CHAPTER 6

Verse 1

Śrī Bhagavān said: Those who perform their prescribed activities without desiring the results of their actions are actual sannyāsīs and yogīs. Those who simply cease performing fire sacrifices such as the agni-hotra-yajñas are not sannyāsīs, and those who merely give up all bodily activities are not yogīs.

Verse 2

yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur
yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava
na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo
yogī bhavati kaścana

O Arjuna, know that what the wise call cessation of action, or karma-sannyāsa, is the same as yoga, because one who is unable to give up the desire for the fruits of action and sense enjoyment can never become a yogī.

Verse 3

ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ
karma kāraṇam ucyate
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva
śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate

For a sage who is aspiring to ascend the path of unwavering meditation upon the Supreme Person, worshipping Him by selflessly offering Him the fruit of his activities is said to be the means. And when he achieves steadiness in that elevated stage of yoga, the renunciation of actions that distract his mind from meditation is said to be the means.

Verse 4

yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu
na karmasv anuṣajjate
sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī
yogārūḍhas tadocyate

When a renunciant has become free from attachment to the sense objects and to the performance of action, then he is called yogārūḍhas (elevated to the platform of yoga), for he has given up all desires for the fruits of his actions.

Verse 5

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ
nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur
ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

A man must deliver himself from the material world through mental detachment and not allow the mind to degrade him, for the mind is simultaneously one’s friend and also one’s own enemy.

Verse 6

For that living entity who has conquered his mind, the mind is his friend, but for he who has not conquered his senses, his mind works against him just like an enemy.

Verse 7

jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya
paramātmā samāhitaḥ
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu
tathā mānāpamānayoḥ

The yogī who is in control of his mind is free from both attachment and aversion to the dualities of heat and cold, happiness and misery, and honour and dishonour. The mind of such a yogī is deeply absorbed in trance.

Verse 8

jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā
kūṭa-stho vijitendriyaḥ
yukta ity ucyate yogī
sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ

A person whose mind is satisfied by both knowledge (jñāna) and realization (vijñāna), whose consciousness is unaffected by material transformation, who has conquered the senses, and who looks equally upon sand, stone and gold is said to have attained the perfection of yoga.

Verse 9

suhṛn-mitrāry-udāsīna-
madhyastha-dveṣya-bandhuṣu
sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu
sama-buddhir viśiṣyate

One who looks upon well-wishers, friends, enemies, the neutral, arbitrators, envious, relatives, saintly persons and sinners with equal vision is most exalted.

Verse 10

yogī yuñjīta satatam
ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ
ekākī yata-cittātmā
nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ

Being free from desire, the yogī, while residing alone in a solitary place, controlling his mind and body and rejecting sense objects, absorbs his mind in trance.

Verse 11-12

In a sanctified place, one should make a secure sitting place by placing kuśa grass, deerskin and then cloth on the ground. It should be neither too high nor too low. Sitting on that, one should practise yoga to purify the mind with one-pointed concentration, and control all of his thoughts and activities.

Verse 13-14

Keeping one’s body, neck and head erect and steady, one should fix one’s vision solely on the tip of the nose, not looking elsewhere. Thus, observing strict celibacy, being fearless and peaceful, and controlling the mind, one should practise yoga by meditating on Me, with one-pointed attention, remaining always devoted to Me.

Verse 15

yuñjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ
yogī niyata-mānasaḥ
śāntiṁ nirvāṇa-paramāṁ
mat-saṁsthām adhigacchati

Thus, constantly keeping the mind absorbed in Me through yoga by following this process, a yogī whose mind is controlled can become situated in My splendour and attain peace in the form of nirvāṇa (the complete cessation of material existence).

Verse 16

nāty-aśnatas tu yogo ’sti
na caikāntam anaśnataḥ
na cāti-svapna-śīlasya
jāgrato naiva cārjuna

O Arjuna, yoga cannot be perfected by one who abstains from eating or by one who eats excessively, nor by one who sleeps too much or one by who sleeps too little.

Verse 17

yuktāhāra-vihārasya
yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu
yukta-svapnāvabodhasya
yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā

For a person who is moderate in eating and recreation, balanced in work and regulated in sleeping and wakefulness, his practice of yoga destroys all material miseries.

Verse 18

yadā viniyataṁ cittam
ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate
nispṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo
yukta ity ucyate tadā

When the mind becomes completely controlled and firmly fixed on the self alone, free from the craving for all sense enjoyment, at that time, one is said to be connected in yoga.

Verse 19

yathā dīpo nivāta-stho
neṅgate sopamā smṛtā
yogino yata-cittasya
yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ

A lamp in a windless place does not flicker. The yogī who restrains his mind through communion with the self should be always aware of this metaphor.

Verse 20-25

Verse 26

yato yato niścalati
manaś cañcalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet

From whichever direction the restless and unsteady mind wanders to its various sense objects, it should be restrained and brought back firmly within the self alone.

Verse 27

praśānta-manasaṁ hy enaṁ
yoginaṁ sukham uttamam
upaiti śānta-rajasaṁ
brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam

Such a peaceful yogī, who sees everything in connection with the Supreme and who is free from dualities such as attachment, aversion and the mode of passion, attains supreme bliss in the form of self-realization.

Verse 28

Verse 29

sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ
sarva-bhūtāni cātmani
īkṣate yoga-yuktātmā
sarvatra sama-darśanaḥ

He who is absorbed in yoga perceives all beings with equal vision, sees the Self in all beings, and sees all beings situated in the Self.

Verse 30

yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra
sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati
tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi
sa ca me na praṇaśyati

For a person who sees Me in all beings and sees all beings in Me, I am never out of his vision and he is never out Mine.

Verse 31

sarva-bhūta-sthitaṁ yo māṁ
bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ
sarvathā vartamāno ’pi
sa yogī mayi vartate

That yogī who, with non-dual intelligence, worships Me, in whom all beings take shelter, and who is free from the perception of duality, both during the stage of practice (sādhana) and the stage of perfection (siddha), dwells exclusively in Me in all circumstances.

Verse 32

ātmaupamyena sarvatra
samaṁ paśyati yo ’rjuna
sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ
sa yogī paramo mataḥ

O Arjuna, he who, through self-realization, sees all living entities to be like himself and who considers their pleasure and pain to be his own is the best yogī. That is My opinion.

Verse 33

arjuna uvāca
yo ’yaṁ yogas tvayā proktaḥ
sāmyena madhusūdana
etasyāhaṁ na paśyāmi
cañcalatvāt sthitiṁ sthirām

Arjuna said: O Madhusūdana, in the yoga You have just described, which is based on equanimity towards everyone, everywhere, I cannot see any way to steady the mind due to its restless nature.

Verse 34

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva su-duṣkaram

O Kṛṣṇa, because the mind is by nature restless, powerful, obstinate and capable of completely overpowering the intelligence, body and senses, it seems as difficult to control as the wind.

Verse 35

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho
mano durnigrahaṁ calam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya
vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate

Śrī-Bhagavān said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, undoubtedly the mind is restless and most difficult to control, but by constant practice and renunciation, it can be checked.

Verse 36

asaṁyatātmanā yogo
duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā
śakyo ’vāptum upāyataḥ

It is very difficult for one whose mind is not controlled to achieve self-realization through this yoga system. However, a person who has brought his mind under control and who strives by the proper means of constant practice and renunciation can attain perfection in yoga. This is My opinion.

Verse 37

arjuna uvāca
ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto
yogāc calita-mānasaḥ
aprāpya yoga-saṁsiddhiṁ
kāṁ gatiṁ kṛṣṇa gacchati

Arjuna asked: O Kṛṣṇa, what is the destination of one who begins the yoga process with faith but later, due to an uncontrolled mind, falls from the path of yoga practice and thus fails to attain perfection?

Verse 38

kaccin nobhaya-vibhraṣṭaś
chinnābhram iva naśyati
apratiṣṭho mahā-bāho
vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi

O mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa, if a person falls from the processes of both karma and yoga and becomes deviated from the path of attaining spiritual realization, does he not perish like a riven cloud, with no shelter anywhere?

Verse 39

etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa
chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ
tvad-anyaḥ saṁśayasyāsya
chettā na hy upapadyate

O Kṛṣṇa, this is my doubt and You are most capable of dispelling it completely. Other than You, no one else can possibly remove this doubt.

Verse 40

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
pārtha naiveha nāmutra
vināśas tasya vidyate
na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid
durgatiṁ tāta gacchati

Śrī Bhagavān said: O Pārtha, such an unsuccessful yogī does not perish either in this world or the next because, My dear friend, a person who is engaged in auspicious acts never attains an unfavourable destination.

Verse 41

prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān
uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
yoga-bhraṣṭo ’bhijāyate

A person who deviates from the path of yoga after practising it for only a short time attains the planets of the pious, and after enjoying there for many years, he takes birth in a virtuous and wealthy family

Verse 42

atha vā yoginām eva
kule bhavati dhīmatām
etad dhi durlabha-taraṁ
loke janma yad īdṛśam

A person who deviates after practising yoga for a long time takes his birth in the home of yogīs who are endowed with great wisdom. Such a birth is undoubtedly very rare in this world.

Verse 43

tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ
labhate paurva-dehikam
yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ
saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana

O son of the Kurus, that unsuccessful yogī, through his connection with the Supersoul, regains the divine consciousness of his previous birth, and thereafter he again endeavours to attain complete perfection in yoga.

Verse 44

pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva
hriyate hy avaśo ’pi saḥ
jijñāsur api yogasya
śabda-brahmātivartate

By virtue of his previous practice, despite the presence of various impediments, he becomes forcefully attracted to the path of liberation. And even after a little enquiry about the practice of yoga, he surpasses the path of fruitive action (sakāma-karma) described in the Vedas.

Verse 45

Verse 46

tapasvibhyo ’dhiko yogī
jñānibhyo ’pi mato ’dhikaḥ
karmibhyaś cādhiko yogī
tasmād yogī bhavārjuna

The yogī, who worships Paramātmā, is considered superior to the ascetic, superior to the worshipper of the impersonal aspect of the Supreme, and superior to the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, be a yogī.

Verse 47

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yukta-tamo mataḥ

However, he who constantly performs bhajana of Me with full faith, his mind incessantly attached to Me, is in My opinion the topmost of all yogīs.

“Iti Srimad Bhagavad Gitasu Upanishatsu Brahma Vidyayaam Yogashastre, Sri Krsna Arjuna Samvāde Dhyāna Yoga Nāma Sashtodhyāyaha”