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Bhagavadgītā Chapter VI The True Yoga Renunciation and Action are One Translation by Dr. Radhakrishnan (Text Box
highlighted) Sanskrit Text, Transliteration, & Word
Translation by Veeraswamy Krishnaraj |
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श्रीभगवानुवाच अनाश्रितः कर्मफलं
कार्यं कर्म करोति
यः । स संन्यासी
च योगी च न निरग्निर्न
चाक्रियः ॥६- १॥ śrībhagavān uvāca śrībhagavān uvāca śrībhagavān uvāca = Sri Bhagavan said; anāśritaḥ1
karma-phalam2 = without dependence1
on fruits of actions2; yaḥ6 karoti5 karma4
kāryam3 = he who performs his action as his duty [he
who6 performs5 action4 as duty3]
; saḥ7 sannyāsī8
ca9 yogī10 ca11= he is a Sannyasi also, [and] Yogi also [he is7 a
Sannyasi8 also9, [and] Yogi10 also11];
na12 niḥ13 agniḥ14
= neither12 without13 fire14; na15 ca16 akriyaḥ17
= nor15 also16 without action17.
6.1 |
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The Blessed Lord said: (6.I) He who
does the work which he ought to do without seeking its fruit he is the saṁnyāsin, he is
the yogin, not he who does not light the sacred fire, and performs no rites. ■ The teacher
emphasizes that saṁnyāsa or renunciation has little to do with outward works. It is an inward
attitude. To become a saṁnyāsin it is not necessary to give up the sacrificial fire and the daily ritual.
To abstain from these without the
spirit of renunciation is futile. Śaṁkara however by the use of the word "kevalam," makes out that "he who does not light the
sacred fire and performs no rites is not the only
saṁnyāsin.'' This does not seem to be quite fair to the text. |
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यं संन्यासमिति
प्राहुर्योगं
तं विद्धि पाण्डव
। न ह्यसंन्यस्तसंकल्पो
योगी भवति कश्चन
॥६- २॥ yam sannyāsam
iti prāhuḥ yogam
tam viddhi pāṇḍava yam1 sannyāsam2
iti3 prāhuḥ4 yogam5 tam6
viddhi7 pāṇḍava8 yam1
sannyāsam2 iti3 prāhuḥ4
yogam5 tam6 viddhi7 pāṇḍava8
= What they call as Monasticism you
know as Yoga [what1 monasticism2 thus3 call4
Yoga5 that6 you know7], pāṇḍava8= , O Pandava;
kaścana15 bhavati14
yogī13 na9 hi10 asannyasta11
saṁkalpaḥ12 = No one becomes a
Yogi without renouncing desire [no one15 becomes14
Yogi13 never9 certainly10 without renouncing11
expectation12] . 6.2 |
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(6.2) 'What they call renunciation, that know to be disciplined activity, O Paṇḍava (Arjuna),
for no one becomes a yogin who has not
renounced his (selfish) purpose. ■ saṁnyāsa:
renunciation. It
consists in the accomplishment of the necessary action without an inward striving for reward. This is
true yoga, firm control over oneself, complete self-possession. ■ This verse says that
disciplined activity (yoga) is just as good as renunciation (saṁnyāsa). |
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आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं
कर्म कारणमुच्यते
। योगारूढस्य
तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते
॥६- ३॥ ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ karma kāraṇam
ucyate ārurukṣoḥ1 muneḥ2
yogam3 karma4 kāraṇam5 ucyate6 ārurukṣoḥ1
yogam3 karma4 ucyate6 kāraṇam5 muneḥ2 = Desirous of advancing in karma yoga,
action is the means for a sage. [; eva10 tasya9
śamaḥ11 ucyate13 kāraṇam12
ārūḍhasya8 yoga7 = Indeed tranquility is the means,
when he attains to such yoga. [for one desirous of ascending1 Yoga3
action4 is said to be6 the means5 for
the Muni2 (sage)] [indeed10
for him9 tranquility, [serenity, inaction]11
is said to be13 the means12 when he has ascended
to8 Yoga7] 6.3 |
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(6.3) Work is said to be the means of
the sage who wishes to attain to yoga; when he has attained to yoga,
serenity is said to be the means. ■ When we are aspirants
for liberation (sadhanāvasthā),
work done in the
right spirit with inner renunciation helps us. When once we achieve
self-possession (siddhāvasthā)
we act, not for
gaining any end but out of our anchorage in God-consciousness. Through work we struggle to obtain self-control; when
self-control is attained, we obtain peace. It does
not follow that we then abandon all action. For in VI, I, it is stated that the true yogin is one who performs work and not one who renounces it. Sama does not mean the cessation of karma. It cannot be the cause (kāraṇa)
of wisdom, for the perfected sage has already attained wisdom. V, I2 says that the yogin attains complete tranquility by abandoning the fruit of action. He performs actions
with a perfect equanimity. He overflows with a spontaneous vitality and works
with a generosity which arises from his own inexhaustible strength. |
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यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु
न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते
। सर्वसंकल्पसंन्यासी
योगारूढस्तदोच्यते
॥६- ४॥ yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu
na karmasv anuṣajjate yadā1 hi2 na3
indriya-artheṣu4 na5 karmasu6 anuṣajjate7 yadā1
hi2 na3 indriya-artheṣu4 na5
anuṣajjate7 karmasu6 = When one does not have any
attachment to sense objects and actions [When1 surely2 [he] has neither3
attachments to sense objects4 nor5 attachment7
to actions6]; sarva8 saṅkalpa9
sannyāsī10 = he is the relinquisher
of desires. [ all8-desires9 relinquisher10]; ucyate14 yoga11ārūḍhaḥ12
tadā13 = He is said to be at that time the ascender in Yoga [he is said to be3 ascender in12
Yoga11 at that time13] . 6.4 |
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(6.4) When one does not get attached to
the objects of sense or to works, and has renounced all purposes, then, he is
said to have attained to yoga. ■ sarvasaṁkalpasaṁnyāsī:
one who has
renounced all purposes. We must give up our likes and
dislikes, forget ourselves. leave ourselves out. By the abandonment of all purposes, by the mortification of the ego, by the total surrender to the will of the Supreme, the
aspirant develops a condition of mind approximating to the Eternal. He
partakes in some measure the undifferentiated timeless consciousness of that
which he desires to apprehend. ■ The freed soul
works without desire and attachment, without the egoistic will of which
desires are born. Manu says that all desires are born of saṁkalpa.1 M.B. says: "O desire, I know thy root. Thou
art born of saṁkalpa or thought. I shall not think of thee (Desire) and thou shalt cease
to exist.'' 2 1 saṁkalpamūlaḥ, kāmo vai yajńāḥ, saṁkalpasaṁbhavāḥ. II, 3. 2 kāma, jānāmi te mūlam, saṁkalpāt tvam hi jāyase na tvām saṁkalpayiṣyāmi
tena me na bhaviṣyasi.
Sāntiparva, 77, 25ˇ |
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उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं
नात्मानमवसादयेत्
। आत्मैव
ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव
रिपुरात्मनः
॥६- ५॥ uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ
nātmānam avasādayet uddharet1 ātmanā2
ātmānam3 na4 ātmānam5
avasādayet6 [One should] uddharet1 = raise; ātmānam3 = his soul; [from the ocean of Samsara] ātmanā2 = by his self; [and] na4 = never; [let] ātmānam5 = the embodied soul; avasādayet6 = sink. ātma7 = One's own self;
[is] eva
hi8 = verily indeed; ātmanaḥ9 = ones own; bandhuḥ10 = friend. ātma11 = One's own self;
[is] eva12
= indeed; ātmanaḥ14 = one's own; ripuḥ13 = enemy. 6.5 |
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(6.5) Let a man lift himself by himself; let him
not degrade himself; for the Self alone is the friend of the self and the
Self alone is the enemy of the self. ■ Cp, Dhammapada: "The
Self is the lord of the
self;"1 "the
Self is the goal of the self.2 The Supreme is within us. It is the consciousness underlying the ordinary individualized consciousness of
every-day life but incommensurable with it. The two are
different in kind, though the Supreme is realizable by one who is prepared to
lose his life in order to save it. For the most part we
are unaware of the Self in us because our attention is
engaged by
objects which we like or dislike. We must get away from them,
to become aware of the Divine in us. If we do not realize the pointlessness,
the irrelevance, and the squalor of our ordinary life, the true Self becomes
the enemy of our ordinary life. The Universal Self and the personal self are
not antagonistic to each other. The Universal Self can be the friend or the
foe of the personal self. If we subdue our petty cravings and desires, if we do not
exert our selfish will, we become the channel of the Universal Self. If our
impulses are under control, and if our personal self offers itself to the Universal Self then the latter becomes our guide and teacher." 3 Every one of us has the freedom to rise or fall and our future is in our own hands. 1attā hi attano nātho. 160. 2 attā hi attano gati. 380. 3 Boehme says: "Nothing truly but thine own willing, hearing and seeing do
keep thee back from it, and do hinder thee
from coming to this supersensual state. And it is because thou strivest
so against that, out of which thou thyself art descended and derived, that thou thus breakest thyself off, with .thine
own willing, from God's willing, and with thy own seeing from God's
seeing." St. John of the Cross says: "The more the soul cleaves to created things relying on its
own strength, by habit and
inclination, the less is it disposed for
this union, because it does not completely resign itself into the hands of
God, that He may transform it supernaturally." Jāmi wrote in his Lawā'iḥ: Make my heart pure, my soul from
error free, Make tears and sighs my daily lot to be, And lead me on Thy road away from self, That lost to self I may approach to Thee.
Whinfield's E. T. |
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बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य
येनात्मैवात्मना
जितः । अनात्मनस्तु
शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव
शत्रुवत् ॥६- ६॥ bandhur ātmātmanas
tasya yenātmaivātmanā
jitaḥ bandhuḥ1 ātmā2
ātmanaḥ3 tasya4 yena5
ātmā6 eva7 ātmanā8
jitaḥ9 anātmanaḥ10 tu11
śatrutve12 varteta13 ātma14
eva15 śatruvat16 6.6 ātmā2
= Self; [is] bandhuḥ1 = the friend; ātmanaḥ3 = of self; tasya4 = of him;
yena5 = by whom; ātmā6 = the self; jitaḥ9 = has been subdued; eva7
= verily; ātmanā8 = by the self; tu11
= but; anātmanaḥ10 = for one who has not conquered his self; ātma14 = his self; eva15 = itself; varteta13 = acts; śatrutve12 = in a hostile manner;
śatruvat16 = like an enemy. 6.6 |
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(6.6) For him who has conquered his
(lower) self by the (higher) Self his Self is a friend but
for him who has not possessed his (higher) Self: his very Self will act in enmity like an enemy. ■ We are called upon to master the lower self by the higher. The determinism of nature is here qualified by the power to control nature. "The lower self is not to be destroyed. It can be used as a helper, if it is held in check. |
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जितात्मनः
प्रशान्तस्य
परमात्मा समाहितः
। शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु
तथा मानापमानयोः
॥६- ७॥ jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya
paramātmā samāhitaḥ jita-ātmanaḥ1
praśāntasya2 parama-ātmā3
samāhitaḥ4 [For] jita-ātmanaḥ1 = one who has conquered his body,
mind and senses; praśāntasya2
= one who maintains tranquility; parama-ātmā3 = [in him] the Supreme Soul; samāhitaḥ4 = becomes manifest. śīta5 uṣṇa6 sukha7
duḥkheṣu8 = [He should remain balanced in] cold, heat, happiness
and sorrow; tathā9
= also; māna10 apamānayoḥ11
= in honor and dishonor. 6.7 |
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(6.7) When one has conquered one's self (lower) and has attained to the
calm of self-mastery, his Supreme Self abides ever concentrate, he is at
peace in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, in honor and dishonor. ■ This is the state of blessedness of the person who has established
himself in unity with the Universal Self. He is a jitātman whose calm and serenity are not disturbed by the pains of the opposites, ■ paramātmā
Saṁāhitaḥ: S. says that the
Supreme Self regards him as His very self.I The self in the body is generally absorbed by the
world of dualities, cold and heat, pain and pleasure but when it controls the senses and masters the world, the self
becomes free. The Supreme Self is not different from the self in the body.
When the self is bound by the modes of prakṛti
or nature, it is called Kṣetrajńa;
when it is freed from them, the same self is called the Supreme
Self.2 This is certainly the position of Advaita (non-dual) Vedanta. ■ Those who are
opposed to this view break up paramātmā into two words, param and ātmā, and look upon the word param as an adverb qualifying the verb samahitah, ■ R. takes param
as an adverb and holds that the self is sublimely realized. ■
Śrīdhara says that such a person becomes concentrated in- his self.3 Ᾱnandagiri holds that the self of such a person becomes completely
concentrated.4 ■ sama-āhita:
firmly directed to equality. This is not" however, the usual explanation. 1sākṣat ātmabhāvena
vartate. 2Cp. M.B. ātmā kṣetrajńa ity uktaḥ, sa,yuktaḥ prākṛtair guṇaiḥ tair eva tu vinirmuktaḥ paramātmety udahṛtaḥ. Santiparva, ,187, 24. 3 samāhitaḥ ātmaniṣṭhaḥ
bhavati. 4 sam-ā-hita cp. saṁādhi: jitātmanaḥ nirvikāracittasya ātmā, cittaṁ param utkarṣeṇa samādhiṁ,
prāptaḥ bhavati. -. I |
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ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा
कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः
। युक्त इत्युच्यते
योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः
॥६- ८॥ jńānavijńānatṛptātmā kūṭastho
vijitendriyaḥ jńāna1 vijńāna2 tṛptā3 ātmā4 kūṭasthaḥ5 vijita6 indriyaḥ7 jńāna1 = [With] knowledge; vijńāna2 = [and] Realized Experiential Knowledge; tṛptā3 = [he remains] a satisfied; ātmā4 = self, soul. kūṭasthaḥ5 = He who is unmoved [like an anvil]; vijita6 indriyaḥ7 = whose sense
organs7 are under control6; yuktaḥ8 = who is absorbed in the Self; iti9 = thus; ucyate10 = is called; yogī11 = Yogi; [to whom] loṣṭra13 = clod; āśma14 = stone; [and] kāńcanaḥ = gold sama12 = are the same [equal]. 6.8 |
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(6.8) The ascetic (yogi) whose soul is
satisfied with wisdom and knowledge, who is unchanging and master of his
senses, to whom a clod, a stone and a piece of gold are the same, is said to
be controlled (in yoga). ■ The yogin is
said to be yukta or in yoga when he is concentrating on the Supreme above the
changes of the world. Such a yogin is satisfied with the knowledge and
experience of the Reality behind the appearances. He is unperturbed by things and happenings of the world and is therefore
said to be equaI minded to the events of this
changing world. jńāna1 vijńāna2 = jńāna vijńāna. see III, 4I note. Kūṭastha: literally,
set on a high place, immovable, changeless, firm, steady, tranquil. |
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सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु
। साधुष्वपि
च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते
॥६- ९॥ suhṛnmitrāryudāsīnamadhyasthadveṣyabandhuṣu suhṛt1 mitra2
ari3 udāsīna4 madhyastha5 dveṣya6
bandhuṣu7 suhṛt1
= [He who regards] a selfless friend; mitra2 = a cognate a friend; ari3
= an enemy; udāsīna4 = a neutral person; madhyastha5 = an arbiter; dveṣya6 = the detested; bandhuṣu7 = the relatives; sādhuṣu8 = the saints; api9 = even; ca10 = and; pāpeṣu11 = the sinners; sama-buddhiḥ12 = with equal mind; viśiṣyate13 = excels. 6.9 |
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(6.9) He who is equal-minded among friends, companions
and foes, among those who are neutral and impartial, among those who
are hateful and related, among saints and sinners, he excels. Another reading for viśiṣyate is vimucyate. S.B.G. How is one to attain to this yoga? |
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Eternal Vigilance over Body and Mind is Essential योगी युञ्जीत
सततमात्मानं
रहसि स्थितः । एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा
निराशीरपरिग्रहः
॥६- १०॥ yogī yuńjīta
satatam ātmānaṁ
rahasi sthitaḥ yogī1 yuńjīta2
satatam3 ātmānam4 rahasi5 sthitaḥ6 yogī1
= Yogi, [a connected and centered
person]; yuńjīta2 = concentrates; satatam3 = constantly, uninterruptedly; ātmānam4 = by the mind; rahasi5 = in a secluded or solitary place; sthitaḥ6 = by staying; ekākī7 = alone by himself; yata-citta-ātmā8 = restraining mind and body; nirāśīḥ9 = without desire; [and] aparigrahaḥ10 = not accumulating possessions. 6.10 |
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(6.10) Let the yogin try constantly to concentrate his mind (on the Supreme Self) remaining in
solitude and alone, self-controlled,
free from desires and (longing for)
possessions. ■ Here the teacher
develops the technique of mental discipline on the lines of Patańjalis Yoga Sūtra. Its main purpose is to raise our consciousness from its
ordinary waking condition to higher levels until it attains union with the
Supreme. The human mind is ordinarily turned
outwards. Absorption in the mechanical and material sides of life leads to a disbalanced condition of consciousness. Yoga attempts to
explore the inner world of consciousness and helps to integrate the conscious
and the sub conscious. ■ We must divest our minds of all
sensual desires, abstract our attention from all
external objects and absorb it in the
object of meditation.1 See B.G., XVIII, 72, where the teacher asks Arjuna whether he heard his
teaching with his mind fixed to one point, ekāgreṇa cetasā. As the aim is the attainment of purity of vision, it exacts of the mind fineness and steadiness. Our present
dimensions are not the ultimate limits of our being. By summoning all the energies
of the mind and fixing them on one point, we raise the level of reference
from the empirical to the real, from observation to vision and let the spirit
take possession of our whole being. In the Book of
Proverbs, it is said that "the spirit of man is the candle of the
Lord." There is something in the inmost being of man which can be
struck into flame by God. I It is what Boehme calls the
"stopping the wheel of the imagination and ceasing from
self-thinking." ■ satatam:
constantly. The
practice must be constant. It is no use taking to meditation
by fits and starts. A continuous creative effort is necessary for developing the higher, the intenser form of consciousness. ■ rahasi:
in solitude. The
aspirant must select a quiet place with soothing natural surroundings such as
the banks of rivers or tops of hills which lift our hearts and exalt our minds. In a world which is
daily growing noisier, the duty of the civilized man is to have moments of thoughtful stillness. Cp, "Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet-and shut the door.2 We should retire into a quiet place and keep off
external distractions. Cp, Origen's description of
the first hermits: "They dwelt in the desert where the air was more pure and the heaven more open and God more
familiar." 2Matthew vi, 6. ■ ekākī:
alone. The teacher insists that the seeker should be alone to feel the gentle pressure, to hear the
quiet voice. ■ yatacittātmā:
self-controlled. He
must not be excited, strained or anxious. To learn to be quiet
before God means a life of control and discipline. ātmā is used in the sense of deha or body according to S. and Śrīdhara.
It is no use entering the closet with the
daily paper and the business file. Even if we leave them outside and shut the
doors and windows, we may have an unquiet time with all our worries and preoccupations.
There should be no restlessness or turbulence. Through thoughts we appeal to
the intellect; through silence we touch the deeper layers of being. The heart
must become clean if it is to reflect God who is to be seen
and known only by the pure in heart. We must centre down
into that deep stillness and wait on the Light. "Commune with your
Father which is in secret." The Living Presence of God is revealed in silence to each soul according to his capacity, and
need.3 3Cp. Wordsworth's
statement, that "poetry takes its origin from
emotion recollected in tranquility." Rilke in his Letters to a
Young Poet says: I can give you no other advice than this,
retire into yourself and probe the
depths from which your life springs up." ■ Plato's Meno begins with the question, "Can
you tell me, Socrates, is virtue to be taught?" The answer of Socrates
is, that virtue is not taught but "recollected."
Recollection is a gathering of one's self together, a retreat into one's
soul. The doctrine of "recollection" suggests that each individual
should enquire within himself. He is his own center and possesses the truth in himself. What is needed is that he should
have the will and the perseverance to follow it up. The function of the
teacher is not to teach but to help to put the learner in possession of
himself. The questioner has the true answer in himself, if only he can be delivered of it. Every man is in possession of the truth and is dispossessed
of it by his entanglement in
the objective world. By identifying ourselves with the objective world, we are ejected or alienated from our true nature. Lost in the
outer world, we desert the deeps. In transcending the object, physical and mental, we find ourselves in the realm of freedom. ■ nirāśi:
free from desires.
Worry about daily needs, about earning and spending money, disturbs
meditation and takes us away from the life
of the spirit. So we are asked to be free from
desire and anxiety born of it, from greed and fear. The seeker should try to tear himself away from these psychic fetters and get
detached from all distractions and prejudices. He must put away all clinging to mental
preferences, vital aims, attachment to family and friends. He must expect nothing, insist on nothing. ■ aparigrahaḥ:
free from longing
for possessions. This freedom is a spiritual state, not a material condition.
We must control the appetite for possessions, free
ourselves from the tyranny of belongings. One cannot hear God's voice, if one is restless and self-centered, if one is dominated by feelings of pride, self-will or possessiveness. The Gītā
points out that true happiness is inward. ■ It invites our attention to the manner of our life the
state of human consciousness, which does not depend on the outward machinery
of life. The body may die and the world pass away but the life in spirit endures. Our treasures are not the things of the world that perish
but the knowledge and love of God that endure. We must get out of the slavery to
things to gain the glad freedom of spirit.4 4To the rich man who said that he had kept all the
commandments, Jesus
answered, "Yet lackest thou one thing: sell
all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven." When Jesus saw that the rich man was very sorrowful, he
said: "How hardly shall they that have riches
enter into the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God." St. Luke xviii, 18-23. |
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शुचौ देशे
प्रतिष्ठाप्य
स्थिरमासनमात्मनः
। नात्युच्छ्रितं
नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम्
॥६- ११॥ śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram
āsanam ātmanaḥ śucau1 deśe2
pratiṣṭhāpya3 sthiram4 āsanam5
ātmanaḥ6 śucau1
= In a clean deśe2 = place; pratiṣṭhāpya3 = having abided, having established, having
seated; sthiram4 = firmly; ātmanaḥ6 = on his own; āsanam5 = seat; na7 ati8 ucchritam9 = neither too elevated; na10 ati11
nīcam12 = nor too low; caila13
ajina14 kuśa15 uttaram16 = [made of] cloth13,
animal skin14, Kusa grass15 successively
higher [= one on top of another from grass bottom to cloth]16.
6.11 |
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(6.11) He should
set in a clean place his firm seat, neither too high nor too low, covered
with sacred grass, a deerskin and a cloth, one over the other. |
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तत्रैकाग्रं
मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः
। उपविश्यासने
युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये
॥६- १२॥ tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā
yatacittendriyakriyaḥ tatra1 ekāgram2
manaḥ3 kṛtvā4 yata5 citta6
indriya7 kriyaḥ8 upaviśya9 āsane10
yuńjyāt11 yogam12 ātma13-viśuddhaye14
6.12 [By] kṛtvā4
= making; manaḥ3 = the mind; ekāgram2 = one-pointed; [and by] kriyaḥ8 =keeping; citta6-indriya7
= the mind and the
sense organs; yata5 = under control; upaviśya9 = sitting; tatra1 āsane10 = on that1 seat10;
yuńjyāt11 Yogam12 = practices11 Yoga12; ātma13 viśuddhaye14 = for the purification14 of
the inner organs13. 6.12 |
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(6.12) There
taking his place on the seat, making his mind one-pointed and controlling his
thought and sense, let him practice yoga for the purification of the soul. ■ yoga here means dhyāna yoga, meditation. To realize
truth, man must be delivered from the clutches of
practical interests which are bound up with our exterior and
material life. The chief condition is a disciplined disinterestedness. We
must develop the power to see things as a free undistorted intelligence would see them. For this we
must get ourselves out of the way. When Pythagoras was questioned why he called
himself a philosopher he gave the following story. He compared human life with the great
festival at Olympia where all the world comes together in a motley crowd. Some are there to do business at the
fair and enjoy themselves. Others wish to win the wreath in the contest and some others are
merely spectators and these last are the philosophers. They keep
themselves free from the urgencies of immediate problems and practical necessities. S. points out that the
essential qualifications of a seeker of wisdom are a capacity to discriminate
between the eternal and the non-eternal, detachment from the enjoyment of the
fruits of action, terrestrial and celestial, self-control and an
ardent desire for spiritual freedom.1 For Plato, the aim of all knowledge is to raise us to the contemplation of the idea of good, the source alike of
being and knowing, and the ideal philosopher is one whose goal, at the end of
a life lived to the full, "is always a life of quiet, of indrawn
stillness, of solitude and aloofness, in which the world forgetting, by the world forgot, he finds his heaven in
lonely contemplation of the 'good.' That and that alone is really life." "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." This purification
of the heart, cittaśuddhi, is a matter of discipline. Plotinus tells us that "wisdom is a condition in a being at rest."2 1nityānityavastuviveka, ihāmūtraPhalabhogavirāgaḥ, śamādisādhana saṁpat, mumukṣutvam. 2 Enneads. IV. 4, 12. |
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समं
कायशिरोग्रीवं
धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः
। सम्प्रेक्ष्य
नासिकाग्रं स्वं
दिशश्चानवलोकयन्
॥६- १३॥ samaṁ kāyaśirogrīvaṁ
dhārayann acalaṁ
sthiraḥ samam1 kāya2
śiraḥ3 grīvam4 dhārayan5
acalam6 sthiraḥ7 saṁprekṣya8 nāsikā9 agram10
svam11 diśaḥ12 ca13 anavalokayan14
6.13 dhārayan5
= Holding; kāya2 = body; śiraḥ3
= head; [and] grīvam4 = neck; samam1 = straight; acalam6
= still; (and) sthiraḥ7 = steady; anavalokayan14 = not looking; diśaḥ12 = in all directions; ca13
= and saṁprekṣya8 = looking at; agram10 = the tip ; svam11= of his own; nāsikā9 = nose. 6.13 |
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(6.I3) Holding the body, head and neck, erect and
still, looking fixedly at the tip of his nose, without looking around
(without allowing his eyes to wander). Posture or āsana is here
mentioned. Patańjali points out that the posture should be steady and
pleasing so as to aid concentration. A
right posture gives serenity of body. The body must be kept
clean if the living image of God is to be installed in it. saṁprekṣya nāsikāgram: The
gaze is to be fixed on the tip of the nose. A wandering gaze is not a help to
concentration. |
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प्रशान्तात्मा
विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते
स्थितः । मनः संयम्य
मच्चित्तो युक्त
आसीत मत्परः ॥६-
१४॥ praśāntātmā vigatabhīr
brahmacārivrate sthitaḥ praśānta ātmā1 vigata-bhīḥ2
brahmacāri3a-vrate3b sthitaḥ4 manaḥ5 saṁyamya6
mat-cittaḥ7 yuktaḥ8 āsīta9
mat-paraḥ10 6.14 vigata-bhīḥ2 = devoid of fear; sthitaḥ4 = remaining firm; brahmacāri3avrate3b = in the vow3b of a
celibate3a; praśānta ātmā1 = with the tranquil mind; saṁyamya6 = subduing; manaḥ5 = his mind; mat7a-cittaḥ7b = abiding Me7a in his mind7b
; mat10a-paraḥ10b = holding Me10a as the
Supreme Goal10b. yuktaḥ8 = the Yogi; āsīta9 = should remain seated. 6.14 |
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(6.14) Serene and fearless, firm in the vow of
celibacy, subdued in mind, let him sit, harmonized, his mind turned to Me and
intent on Me alone. ■ brahmacāri3avrate3b sthitaḥ4 firm in the vow of celibacy. The aspirant for yoga
must exercise control over sex impulses. Hindu tradition has insisted on
brahmacarya from the beginning. In the Praśna Up., Pippalāda asks the seekers to observe brahmacarya
for a year more at the end of which he undertakes to initiate them into the
highest wisdom. In Chāndogya Up., Brahma taught Indra the
knowledge of Reality after making him undergo brahmacarya for 101 years. Brahmacarya is defined as
abstinence from sex intercourse in thought, word and
deed in all conditions and places and times.1 The gods
are said to have conquered death by brahmacarya and
penance.2 In Jńānasaṁkalinī Tantra, Siva says that true tapas is brahmacarya and he who practices it
uninterruptedly is divine, not human.3 It is not ascetic
celibacy that is meant by brahmacarya, but control. Hindu tradition affirms
that a householder who
controls his sex life is a brahmacari 1 Yajfiavalkya writes: karmaṇā manasā vācā sarvāvastkāsu sarvadā sarvatra maithunatyāgo brahmacaryaṁ pracakṣate. 2 bramacaryeṇa tapasā devā mṛtyum Upāghnata. Atharva Veda. 3 na tapas tapa
ity āhuḥ brahmacaryaṁ tapottamam ūrdhvaretā bhaved yastu sa devo na tu mānuṣaḥ. ■ The difficulty of chastity is illustrated in the lives of many saints. St. Augustine used to pray:
"Give me chastity and continence, only not yet." Confessions,
Bk. VIII, Ch. VII. Rodin has the whole thing in a piece of
sculpture called the Eternal Idol where a woman on her knees, but leaning
backward, with body thrust forward and
arms hanging loose receives between her breasts the bearded face of a man who kneels before her in servile longing for her embrace. There is hardly one
man in a thousand who will not put aside his ideals, his highest
vision, everything which for him represents God in order to get the woman he loves. In the opinion of many contemporaries
chastity is a condition which is as selfish as it is dull. To them the Hindu emphasis on it may seem somewhat odd and exaggerated, quite as truly as one who abstains from sex altogether.1 To be a celibate is not to deaden the senses and deny
the heart. ■ The qualities demanded for the practice of Yoga may be compared with the three Evangelical counsels of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience
by which we overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. ■ The negative process of bringing all thoughts to a standstill has for its
positive side, concentration on the Self. Īśvarapraṇidhāna is a recognized way in yoga discipline. The mind becomes still but not vacant, for it is fixed on the Supreme maccittaḥ matparaḥ. ■ Only the single-visioned see the
Real. Spiritual life is not prayer or
petition. It is profound devoutness,
silent meditation, the opening of the consciousness to the innermost depths
of the soul, which connect the individual self directly with the Divine
Principle. Those who learn this art do not require any external assistance, any belief in dogma or
participation in ritual. They acquire the creative vision since they combine
absorption with detachment. They act in the world, but the passionless tranquility of the spirit remains
undisturbed. They are compared to the lotus on the lake which is unruffled by the tide. 1 bhāryāṁ gacchan brahmacāri ṛteu bhavati vat dvijah. M.B. See also Manu. Hindu tradition looks upon
Ahalyā, Sītā, Maṇḍodari, Draupadī
and Tārā as models of
chastity, mahāpativratā. They are also
called pańcamakākanyā. Thomas Hardy asks us to look upon Tess as a pure woman.
Chastity is a condition of mind. |
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युञ्जन्नेवं
सदात्मानं योगी
नियतमानसः । शान्तिं
निर्वाणपरमां
मत्संस्थामधिगच्छति
॥६- १५॥ yuńjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī
niyatamānasaḥ yuńjan1 sadā3
ātmānam4 yogī5 niyata-mānasaḥ6
śāntim7 nirvāṇa-paramām8
mat-saṁsthām9 adhigacchati10 6.15 niyata-mānasaḥ6 = having controlled his mind; yogī5 = the Yogi; evam2 = thus [as said above]; yuńjan1 = concentrating; ātmānam4 = the mind; sadā3 = uninterruptedly, constantly; adhigacchati10 = attains; śāntim7 = peace; mat-saṁsthām9 = which abides in Me; nirvāṇa-paramām8 = which ends in Nirvana,
Liberation or Supreme Bliss. 6.15 |
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(6.15) The yogin of subdued mind, ever keeping himself thus harmonized, attains
to peace, the supreme nirvana, which abides in Me. |
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नात्यश्नतस्तु
योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः
। न चाति स्वप्नशीलस्य
जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन
॥६- १६॥ nātyaśnatas tu yogosti
na caikāntam anaśnataḥ na1 ati2
aśnataḥ3 tu4 yogaḥ5 asti6
na7 ca8 ekāntam9 anaśnataḥ10
na11 ca12
ati13 svapna-śīlasya14 jāgrataḥ15
na16 eva17 ca18 arjuna19 6.16 tu4
= but; arjuna19 = O Arjuna; yogaḥ5 = Yoga; na1 asti6 = is not for; ati2 aśnataḥ3
= one who eats in excess; na7 ca8 = nor is [Yoga]; anaśnataḥ10
ca12 = for him who does not eat; ekāntam9 = at all; na11 = not (attainable); ati13 svapna-śīlasya14
ca18 = for the one who sleeps too long; jāgrataḥ15 eva17
na16 = not ever attainable for the one [who] stays awake too
long. 6.16 |
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(6.I6) Verily, yoga is not for him who eats too much or abstains too much
from eating. It is not for him, O Arjuna, who sleeps too much or keeps awake
too much. ■ We must be free from animal cravings. We must avoid excess In all things.
Compare with this the middle path of the Buddhists, the golden mean of
Aristotle. |
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युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य
कर्मसु । युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य
योगो भवति दुःखहा
॥६- १७॥ yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya
karmasu yukta1 āhāra2
vihārasya3 yukta4 ceṣṭasya5
karmasu6 yukta7 svapna8
avabodhasya9 yogaḥ10 bhavati11 duḥkha-hā12
6.17 yogaḥ10 = Yoga; duḥkha-hā12 = the remover of sorrow; bhavati11 = is attainable; yukta1 āhāra2
vihārasya3 = for the one who has regulated1 food intake2
and recreation3; yukta4 ceṣṭasya5 = one whose efforts5 are
moderate4; karmasu6
= in works; yukta7
svapna8 avabodhasya9 = for one who is moderate7
in sleep8 and wakefulness9. 6.17 vihārasya3 = walking for pleasure or amusement , wandering , roaming
; sport , play , pastime , diversion , enjoyment , pleasure, recreation,
place of recreation. |
|
(6.I7) For the man who is temperate in food and recreation, who is restrained in his actions, whose sleep and waking are
regulated, there ensues discipline (yoga) which destroys all sorrow. ■ It is not complete abstinence from action but restraint in
action that is advised.
When the ego is established in the Self, it lives in a transcendent and universal consciousness and acts from that center. |
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यदा
विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते
। निःस्पृहः
सर्वकामेभ्यो
युक्त इत्युच्यते
तदा ॥६- १८॥ yadā viniyataṁ
cittam ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate yadā1
viniyatam2 cittam3 ātmani4 eva5
avatiṣṭhate6 niḥspṛhaḥ7
sarva8 kāmebhyaḥ9 yuktaḥ10
iti11 ucyate12 tadā13 6.18 yadā1
= When; viniyatam2 cittam3 = controlled mind; avatiṣṭhate6 = abides; ātmani4 eva5 = in the Self indeed;
tadā13 = at that time; niḥspṛhaḥ7 = the Yogi who is free from all
desires, [the abstainer];sarva8
kāmebhyaḥ9 = [and] all8 desirable objects9;
iti11 = thus; ucyate12 = is said to be; yuktaḥ10 = perfect in yoga. 6.18 |
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(6.18) When the
disciplined mind is established in the Self alone,
liberated from all desires, then is he said to be harmonized (in yoga). ■ Complete effacement of the ego is essential for the vision of truth. Every taint of individuality should disappear, if truth is to be known. There should be
an elimination of all our prejudices and idiosyncrasies. In these verses, the teacher gives the procedure by which the seeker can gain the
experience of the Essential Self. In the ordinary experience of the outer or the inner world, the Self in union with the body is immersed in phenomenal multiplicity and remains veiled because of it. We should first of all empty the soul of
every specific operation, rid it of very image, of every particular representation, of every
distinct operation of mind. This is a negative process. It may
be thought that by draining our consciousness of every image, we end in a pure and simple nothingness. The teacher makes out that the negative process is adopted to
apprehend the Pure Self, to achieve the beatific vision. The silence is made perfect and the void is consummated through this
apparently negative but intensely vital mystical contemplation, involving a
tension of the forces of the soul. It is an experience which transcends all knowledge, for the Self is not an object expressible in
a concept or presentable to mind as an object. It is
inexpressible subjectivity. |
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यथा दीपो
निवातस्थो नेङ्गते
सोपमा स्मृता
। योगिनो
यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो
योगमात्मनः ॥६-
१९॥ yathā dīpo nivātastho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā yathā1 dīpaḥ2
nivāta-sthaḥ3 na iṅgate4 sa upamā5 smṛtā6 yoginaḥ7 yata-cittasya8
yuńjataḥ9 yogam10 ātmanaḥ11
6.19 yathā1 = As; dīpaḥ2 = lamp; nivāta-sthaḥ3 = remaining in a windless place; na iṅgate4 = does not shimmer; sa upamā5 = (so goes) that simile; smṛtā6 = so it is said ; yoginaḥ7 = of the Yogi; yogam10 = [in] meditation; yata-cittasya8 = whose mind is restrained; yuńjataḥ9 = who is immersed; ātmanaḥ11 = on the Self. 6.19 |
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(6.19) As a lamp in a windless place flickereth not, to such is likened the yogi of subdued thought who practices union with the Self (or
discipline of himself). ■ The yogi's thought is absorbed in the Ᾱtman. Fleeting glimpses or passing visions should not be confused with the insight into Ᾱtman which is the one safeguard against all delusions. |
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यत्रोपरमते
चित्तं निरुद्धं
योगसेवया । यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं
पश्यन्नात्मनि
तुष्यति ॥६- २०॥ yatroparamate cittaṁ niruddhaṁ
yogasevayā yatra1 uparamate2
cittam3 niruddham4 yoga-sevayā5 yatra6 ca7 eva8
ātmanā9 ātmānam10 paśyan11
ātmani12 tuṣyati13 6.20 yatra1 = When; cittam5 = the
mind; niruddham4 = is restrained, suppressed; [and] uparamate2 = ceases [desists from desires and
actions], yoga-sevayā5 = because of the practice of
Yoga; ; ca7 = and; yatra6 eva8 = at the time when; paśyan11 = seeing; ātmānam10 = the Self; tuṣyati13 = [one] is delighted; ātmanā9 = by the self; ātmani12 = in one's own Self. 6.20 |
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(6.20) That in which thought is at rest, restrained by
the practice of concentration, that in which he beholds the Self through the self and
rejoices in the Self; |
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सुखमात्यन्तिकं
यत्तद् बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम्
। वेत्ति
यत्र न चैवायं
स्थितश्चलति
तत्त्वतः ॥६- २१॥ sukham ātyantikaṁ
yat tad buddhi grāhyam
atīndriyam sukham1 ātyantikam2
yat3 tat4 buddhi-grāhyam5
atīndriyam6 yatra8 = When; [the Yogi] vetti7 = knows; tat4 = that; ātyantikam2 = uninterrupted or infinite; sukham1 = Supreme Happiness or Bliss; yat3 = which; buddhi-grāhyam5 = is experienced by the intelligence; [and which is] atīndriyam6 = beyond the grasp of the senses; ca10 = and; sthitaḥ13 = standing firm; ayam12 = this one [Yogi]; eva11 = certainly; na9 calati14 = never swerves; tattvataḥ15 = from the Truth. 6.21 |
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(6.21) That in which he finds this supreme delight,
perceived by the
intelligence and beyond the reach of the senses wherein established, he no longer falls away from the
truth; ■ See Kaṭha Up., III, 12. While the Supreme is beyond perception by the senses, it is seizable by reason, not by the reason which deals with sense data and frames concepts on their basis
but reason which works in its own right. When it does so, it
becomes aware of things not indirectly, through the
medium of the senses or the relations based on them, but by becoming one with them. All true knowledge is knowledge
by identity.1 Our knowledge through physical contact or mental
symbols is indirect and approximate. Religion is contemplative realization of
God. 1Madhusudana cites the verse. samādhinirdhūtamalasya cetaso niveśitasy
ātmani yat sukham bhavet na sākyate varṇayituṁ
girā tadā svayaṁ tad antaḥkaraṇena
gṛḥyate. |
|
यं लब्ध्वा
चापरं लाभं मन्यते
नाधिकं ततः । यस्मिन्स्थितो
न दुःखेन गुरुणापि
विचाल्यते ॥६-
२२॥ yaṁ labdhvā
cāparaṁ lābhaṁ
manyate nādhikaṁ
tataḥ yam1 labdhvā2 ca3
aparam4 lābham5 manyate6 na7
adhikam8 tataḥ9 yasmin10 sthitaḥ11
na12 duḥkhena13 guruṇāpi14
vicālyate15 6.22 yam1 labdhvā2 = By gaining which [that Truth];
na7 manyate6 = [one] does not think; aparam4 = any other; lābham5 = gain. adhikam8 tataḥ9 = Surpassing that; ca3 = and; sthitaḥ11 = standing firm; yasmin10 = in which [that Truth]; [one is] na12 vicālyate15 = not moved [afflicted]; guruṇāpi14 = by very great; duḥkhena13 = sorrow. 6.22 |
|
(6.22) That, on gaining which he thinks that there is no greater gain
beyond it, wherein established
he is not shaken even by the heaviest
sorrow; |
|
तं विद्याद्दुःखसंयोगवियोगं
योगसंज्ञितम्
। स निश्चयेन
योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा
॥६- २३॥ taṁ vidyād.h
duḥkhasaṁyogaviyogaṁ yogasaṁjńitam tam1 vidyāt2 duḥkha3
saṁyoga4 viyogam5 yogasanjńitam6 vidyāt2 = You must know; tam1 = that; duḥkha3 saṁyoga4
viyogam5 = disjunction from
union with sorrow [sorrow-union-disjunction]; [goes] yogasanjńitam6 = by the name of Yoga; sah7 = that; yogaḥ10 = Yoga; yoktavyaḥ9 = should be practiced; niścayena8 = with determination; [and] anirviṇṇa11 = unwearied; cetasā12 =
mind. 6.23 |
|
(6.23) Let that be known by the name of yoga, this disconnection from union with
pain. This yoga should be practised
with determination, with heart undismayed. ■ In verses 10-22 the intense fixation of the mind on its object with a
view to liberation is taught. It is the repose of the liberated spirit in its
own absoluteness and isolation. The self rejoices in the Self. It is the kaivalya
of the Sāṁkhya Puruṣa, though, in the Gītā, it becomes identified with blessedness in God. anirviṇṇa11 cetasā12: nirvedarahitena cetasā. S. We must
practice yoga without slackness of effort arising from the thought of
prospective pain. |
|
संकल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा
सर्वानशेषतः
। मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं
विनियम्य समन्ततः
॥६- २४॥ saṅkalpaprabhavān kāmāṁs
tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ saṅkalpa1 prabhavān2
kāmān3 tyaktvā4 sarvān5
aśeṣataḥ6 manasa7 eva8
indriya-grāmam9 viniyamya10 samantataḥ11
6.24 tyaktvā4
= Abandoning; aśeṣataḥ6 = wholeheartedly; sarvān5 = all; kāmān3 = desires; saṅkalpa1prabhavān2
= prabhavān2 = born of; saṅkalpa1= mental will; viniyamya10 = limiting; samantataḥ11 = from all sides; indriya-grāmam9 = all sense organs; manasa7 eva8
= by the mind..
. 6.24 continued |
|
(6.24) Abandoning without exception all desires born of (selfish) will,
restraining with the mind all the senses on every side; |
|
शनैः शनैरुपरमेद्बुद्ध्या
धृतिगृहीतया
। आत्मसंस्थं
मनः कृत्वा न किंचिदपि
चिन्तयेत् ॥६-
२५॥ śanaiḥ śanair
uparamed buddhyā dhṛtigṛhītayā śanaiḥ1 śanaiḥ2
uparamet3 buddhyā4 dhṛtigṛhītayā5 uparamet3 = One should withdraw [from the world of happenings; śanaiḥ1 & śanaiḥ2 = step by step, gradually; buddhyā4 = by intelligence; [and] dhṛtigṛhītayā5 = firm conviction; kṛtvā8 = making; manaḥ7 = the mind; ātma-saṁstham6 = steady in the Self. na9 & cintayet12 = He should not think of;
kińcit10 & api11 = anything else [except Paramatman or Self]. 6.25 |
|
(6.25) Let him gain little by little tranquility by
means of reason controlled by steadiness and having fixed the mind on the
Self, let him not think of anything (else). |
|
यतो यतो
निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम्
। ततस्ततो
नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव
वशं नयेत् ॥६- २६॥ yato yato niścarati manaś cańcalam asthiram cańcalam5 = Agitated; asthiram6 = unsteady; manaḥ4 = mind; niścarati3 = wanders away; yataḥ1 yataḥ2 = due to causes [like sound in the
world] : [whatever & whichever stimuli]. etat10 vaśam13 nayet14 = Bring
this [mind] under control [this10-contro13-bring14];
ātmani11 eva12 = of the Self alone; tataḥ7 tataḥ8 = from all above
causes; niyamya9 = imposing restrictions. 6.26 |
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(6.26) Whatsoever makes the wavering and unsteady mind
wander away let him restrain and bring it back to the
control of the Self alone. |
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प्रशान्तमनसं
ह्येनं योगिनं
सुखमुत्तमम्
। उपैति शान्तरजसं
ब्रह्मभूतमकल्मषम्
॥६- २७॥ praśāntamanasaṁ hy enaṁ yoginaṁ sukham uttamam praśānta1 manasam2
hi3 enam4 yoginam5 sukham6
uttamam7 upaiti8
śānta-rajasam9 brahma-bhūtam10 akalmaṣam11
6.27
uttamam7= The Highest or Supreme; sukham6 = happiness (Bliss); upaiti8 = comes to; hi3 enam4 yoginam5 = to this Yogi only;
[who is of] praśānta1 =
tranquil; manasam2 = mind; śānta-rajasam9 = [who is of] pacific Rajas; brahma-bhūtam10 = [who is] one with Brahman; [and] akalmaṣam11 = [who is] free from sin. 6.27 |
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(6.27) For supreme happiness comes to the yogin whose mind is
peaceful, whose passions are at rest, who is stainless and has become one
with God. brahma-bhūtam: one with God. We become what we behold according to the
rule of the wasp and the bee, bhramarakīṭanyāya.
Even as the wasp which is threatened by the bee thinks of the bee so
intently that it itself is transformed into the bee,
so also the upāsaka (meditator) becomes one with the object of
meditation (upāsya). brahmatvaṁ prāptaṁ. Śrīdhara,1 Progress consists in the purification of body, life
and mind. When the frame is perfected, the Light
shines without any obstruction. 1 Nīlakaṇṭha
believes that this state is one of samprajńāta samādhi and quotes Yogabhāṣya:
yastv ekāgre cetasi sadbhūtam artham pradyotayati karmabandhanāni śladhayat't nirodham abhimukhī karoti
kśiṇotiśca
kleśān sa samprajńāto
yoga ity ākhyāyate. |
|
युञ्जन्नेवं
सदात्मानं योगी
विगतकल्मषः । सुखेन ब्रह्मसंस्पर्शमत्यन्तं
सुखमश्नुते ॥६-
२८॥ yuńjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī
vigatakalmaṣaḥ yuńjan1 evam2
sadā3 ātmānam4 yogī5
vigata6 kalmaṣaḥ7 vigata6
kalmaṣaḥ7 = [The] stainless [devoid6 of Stain7];
yogī5 = Yogi; evam2 = in such manner, verily; sadā3 = by constantly; yuńjan1= engaging or concentrating; ātmānam4 = his mind; sukhena8 = easily; aśnute12 = experiences; atyantam10 = infinite; sukham11 = bliss, happiness; brahma-saṁsparśam9 = of contact with Brahman. 6.28
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(6.28) Thus making the self ever harmonized, the yogin, who
has put away sin, experiences easily the infinite bliss of contact with the
Eternal. ■ brahmasaṁsparśam: contact with
the Eternal. God is no more a mere rumor, a vague aspiration, but a vivid
reality with which we are in actual contact. Religion is not a matter of
dialectic but a fact of experience. Reason may step in and offer a logical explanation of the fact but the
reasoning becomes irrelevant, if it is not based on the solid
foundation of fact. ■ Besides, these facts of religious experience are universal, in space and in time. They are found in different parts of the world and different periods of
its history, attesting to the persistent unity and aspiration of the human
spirit. The illuminations of the Hindu and the Buddhist seers, of Socrates
and Plato, of Philo and Plotinus, of Christian and Muslim mystics, belong to the
same family, though the theological attempts to account for them reflect the
temperaments of the race and the epoch. ■ In the following verses the teacher describes the marks
of the ideal yogin. His thought is subdued, his desire is cast off and he contemplates
only the Self and is cut off from contact with
pain and is at one with the Supreme Reality. |
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सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं
सर्वभूतानि
चात्मनि । ईक्षते
योगयुक्तात्मा
सर्वत्र
समदर्शनः ॥६-
२९॥ sarvabhūtastham
ātmānaṁ sarvabhūtāni
cātmani sarva-bhūta-stham1 ātmānam2 sarva-bhūtāni3 ca4 ātmani5 yoga-yukta-ātmā7 = Yoga-yoked-Self = One whose
self is in union with yoga; sarvatra8
sama-darśanaḥ9 = who has visions of the same divinity,
Brahman everywhere
[everywhere8 (who)
has visions of the same divinity (Brahman9)];
īkṣate6 = sees; ātmānam2 = his own Self; sarva-bhūta-stham1 = exist in all beings
[all-beings-exist]. ca4
= Moreover; sarva-bhūtāni3 = all beings [from Brahma to a
blade of grass]; [exist] ātmani5 =
in his Self. 6.29 |
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(6.29) He whose self is harmonized
by yoga seeth the Self abiding in all beings and all
beings in the Self; everywhere he sees the same. ■ Though, in the process of attaining the vision of Self, we
had to retreat from outward things and separate the Self from the world, when
the vision is attained the world is drawn into the Self. On the ethical
plane, this means that there' should grow a detachment from the world and
when it is attained, a return to it, through love, suffering and sacrifice
for it. The sense of a separate finite self with its hopes and
fears, its likes and dislikes is destroyed. |
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यो मां पश्यति
सर्वत्र सर्वं
च मयि पश्यति । तस्याहं
न प्रणश्यामि
स च मे न प्रणश्यति
॥६- ३०॥ yo mā
paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati yaḥ1 mām2
paśyati3 sarvatra4 sarvam5
ca6 mayi7 paśyati8 yaḥ1 = He who; paśyati3 = sees; mām2 = Me [the Self of all
beings]; sarvatra4 = in all things ;
ca6 = and [who] paśyati8 = sees; sarvam5 = all things [sara-asaram = mobiles and immobiles];
mayi7 = in Me; aham10 = I; na11 & praṇaśyāmi12 = am not lost; tasya9 = from his [vision]. ca14 saḥ13
= And he; na16 praṇaśyati17 = is not lost; me15 = to Me. 6.30 |
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(6.30) He who sees Me everywhere and sees all in Me; I am not lost to him nor is he lost
to Me. ■ It is personal
mysticism as distinct from the impersonal one that is stressed in these tender and impressive words: ''I am not lost to him nor is he lost to Me." The verse reveals the experience of
the profound unity of all things in One who is the personal God. The more unique, the more universal. The deeper the self, the
wider is its comprehension. When we are one with the Divine in US, we become one with
the whole stream of life. |
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सर्वभूतस्थितं
यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः
। सर्वथा
वर्तमानोऽपि
स योगी मयि वर्तते
॥६- ३१॥ sarvabhūtasthitaṁ yo māṁ bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ sarva-bhūta-sthitam1 yaḥ2
mām3 bhajati4 ekatvam5 āsthitaḥ6 yaḥ2
= He who; āsthitaḥ6 = is established; ekatvam5 = in oneness [unity]; bhajati4 = worships, mām3 = Me; sarva-bhūta-sthitam1 = abiding in all beings
[all-beings-abiding]. saḥ10 & yogī11 = That Yogi; sarvathā7 = in whatever condition [he is]; vartamānaḥ8
& api9 = however much he is active; vartate13 = exists; mayi12 = in Me. 6.31 |
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(6.3I) The yogin who established in oneness, worships
Me abiding in all beings lives in Me, howsoever he may be active. ■ Whatever be his outer life, in his inward being he dwells in God.
The true life of man is his inner life. |
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आत्मौपम्येन
सर्वत्र समं पश्यति
योऽर्जुन । सुखं वा
यदि वा दुःखं स
योगी परमो मतः
॥६- ३२॥ ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśyati yorjuna ātma1 aupamyena2
sarvatra3 samam4 paśyati5 yaḥ6
Arjuna7 arjuna7 = O Arjuna; yaḥ6 =Yogi who; paśyati5 = sees; samam4 = with equality; sarvatra3 = all beings; ātma1 &
aupamyena2
= in the likeness of himself; vā9 = and; sukham8 = happiness; vā11& yadi10 = and whatever; duḥkham12 = sorrow [as his own]; saḥ13 & yogī14 = that Yogi; mataḥ16 & paramaḥ15 = is considered
supreme. 6.32 |
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(6.32) He, O
Arjuna, who sees with equality everything, in the image of his own self,
whether in pleasure or in pain, he is considered a perfect yogi. ■ ātma1 aupamyena2 : means equality of others with oneself. Even as he
desires good to himself, he desires good to all. He embraces all things in God, leads men to divine life and acts in the world with
the power of Spirit and in that luminous consciousness. He harms no creature as,
in the words of Ś., "he
sees that whatever is pleasant to himself is pleasant to all creatures, and that
whatever is painful to himself is painful to all beings."1 He does not any more shrink from
pleasure and pain. As he sees God in the world, he fears nothing but embraces all in the equality of the vision of the Self. 1 yathā
mama sukham iṣṭaṁ
tathā sarvaprāṇināṁ
sukham anukūlaṁ
yadi vā yacca duḥkhaṁ mama pratikūlam aniṣṭaṁ
yathā, tathā sarvaprāṇināṁ duḥkhaṁ
aniṣṭaṁ
na kasyacit
pratikūlam ācarati
ahiṁsaka ity arthaḥ, |
|
Control of Mind
is Difftcult but Possible अर्जुन
उवाच योऽयं योगस्त्वया
प्रोक्तः साम्येन
मधुसूदन । एतस्याहं
न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात्स्थितिं
स्थिराम् ॥६- ३३॥ arjuna uvāca arjuna uvāca
arjuna = Arjuna uvāca = said: madhusūdana7 = O Madhusudana
(Killer of demon Madhu, Krishna): ayam2 = this; yogaḥ3 = Yoga; yaḥ1 & proktaḥ5 = that was declared; tvaya4 = by You; sāmyena6 = as same [as the doctrine of
empathy]; aham9 = I; na10 & paśyāmi11 = do not see; etasya8 = its [Yoga's]; sthirām14 = stable; sthitim13 = condition; cańcalatvāt12 = because of agitation of [my
mind]. 6.33 |
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Arjuna said: (6.33) This yoga declared by you to be of the nature of
equality (evenness of mind), O Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) I see no stable foundation for, on account of
restlessness. |
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चञ्चलं
हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि
बलवद्दृढम्
। तस्याहं
निग्रहं मन्ये
वायोरिव सुदुष्करम्
॥६- ३४॥ cańcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham cańcalam1 hi2 manaḥ3
kṛṣṇa4 pramāthi5 balavat6
dṛḍham7 kṛṣṇa4 = O Krishna; hi2 = for; manaḥ3 = the mind; cańcalam1 = is wavering; pramāthi5
= agitating [to the sense organs]; balavat6 = strong-willed; [and] dṛḍham7 = obstinate; aham9 = I; manye11 = think; tasya8 = its
[mind's]; nigraham10 = control, subjugation; suduṣkaram14 = is as difficult as; vāyoḥ12 & iva13 = [controlling] of
the wind. 6.34 |
|
(6.34) For the mind is verily fickle, O Kṛṣṇa,
it is impetuous, strong and obstinate. I think that
it is as difficult to control as the wind. |
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श्रीभगवानुवाच असंशयं
महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं
चलम् । अभ्यासेन
तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण
च गृह्यते ॥६- ३५॥ śrībhagavān uvāca śrībhagavān uvāca śrībhagavān uvāca = Bhagavan said: mahābāho2 = O Mighty-armed one; asańśayam1 = without doubt; manaḥ3 = mind; durnigraham4 = [is] difficult to restrain; [and] calam5 = prone to agitation; tu7 = but; [it] gṛhyate11 = can be controlled; abhyāsena6 = by repetitive practice; ca10 = and; vairāgyeṇa9 = by detachment. kaunteya8 = O son of Kunti. 6.35 |
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The Blessed Lord said: (6.35) Without doubt, O Mighty-armed (Arjuna), the mind is difficult to curb and restless but it can be controlled, O Son of
Kuntī (Arjuna), by constant practice and non-attachment. Cp. Yoga Sūtra, I, 12. abhyāsavairāgyābhyāṁ tan nirodhaḥ. The teacher points
out that the restless mind, accustomed to act on impulse, can
be controlled only by non-attachment1 and practice. Arjuna realizes that there is so much of
obstinacy and violence, waywardness and self-will in human nature. We are
inclined to shut our eyes to the defects of our nature and harden our hearts against
the Light. Tapasya is what is
needed. 1 When there is earth to lie upon, why trouble about bed? When
one's arm is readily available, why need pillows? When
there is the palm of one's hand" why seek for plates and utensils? When there is the atmosphere, the bark of trees, etc., what need is there of silks? satyāṁ kṣitau kiṁ kaśipoḥ, prayāsaiḥ, bāhau saṁsiddhe hy upa brahaṇaiḥ kim satyaṁjalau kiṁ purudhānnapātraiḥ digvalkalādau sati kiṁ dukulaiḥ
Bhāgavata, II, l. |
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असंयतात्मना
योगो दुष्प्राप
इति मे मतिः । वश्यात्मना
तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः
॥६- ३६॥ asaṁyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ asaṁyata-ātmanā1 yogaḥ2
duṣprāpaḥ3 iti4 me5 matiḥ6 iti4 = thus;
me5 = My; matiḥ6 = determination, opinion; [is] yogaḥ2 = Yoga; [is] duṣprāpaḥ3 = hard to attain; asaṁyata-ātmanā1 = by one with unbridled mind; tu9 = but; śakyaḥ11 = attainable; [by] avāptum12 = one who has attained; vaśya7 = controlled; ātmanā8 = mind; [and by] yatatā10 = the man of endeavor; upāyataḥ13 = through the means [as mentioned
above]. 6.36 |
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(6.36) Yoga is hard to attain, I agree, by one who is not selfcontrolled; but by the self-controlled it is attainable by striving
through proper means. ■ Arjuna asks what happens to the soul who attempts and fails. Defeat is temporary: He who starts well reaches the
End. |
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अर्जुन
उवाच अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो
योगाच्चलितमानसः
। अप्राप्य
योगसंसिद्धिं
कां गतिं कृष्ण
गच्छति ॥६- ३७॥ arjuna uvāca arjuna uvāca arjunaḥ uvāca =
Arjuna said: kṛṣṇa11
= O Krishna;
[though] upetaḥ3 = endowed with; śraddhaya2 = faith; ayatiḥ1 = putting no effort [in Yoga]; calita5 mānasaḥ6
= one whose mind is
divergent; yogāt4 = from Yoga; aprāpya7 = having not obtained;
yoga-saṁsiddhim8 = perfection in Yoga; kām9 = what; gatim10 = progress; gacchati12 = does he make? 6.37
[calita5 =
divergent] |
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(6.37) He who cannot control himself though he has
faith, with the mind wandering away from yoga, failing to attain perfection
in yoga, what way does he go, O Kṛṣṇa? ■ Arjuna's question refers to the future of those, who, when they
die are not at war with Eternal Goodness though they are not disciplined
enough to contemplate the splendor of Eternal Purity. Are the alternatives
eternal heaven and everlasting hell as some believe or is there a chance for
such individuals to grow towards perfection after death? |
|
कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव
नश्यति । अप्रतिष्ठो
महाबाहो विमूढो
ब्रह्मणः पथि
॥६- ३८॥ kacchin nobhayavibhraṣṭaś
chinnābhram iva naśyati mahābāho10 = O Mighty-armed One; ubhaya3 vibhraṣṭaḥ4 = having fallen4 from both3;
apratiṣṭhaḥ9
= having lost hold on the ground; vimūḍhaḥ11 = the perplexed; brahmaṇaḥ12 pathi13 = on the path of Brahman: kacchit1 na2
naśyati8 = does he not perish; iva7=
like; chinna5
abhram6 = a riven cloud. 6.38 |
|
(6.38) Does he not perish like a rent cloud, O
Mighty-armed (Kṛṣṇa), fallen from both and without any hold
and bewildered in the path that leads to the Eternal? ■ Fallen from both, ito bhraṣṭaḥ tato bhraṣṭaḥ, is he left in a no man's world? Does he miss both this
life and the life eternal? What happens to those numerous persons who have
not succeeded in pursuing the
extremely difficult path of yoga to its end? Are their exertions useless
altogether? Is it any good beginning a course which one may not be able
to complete? |
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एतन्मे
संशयं कृष्ण छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः
। त्वदन्यः
संशयस्यास्य
छेत्ता न ह्युपपद्यते
॥६- ३९॥ etan me saṁśayaṁ
kṛṣṇa chettum
arhasy aśeṣataḥ etat1 me2 saṁśayam3
kṛṣṇa4 chettum5 arhasi6
aśeṣataḥ7 kṛṣṇa4 = O Krishna; [You are] arhasi6 = worthy and obligated; chettum5 = to remove; etat1 = this; saṁśayam3 = doubt; me2 = of mine; aśeṣataḥ7 = completely; hi14 = because; |