Anaashritah karmaphalam kaaryam karma
karoti yah;
Sa sannyaasi cha yogee cha na niragnirna
chaakriyah.(1)
The Blessed Lord said:
He who performs his bounden duty without
depending on the fruits of his actions—he is a Sannyasin and a Yogi, not he who
is without fire and without action.
Yam sannyaasamiti praahuryogam tam viddhi
paandava;
Na hyasannyastasankalpo yogee bhavati
kashchana.(2)
Do thou, O Arjuna, know Yoga to be that which
they call renunciation; no one verily becomes a Yogi who has not renounced
thoughts!
Aarurukshormuneryogam karma
kaaranamuchyate;
Yogaaroodhasya tasyaiva shamah
kaaranamuchyate.(3)
For a sage who wishes to attain
to Yoga, action is said to be the means; for the same sage who has attained to
Yoga, inaction (quiescence) is said to be the means.
Yadaa hi nendriyaartheshu na
karmaswanushajjate;
Sarvasankalpasannyaasee yogaaroodhas
tadochyate.(4)
When a man is not attached to
the sense-objects or to actions, having renounced all thoughts, then he is said
to have attained to Yoga.
Uddharedaatmanaatmaanam
naatmaanamavasaadayet;
Atmaiva hyaatmano bandhuraatmaiva
ripuraatmanah.(5)
Let a man lift himself by his
own Self alone; let him not lower himself, for this self alone is the friend of
oneself and this self alone is the enemy of oneself.
Bandhuraatmaa’tmanastasya
yenaatmaivaatmanaa jitah;
Anaatmanastu shatrutwe vartetaatmaiva
shatruvat.(6)
The self is the friend of the
self for him who has conquered himself by the Self, but to the unconquered
self, this self stands in the position of an enemy like the (external) foe.
Jitaatmanah prashaantasya paramaatmaa
samaahitah;
Sheetoshna sukha duhkheshu tathaa
maanaapamaanayoh.(7)
The Supreme Self of him who is self-controlled
and peaceful is balanced in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as also in honour
and dishonour.
Jnaana vijnaana triptaatmaa kootastho
vijitendriyah;
Yuktah ityuchyate yogee
samaloshtaashmakaanchanah.(8)
The Yogi who is satisfied with the knowledge
and the wisdom (of the Self), who has conquered the senses, and to whom a clod
of earth, a piece of stone and gold are the same, is said to be harmonised
(that is, is said to have attained the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi).
Suhrinmitraary udaaseena madhyastha dweshya
bandhushu;
Saadhushwapi cha paapeshu
samabuddhirvishishyate.(9)
He who is of the same mind to the good-hearted, friends,
enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful, the relatives, the
righteous and the unrighteous, excels.
Yogee yunjeeta satatamaatmaanam rahasi
sthitah;
Ekaakee yatachittaatmaa
niraasheeraparigrahah.(10)
Let the Yogi try constantly to
keep the mind steady, remaining in solitude, alone, with the mind and the body
controlled, and free from hope and greed.
Shuchau deshe pratishthaapya sthiramaasanamaatmanah;
Naatyucchritam naatineecham
chailaajinakushottaram.(11)
In a clean spot, having
established a firm seat of his own, neither too high nor too low, made of a
cloth, a skin and kusha grass, one over the other,
Tatraikaagram manah kritwaa yatachittendriyakriyah;
Upavishyaasane
yunjyaadyogamaatmavishuddhaye.(12)
There, having made the mind
one-pointed, with the actions of the mind and the senses controlled, let him,
seated on the seat, practise Yoga for the purification of the self.
Samam kaayashirogreevam dhaarayannachalam
sthirah;
Samprekshya naasikaagram swam
dishashchaanavalokayan.(13)
Let him firmly hold his body, head and neck
erect and perfectly still, gazing at the tip of his nose, without looking
around.
Prashaantaatmaa vigatabheer
brahmachaarivrate sthitah;
Manah samyamya macchitto yukta aaseeta
matparah.(14)
Serene-minded, fearless, firm in
the vow of a Brahmachari, having controlled the mind, thinking of Me and
balanced in mind, let him sit, having Me as his supreme goal.
Yunjannevam sadaa’tmaanam yogee
niyatamaanasah;
Shaantim nirvaanaparamaam
matsamsthaamadhigacchati.(15)
Thus, always keeping the mind balanced, the Yogi, with
the mind controlled, attains to the peace abiding in Me, which culminates in
liberation.
Naatyashnatastu yogo’sti
nachaikaantamanashnatah;
Na chaatiswapnasheelasya jaagrato naiva
chaarjuna.(16)
Verily Yoga is not possible for him who eats
too much, nor for him who does not eat at all; nor for him who sleeps too much,
nor for him who is (always) awake, O Arjuna!
Yuktaahaaravihaarasya yuktacheshtasya
karmasu;
Yuktaswapnaavabodhasya yogo bhavati
duhkhahaa.(17)
Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who
is always moderate in eating and recreation (such as walking, etc.), who is
moderate in exertion in actions, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.
Yadaa viniyatam
chittamaatmanyevaavatishthate;
Nihsprihah sarvakaamebhyo yukta ityuchyate
tadaa.(18)
When the perfectly controlled
mind rests in the Self only, free from longing for the objects of desire, then
it is said: “He is united.”
Yathaa deepo nivaatastho nengate sopamaa
smritaa;
Yogino yatachittasya yunjato yogamaatmanah.(19)
As a lamp placed in a windless
spot does not flicker—to such is compared the Yogi of controlled mind, practising
Yoga in the Self (or absorbed in the Yoga of the Self).
Yatroparamate chittam niruddham
yogasevayaa;
Yatra chaivaatmanaa’tmaanam pashyannaatmani
tushyati.(20)
When the mind, restrained by the practice of
Yoga, attains to quietude, and when, seeing the Self by the Self, he is
satisfied in his own Self,
Sukhamaatyantikam yattad buddhi
graahyamateendriyam;
Vetti yatra na chaivaayam sthitashchalati
tattwatah.(21)
When he (the Yogi) feels that infinite bliss
which can be grasped by the (pure) intellect and which transcends the senses,
and, established wherein he never moves from the Reality,
Yam labdhwaa chaaparam laabham manyate
naadhikam tatah;
Yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunaapi
vichaalyate.(22)
Which, having obtained, he
thinks there is no other gain superior to it; wherein established, he is not
moved even by heavy sorrow,—
Tam vidyaad duhkhasamyogaviyogam
yogasamjnitam;
Sa nishchayena yoktavyo yogo’nirvinna
chetasaa.(23)
Let that be known by the name of Yoga, the
severance from union with pain. This Yoga should be practised with
determination and with an undesponding mind.
Sankalpaprabhavaan kaamaan styaktwaa
sarvaan asheshatah;
Manasaivendriyagraamam viniyamya
samantatah.(24)
Abandoning without reserve all the desires
born of Sankalpa, and completely restraining the whole group of senses by the
mind from all sides,
Shanaih shanairuparamed buddhyaa
dhritigriheetayaa;
Aatmasamstham manah kritwaa na kinchidapi
chintayet.(25)
Little by little let him attain
to quietude by the intellect held firmly; having made the mind establish itself
in the Self, let him not think of anything.
Yato yato nishcharati
manashchanchalamasthiram;
Tatastato niyamyaitad aatmanyeva vasham
nayet.(26)
From whatever cause the restless, unsteady
mind wanders away, from that let him restrain it and bring it under the control
of the Self alone.
Prashaantamanasam hyenam yoginam
sukhamuttamam;
Upaiti shaantarajasam brahmabhootamakalmasham.(27)
Supreme bliss verily comes to this Yogi whose
mind is quite peaceful, whose passion is quieted, who has become Brahman, and
who is free from sin.
Yunjannevam sadaa’tmaanam yogee
vigatakalmashah;
Sukhena brahmasamsparsham atyantam sukham
ashnute.(28)
The Yogi, always engaging the mind thus (in
the practice of Yoga), freed from sins, easily enjoys the infinite bliss of
contact with Brahman (the Eternal).
Sarvabhootasthamaatmaanam sarvabhootaani
chaatmani;
Eekshate yogayuktaatmaa sarvatra
samadarshanah.(29)
With the mind harmonised by Yoga he sees the
Self abiding in all beings and all beings in the Self; he sees the same
everywhere.
Yo maam pashyati sarvatra sarvam cha mayi
pashyati;
Tasyaaham na pranashyaami sa cha me na pranashyati.(30)
He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, he
does not become separated from Me nor do I become separated from him.
Sarvabhootasthitam yo maam
bhajatyekatwamaasthitah;
Sarvathaa vartamaano’pi sa yogee mayi
vartate.(31)
He who, being established in unity, worships
Me who dwells in all beings,—that Yogi abides in Me, whatever may be his mode
of living.
Aatmaupamyena sarvatra samam pashyati
yo’rjuna;
Sukham vaa yadi vaa duhkham sa yogee paramo
matah.(32)
He who, through the likeness of the Self, O
Arjuna, sees equality everywhere, be it pleasure or pain, he is regarded as the
highest Yogi!
Arjuna Uvaacha:
Yo’yam yogastwayaa proktah saamyena
madhusoodana;
Etasyaaham na pashyaami chanchalatwaat
sthitim sthiraam.(33)
Arjuna said:
This Yoga of equanimity taught by Thee, O
Krishna, I do not see its steady continuance, because of restlessness (of the
mind)!
Chanchalam hi manah krishna pramaathi
balavad dridham;
Tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva
sudushkaram.(34)
The mind verily is restless, turbulent, strong
and unyielding, O Krishna! I deem it as difficult to control as to control the
wind.
Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Asamshayam mahaabaaho mano durnigraham
chalam;
Abhyaasena tu kaunteya vairaagyena cha
grihyate.(35)
The Blessed Lord said:
Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed
Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but, by practice and by
dispassion it may be restrained!
Asamyataatmanaa yogo dushpraapa iti me
matih;
Vashyaatmanaa tu yatataa shakyo’vaaptumupaayatah.(36)
I think that Yoga is hard to be
attained by one of uncontrolled self, but the self-controlled and striving one
attains to it by the (proper) means.
Arjuna Uvaacha:
Ayatih shraddhayopeto
yogaacchalitamaanasah;
Apraapya yogasamsiddhim kaam gatim krishna
gacchati.(37)
Arjuna said:
He who is unable to control
himself though he has the faith, and whose mind wanders away from Yoga, what
end does he meet, having failed to attain perfection in Yoga, O Krishna?
Kacchinnobhayavibhrashtash cchinnaabhramiva
nashyati;
Apratishtho mahaabaaho vimoodho brahmanah
pathi.(38)
Fallen from both, does he not perish like a
rent cloud, supportless, O mighty-armed
(Krishna), deluded on the path
of Brahman?
Etanme samshayam krishna
cchettumarhasyasheshatah;
Twadanyah samshayasyaasya cchettaa na
hyupapadyate.(39)
This doubt of mine, O Krishna, do Thou
completely dispel, because it is not possible for any but Thee to dispel this
doubt.
Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Paartha naiveha naamutra vinaashas tasya
vidyate;
Nahi kalyaanakrit kashchid durgatim taata
gacchati.(40)
The Blessed Lord said:
O Arjuna, neither in this world,
nor in the next world is there destruction for him; none, verily, who does well,
O My son, ever comes to grief!
Praapya punyakritaam lokaanushitwaa
shaashwateeh samaah;
Shucheenaam shreemataam gehe
yogabhrashto’bhijaayate.(41)
Having attained to the worlds of the righteous
and, having dwelt there for everlasting years, he who fell from Yoga is reborn
in the house of the pure and wealthy.
Athavaa yoginaameva kule bhavati
dheemataam;
Etaddhi durlabhataram loke janma
yadeedrisham.(42)
Or he is born in a family of even the wise
Yogis; verily a birth like this is very difficult to obtain in this world.
Tatra tam buddhisamyogam labhate paurvadehikam;
Yatate cha tato bhooyah samsiddhau
kurunandana.(43)
There he comes in touch with the
knowledge acquired in his former body and strives more than before for
perfection, O Arjuna!
Jijnaasurapi yogasya
shabdabrahmaativartate.(44)
By that very former practice he
is borne on in spite of himself. Even he who merely wishes to know Yoga
transcends the Brahmic word.
Prayatnaadyatamaanastu yogee
samshuddhakilbishah;
Anekajanmasamsiddhas tato yaati paraam
gatim.(45)
But, the Yogi who strives with assiduity,
purified of sins and perfected gradually through many births, reaches the
highest goal.
Tapaswibhyo’dhiko yogee jnaanibhyo’pi
mato’dhikah;
Karmibhyashchaadhiko yogee tasmaad yogee
bhavaarjuna.(46)
The Yogi is thought to be
superior to the ascetics and even superior to men of knowledge (obtained
through the study of scriptures); he is also superior to men of action;
therefore, be thou a Yogi, O Arjuna!
Yoginaamapi sarveshaam
madgatenaantaraatmanaa;
Shraddhaavaan bhajate yo maam sa me
yuktatamo matah.(47)
And among all the Yogis, he who,
full of faith and with his inner self merged in Me, worships Me, he is deemed
by Me to be the most devout.
Hari Om Tat Sat
Iti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasoopanishatsu
Brahmavidyaayaam
Yogashaastre Sri Krishnaarjunasamvaade
Aatmasamyamayogo Naama Shashtho’dhyaayah
Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the
science of the Eternal, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna
and Arjuna, ends the sixth discourse entitled:
Sri Krishna emphasises once
again that the Yogi or Sannyasin is one who has renounced the fruits of
actions, not the actions themselves. The performance of actions without an eye
on their fruits brings about the purification of the mind. Only a purified
mind, a mind free from desires, can engage itself in constant meditation on the
Atman. Desire gives rise to imagination or Sankalpa, which drives the soul into
the field of action. Therefore, none can realize permanent freedom and
tranquility of mind without renouncing desires. The lower self must be
controlled by the higher Self. All the lower impulses of the body, mind and
senses must be controlled by the power of the higher Self. Then the higher Self
becomes one’s friend. He who has perfect control of the body, mind and senses
and is united with God, sees God in all objects and beings. He sees inwardly
that there is no difference between gold and stone, between friends and
enemies, between the righteous and the unrighteous. He is perfectly harmonized.
Sri Krishna proceeds to give
various practical hints as to the practice of meditation. The aspirant should
select a secluded spot where there is no likelihood of disturbance. He should
arrange his meditation seat properly and sit in a comfortable posture, with the
head; neck and spine erect but not tensed. He should fix his purified mind on
the Atman by concentrating between the eyebrows or on the tip of the nose.
The practice of Brahmacharya is
absolutely necessary if one is to succeed in meditation. The conservation and
transformation of the vital fluid into spiritual energy gives immense power of
concentration. Fearlessness, too, is an essential quality on the Godward path.
It is faith in the sustaining protection and Grace of God.
The aspirant is advised to
practise moderation in his daily habits—in eating, sleeping, recreation, etc.
Extremes are to be avoided as they hinder the practice of meditation. Living a
life of such moderation, and gathering up all his forces and directing them
towards meditation upon the Atman, the aspirant gradually transcends the senses
and intellect and merges himself in the blissful Atman. He finds that the bliss
of the Atman is incomparable, that there is no gain greater than the Self.
Having thus attained perfect union with the Self, the Yogi no more descends
into ignorance or delusion. He does not relish any more the pleasures of the
senses.
Lord Krishna again emphasises that the concentration of the mind on the Atman should be like a steady flame in a windless place. This ultimately leads to the vision of the Lord in all beings and creatures. Arjuna is doubtful whether it is at all possible to engage the mind steadily on the higher Self, as its very nature seems to be one of restlessness. Krishna assures him that the practice can succeed through Vairagya (dispassion) and constant effort.
Arjuna wishes to know the fate
of the aspirant who fails to realise the Supreme in spite of his faith and
sincerity. Krishna tells him that the accumulated power of his Yogic practices
will assure him a better birth in the future, with more favourable conditions
for Sadhana. The aspirant will then be compelled to carry on his Yogic
practices with greater vigour and faith and will finally achieve
God-realisation.
Krishna concludes that the
Yogi—one who has attained union with the Supreme Lord—is superior to the
ascetics, to the men of book knowledge and the men of action, as the latter
have not transcended ignorance and merged in the Self.
