Srîmad BhagavadGîtâ

Chapter 6: The Yoga of Meditation

Sloka	Translation
1	Sri Bhagavân said: He who performs his bounden duty without expectations of the fruit thereof is a true renunciate (sannyâsi) and a yogi; not he who has merely given up rituals and actions.
2	O Arjuna, know that what they call renunciation (sannyâsa) to be none other than Yoga; for none becomes a Yogi, who has not renounced desireful will^2a.

3	To a contemplative soul desirous of attaining Yoga, action is said to be the means; for the same man, when he is established in Yoga, quiescence^3a [of the mind] is said to be the means.

4	When a person is free from attachment to sense objects and actions, having renounced all desireful intentions, he is said to be established in Yoga.

5	One should uplift oneself by the Self, and should not degrade oneself. Indeed, the Self is one's (ego's) friend and the Self is one's enemy.
6	For one whose ego has been conquered by the Self, the Self is a friend. But to the unconquered ego, the Self stands as an enemy.
7	The Supreme Self (Spirit) is manifested in the self-controlled^7a person who remains serene amidst cold and heat, pleasure and pain, honor and ignominy^7b.
8	The yogi satisfied with acquired and realized knowledge (jñâna and vijñâna), who remains unshaken, having mastered his senses, and to whom a lump of earth, a stone and gold are all alike, is said to be established in yoga.
9	He excels who regards with an equal eye well-wishers, friends, enemies, neutrals, mediators, the hateful, relatives, the virtuous and the sinful.
10	Living in solitude in a secluded place, with mind conrolled, free from expectations and [thirst for] possessions, the yogi should constantly practise meditation ^10a.
11	In a clean spot, having established for himself a firm seat, neither very high nor very low, made of a cloth, [upon] a deerskin^11a, [upon a mat of] kusha-grass,
12	Occupying that seat, concentrating the mind and controlling the activities of the mind and senses, he should practise meditation for self-purification.
13	Firmly holding the trunk, head and neck erect and still, fixing his gaze on the origin of the nose^13a, without looking around in various directions,
14	Highly tranquil, fearless, firm in his vow of celibacy, having controlled the mind and fixed it on Me^14a, he should sit meditating on Me^14a as the Supreme Goal.
15	The yogi of disciplined mind, thus constantly engaging his mind in meditation, attains to the Peace abiding in Me, which is supreme liberation^15a.
16	Arjuna, yoga is neither for him who overeats, nor for him who abstains from eating; neither for him who oversleeps, nor for him who is always awake.
17	One who is regulated in eating and recreation, regulated in performing actions, and regulated in sleep and wakefulness, will find yoga as a destroyer of suffering.
18	When the thoroughly disciplined thought-mind [of a person] rests in the Self, devoid of attachment to all desires, then he is spoken of as established in yoga.
19	"Like a lamp placed in a windless spot"- such is stated to be the picture of the disciplined mind of the yogi practising meditation on the Self.
20	[The state] where the mind, curbed through the practice of yoga, attains quietude, and where, perceiving the Self through the self (ego), one rejoices in the Self,
21	That wherein one finds immense bliss which can be perceived by the (purified) intellect^21a but transcends the senses, and established wherein one never moves from Reality (Truth),
22	Obtaining which, one does not reckon any other gain as greater than that, and established wherein, one is not shaken even by heavy sorrow,
23	That disconnection from contact with sorrow, called yoga, must be known. It should be resolutely practised with an unwearied heart.
24	Completely renouncing all desires arising from [ego-born] intentions^2a, and indeed by means of the mind fully restraining the whole group of senses on all sides,
25	He should gradually attain tranquility by his [purified] intellect, held firm. And fixing the mind on the Self, he should not think of anything^25a.
26	Whatever the restless and unsteady mind wanders after, one should withdraw it therefrom and return it to the sole control of the Self.
27	This yogi whose mind is perfectly serene, by virtue of his having subdued the passions and of his identification with Brahma^27a, indeed attains Supreme Bliss.
28	Thus ceaselessly engaging himself in yoga, the sinless yogi easily attains the immense bliss of contact with the Supreme Consciousness.
29	One united with the Self by yoga, who perceives unity everywhere, beholds the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self.
30	He who sees Me [the Universal Self] everywhere and sees everything [as existing] in Me never loses sight of Me, nor I of him.
31	The yogi who, being established in [such] unity, experiences Me as residing in all beings [as their very Self] abides in Me no matter who he does.
32	Arjuna, he is regarded as the best yogi, who, on the analogy of his own self, perceives the equality of all beings, whether in [their] happiness or distress. ^32a.
33	Arjuna said: O Krishna, owing to restlessness [of the mind], I do not perceive the stability of the system of yoga that you have just propounded.
34	Indeed, the mind is, O Krishna, turbulent, powerful and obstinate. I consider it as difficult as to control as the Wind.
35	The Blessed Lord said: Without doubt, O mighty warrior, the mind is unruly and restless. But by practice and exercise of dispassion, it can be brought under control.
36	It is my opinion that for one lacking self-control, yoga is difficult of attainment; but he who is possessed of self-control, and strives by proper methods, is assured of success.
37	Arjuna said: O Krishna, what becomes of a person who, though endowed with faith, has been unable to subdue his mind, and who, being thus diverted from yoga, fails to find success in yoga?
38	Sidetracked from the path to God-realization, supportless, does he not perish like a torn cloud, deprived of both [transcendental bliss and mundane pleasures], O Krishna.
39	It behoves you to dispel this doubt of mine completely. None but You can slash this doubt.
40	The Blessed Lord said: Arjuna, my son! Neither here [in the mortal world] nor hereafter is there destruction for him. Indeed, none who does good [i.e, strives for self-redemption through yoga] ever meets with evil destiny.
41	One who has fallen from yoga, gaining entry to the realm of the virtuous and having dwelt there for a long time, is born in the house of righteous or prosperous people.
42	Or he may even be born into the family of enlightened yogis; but such a birth is harder ^42a to obtain in this world.
43	On taking such birth, Arjuna, he [automatically] regains the [spiritual] insight of his previous birth and strives again for perfection.
44	By the force of practices undertaken in his previous birth, he is propelled onward, inspite of himself ^44a. Even one [merely] curious about yoga stands above the ritualistic principles of Scriptures ^44b.
45	Striving assiduously, and becoming purged of sins, after many births the yogi attains the Supreme Goal.
46	The yogi is regarded as superior to ascetics, superior even to seekers [after Truth] on the path of knowledge and on the path of action. Therefore, be a yogi, Arjuna.
47	And of all yogis, he who with great faith meditates on Me, being internally immersed in Me, is regarded as the foremost yogi.

Footnotes

^2a Sri Krishna uses the word sankalpa , which, in its basic meaning is "will". In view of the preceding sloka, we translate it as "will or intention to perform actions with a view to their fruits". This word has also been translated as "thoughts", "thoughts of the world" and "self-gratification".
^3a Sri Krishna uses the word shama , which refers to a stilling or pacification (of action, in this context). This word has also been translated as "inaction", "cessation from material actions" and "absence of thoughts of the world".
^7a Sri Krishna uses the word jitâtmana, which can also be translated as "one who as conquered his ego".
^7b Cf. Âtmabodha Upanishad: "If you can transcend the body and perceive yourself as Spirit, you will be eternally blissful, free from all pain".
^10a Sri Krishna uses the word yuñjita, which can also be translated as "should unite", ie. "should practice yoga" or "should strive to unite the self with the Universal Self".
^11a Note that no deer should be slain for this purpose. In ancient times, when rshis dwelt in forests, deerskin could be obtained from animals that died a natural death. Any soft, simple material that is not uncomfortable to the body can instead be used as a modern substitute.
^13a That is, the space between the eye-brows. During meditation, this helps the yogi to keep his eyes neither fully closed (whereby to prevent the onrush of subconscious slumber and disturbances) nor fully open (whereby to prevent the distractions of ordinary wakefulness). Thus meditating, the yogi learns to penetrate the twilight zone, called the superconscious horizon, between subconscious darkness and mundane, visible light.
^14a Both interpretations, the transcendental and immanent personal Godhead as well as the indestructible, omnipresent, unthinkable, abstract Absolute, are allowed (cf. Srimad Bhagavadgita slokas 12.2 to 12.5).
^15a nirvâNa or moksha.
^21a Subtle, awakened intuitive intelligence.
^25a It is worth pointing out that fixing the mind on the Self is not a thought process, but a meditative state where the mind, devoid of objects, ceases to modulate into thought-forms, and withdrawing itself from the outward tendency into which the senses tend to drive it, retires inward to rest in the Self. Hence Sri Krishna's injunction not to think of anything does not contradict the preceding clause.
^27a The Absolute; the Universal Soul.
³² According to Sri Krishna, the highest yogi is one who, by dint of his own personal experience, is aware of the joys and sorrows of everyone and regards them as if they were his own. He is a true friend of all creatures!
^42a Slokas 41 and 42 describe the after-death states of two different types of fallen yogis. The former is entered by those who lacked sufficent spiritual effort to overcome attachments and thirst for pleasures. The latter is reserved for the more advanced in the path of yoga, whose life may have been interrupted before the attainment of perfection, and is hence harder to obtain. Underlying these two possibilities is Sri Krishna's implicit assurance that all yoga practicants and strivers after self-perfection, no matter how many times they fall, are ultimately rescued.
^44a That is, even though he may not consciously seek them in the present birth, by dint of previous good actions, he is subconsciously led on the path towards perfection. Even though he lacks anecdotal reminiscence of his previous birth, inner, spiritual knowledge accumulates unaffected by the interruptions due to bodily death.
^44b That is, a mere curiosity about yogic principles betokens that he already possesses the fruit gained by observing scriptural ritualistic injunctions. In the initial stage, scriptural rites serve to purify one's mind, making it sensitive for the seed of yogic wisdom to be sown. But once a person has embarked on the path of yoga, he transcends the scope of scriptural rites and rituals.

Primary references:
Srimad Bhagavadgita, translated into English by Sri Jayadayal Goyandka (Gorakhpur Press);
The Holy Gita, English translation and commentary by Swami Chinmayananda (Central Chinmaya Mission Trust).
Swami Krishnananda's website The Yoga of Meditation.
Srimad Bhagavadgita: The immortal dialogue between the soul and the Spirit, English translation and commentary by Sri Sri Yogananda Paramahamsa (Yogoda Satsanga).
Srimad Bhagavadgita As It Is, English translation and commentary by His Divine Grace Bhaktivedânta Swâmi Prabhupâda.

Comments? Please write to: R. Srikanth
(Last updated: August 10, 2004).

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