grudge towards some relative, think about the times you were passive aggressive and treated him/her unfairly. This lessons the pressure to blame.

NEXT VERSE: Better option to inaction is staying where you are, facing life and overcoming situations using the spirit of Karma-Yoga…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 7:
Comparing Karma-Yoga to Ordinary Action

यः तु इन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्य आरभते अर्जुन ।
कर्म-इन्द्रियैः कर्म-योगम् असक्तः सः विशिष्यते ॥ ३-७॥
yaḥ tu indriyāṇi manasā niyamya ārabhate arjuna ।
karma-indriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ saḥ viśiṣyate ॥ 3-7॥

Whereas, Arjuna! the one who, controlling the sense organs with the mind, remaining unattached, takes to the yoga of action (i.e., action performed with yoga-buddhi) with the organs of action, is far superior.

Verse distinguishes between two approaches to action:

• Karma-yoga isn't something you “do” but an attitude you have with reference to action and results — performing action as sādhana, a means, for purification and self-knowledge.
• Karma-Yoga path is declared “viśiṣyate” (far superior) to that of the mithyācāra (hypocrite) in V6, who outwardly renounces action but mentally dwells on sense objects.

NEXT VERSE: Krishna reiterates doing what is to be done (niyatam karma – obligatory actions) is superior to inaction or ordinary action…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 8:
Niyatam Karma is superior…

नियतम् कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायः हि अकर्मणः ।
शरीर-यात्रा अपि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येत् अकर्मणः ॥ ३-८॥
niyatam kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyaḥ hi akarmaṇaḥ ।
śarīra-yātrā api ca te na prasiddhyet akarmaṇaḥ ॥ 3-8॥

Do action that is to be done because action is superior to inaction. Even the maintenance of your body would be impossible by inaction.

Introduction: Thought leads to Action

Every thought asks you to make 3 choices:

• 1. Do something with me. EG: Inquiry into it, act it out, build upon it)
  2. Do something different with me. EG: Cultivate it, or change it entirely.
  3. Leave me alone!

Once the choice is made, from thereon you (the jiva) becomes accountable – from which point punya/papa is gained. So action (karma) is defined as expression of thought guided by choice.  

Freedom of Response: The Measure of Free Will

Your free will is measured by your flexibility in responding to thoughts. When you have three possible responses to any thought but consistently use only one, you're limiting your freedom.

Pattern 1: Default Mode Across All Thoughts

If you habitually respond to all types of thoughts the same way — always engaging with them, always modifying them, or always ignoring them — you're only using 1/3rd of your available choices. This is like having a toolbox with three tools but only ever using one, regardless of the task at hand.

Pattern 2: Fixed Responses to Specific Thought Categories

Most of us develop automatic responses to particular categories of thoughts:

1. 1. 1. When thoughts about talking to strangers arise, we automatically choose “leave me alone“
      2. When memories of past hurts surface, we compulsively choose “do something with me” (ruminate)
      3. When ideas about our talents appear, we might always choose “do something different with me” (downplay them)

This rigidity means we're not truly choosing in the moment — we're running on autopilot scripts determined by comfort and habit.

True Free Will

Genuine freedom comes from maintaining flexibility, consciously selecting the most appropriate response.

Order:

Thought > Choice (3 of them) > Action > The Jiva officially becomes accountable > seen or unseen punya/papa.

How do you know the action was right?

Life itself becomes your mentor, showing you where you are acting from, as different situations at work/home reveal your true intentions.

It’s noteworthy saying, you don’t have free will in terms of thoughts in potential (that are yet to come), because you don’t know what thoughts will come. Free will is born with a thought.

On Action

Krishna points out 3 things regarding nature of actions…

1. Action Is Non-Negotiable: Survival demands it. There's a story of a Swami who claimed to practice “inaction” by refusing to use his hands to eat. But opening his mouth, chewing, and swallowing are still actions! True inaction is a myth.
2. Niyatam karma (“what is to be done”) – refers to 3 kinds of actions:
   1. Action done to survive: Brush your teeth, eat, work.
   2. Actions keeping with your unique place in the world (svadharma): Fulfill duties to family, community.
   3. Actions that aren’t immediately gratifying – but bring long term peace: They polish your mind. Even cooking a meal can clean up your attitude if it's done with Karma-Yoga attitude. IE: Reminding yourself the food, the maker of the food and the eater are Ishvara.
3. Karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ (action is always superior to inaction):
   • If you don’t act, you accomplish nothing. Life is meant for fulfilling of fourfold human goals: security [artha], pleasure [kāma], righteousness [dharma], and liberation [mokṣa]. Additionally, avoiding action in hopes of escaping the cycle of karma is a misunderstanding. Even if you try to abstain, your past accumulated results of actions [sañcita-karma] must still be exhausted.

NEXT VERSE: How yajña can help integrate and deepen the knowledge of oneness…

—

Course was based on Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) home study course.

Recorded 1 June, 2025