Bhagavad Gita BG 3.6
Chapter 3, Verse 6 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संयम्य य आस्ते मनसा स्मरन् । इन्द्रियार्थान्विमूढात्मा मिथ्याचारः स उच्यते ॥ ६ ॥
karmendriyāṇi saṃyamya ya āste manasā smaran indriyārthān vimūḍhātmā mithyācāraḥ sa ucyate
Meaning
One who restrains the organs of action yet dwells mentally on sense objects — that self-deluded person is called a pretender (mithyācāra).
Understanding
Here Krishna addresses the hypocrisy of outer renunciation without inner transformation. The karma-indriyas are the five organs of action: hands, feet, voice, genitals, and the eliminatory organ. A person might sit still and look like a yogi while internally rehearsing every pleasure they are denying themselves. This is mithyācāra — false conduct, pretence. It is worse than openly engaging the senses because it combines unresolved desire with self-righteous performance. True renunciation requires mental disengagement from sense objects, not just physical restraint.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कर्मेन्द्रियाणि | karmendriyāṇi | organs of action (hands, feet, voice, etc.) |
| संयम्य | saṃyamya | restraining / controlling |
| इन्द्रियार्थान् | indriyārthān | sense objects / objects of the senses |
| विमूढात्मा | vimūḍhātmā | self-deluded / whose self is confused |
| मिथ्याचारः | mithyācāraḥ | pretender / one of false conduct |
| यः | yaḥ | he who / one who |
| आस्ते | āste | sits / remains / dwells |
| मनसा | manasā | with the mind / mentally |
| स्मरन् | smaran | remembering / thinking about |
| सः | saḥ | he (that hypocrite) |
| उच्यते | ucyate | is called / is said to be |