3.7
यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन | कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स विशिष्यते ||७||
yas tv indriyāṇi manasā niyamyārabhate'rjuna karmendriyaiḥ karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśhiṣhyate
Translation
On the other hand, if a sincere person tries to control the active senses by the mind and begins karma yoga (in Krishna consciousness) without attachment, he is by far superior.
Interpretation
The superior alternative: controlling the senses through the mind (not merely the body) and then engaging in action without attachment. This is the genuinely free person — outwardly engaged, inwardly unattached. The emphasis on 'asaktaḥ' (without attachment) is the key that distinguishes karma yoga from ordinary worldly action.