Introduction: Gita Chapter 6: Dhyāna Yoga—The Path of Meditation. This chapter reveals the secret of controlling the restless mind and the lower self through disciplined practice and detachment. It guides the seeker to find the ultimate peace within the Atman (Soul) and achieve union with the Supreme Divine.
6:1 — śrī-bhagavān uvāca anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ sa saṁnyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnir na cākriyaḥ
The Blessed Lord said: “One who performs their duty without depending on the fruits of action is a true Saṁnyāsī (renunciant) and a true Yogī; not the one who merely refrains from lighting the sacrificial fire or performing physical work.”
6:2 yaṁ saṁnyāsam iti prāhur yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava na hy asaṁnyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana
“Know, O Arjuna, that what is called renunciation is actually Yoga; for no one can truly become a Yogī without renouncing the desires for sensory gratification and worldly expectations.”
6:3 ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ karma kāraṇam ucyate yogārūḍhasya tasyaiya śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate
“For a seeker who desires to reach the height of Yoga, selfless action is said to be the means. But for one who has already attained the summit of Yoga, tranquility and the cessation of all material activity are said to be the means.”
6:4 yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasv anuṣajjate sarva-saṅkalpa-saṁnyāsī yogārūḍhas tadocyate
“A person is said to have attained the summit of Yoga when they are no longer attached to sensory objects or to the fruits of their actions, having renounced all worldly desires and plans.”
6:5 uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
“Elevate the self by the Self, and do not let the self be degraded. For the Self is the friend of the self, and the self is also the enemy of the self.”
6:6 bandhur ātmātmanas tasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ anātmanas tu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatru-vat
“The Self is a friend to one who has conquered the lower self (ego and senses); but for one who has failed to do so, the self remains as the greatest enemy, acting in hostility like a foe.”
6:7 jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
“For one who has conquered the self and attained tranquility, the Paramātmā (Supreme Soul) is always present within. Such a person remains steady in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor.”
6:8 jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ yukta ity ucyate yogī sama-loṣṭāśma-kāñcanaḥ
“A Yogī who is satisfied with both knowledge and realization, who is steady and has mastered the senses, is said to be united. To such a person, a clod of earth, a stone, and gold are all of equal value.”
6:9 suhṛn-mitrāry-udāsīna-madhyastha-dveṣya-bandhuṣu sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu sama-buddhir viśiṣyate
“One is considered even more advanced who regards with an equal mind all people—whether they are well-wishers, friends, enemies, neutral parties, mediators, the envious, kinsmen, the virtuous, or the sinful.”
6:10 yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ ekākī yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ
“A Yogī should constantly practice concentration of the mind, dwelling in solitude and in a secluded place. Being alone, having controlled both mind and self, and being free from worldly desires and the sense of possession.”
6:11-12 śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ cailājina-kuśottaram tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātmā-viśuddhaye
“In a clean place, one should establish a firm and steady seat for oneself; neither too high nor too low. Sitting there, focusing the mind on a single point and controlling the activities of the mind and senses, one should practice Yoga for the sole purpose of self-purification.”
6:13-14 samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalaṁ sthiraḥ saṁprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśaś cānavalokayan praśāntātmā vigata-bhīr brahmacāri-vrate sthitaḥ manaḥ saṁyamya mac-citto yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ
“One should hold the body, head, and neck erect, steady, and motionless; gazing steadily at the tip of the nose without looking around. With a serene and fearless mind, firm in the vow of Brahmacarya (continence), one should meditate on Me, keeping the mind focused and making Me the ultimate goal.”
6:15 yuñjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī niyata-mānasaḥ śāntiṁ nirvāṇa-paramāṁ mat-saṁsthām adhigacchati
“By constantly practicing such discipline of the mind, a Yogī with a controlled mind attains the Supreme Peace—the Nirvāṇa that exists within Me.”
6:16 nāty-aśnatas tu yogo’sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ na cāti-svapna-śīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna
“O Arjuna, Yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who eats too little; it is not for one who sleeps too much, nor for one who stays awake all night.”
6:17 yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā
“For one who is moderate in eating and recreation; regulated in performing actions; and balanced in sleep and wakefulness—Yoga becomes the destroyer of all sorrows and miseries.”
6:18 yadā viniyataṁ cittam ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate niḥspṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo yukta ity ucyate tadā
“When the disciplined mind is perfectly established in the Atman (Self) alone—freed from all worldly desires and longings—at that moment, one is said to have attained the summit of Yoga.”
6:19 yathā dīpo nivāta-stho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā yogino yata-cittasya yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ
“As a lamp placed in a windless spot does not flicker, so is the disciplined mind of a Yogī who is absorbed in meditation on the Self. This is the traditional analogy for one who has mastered the mind.”
6:20-22 yatroparamate cittaṁ niruddhaṁ yoga-sevayā yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyann ātmani tuṣyati
“In that state, when the mind is stilled by the practice of Yoga, one beholds the Self through the self and finds total satisfaction within. One experiences that boundless, transcendental happiness which is grasped only by the higher intellect, beyond the reach of the senses. Once established there, the seeker never deviates from the Truth.”
“Having gained this state, one realizes there is no greater gain. Thus established, one is not shaken even by the heaviest of sorrows.”
6:23 taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam sa niścayena yoktavyo yogo’nirviṇṇa-cetasā
“Let this state of complete separation from the association with pain be known as Yoga. This Yoga must be practiced with firm determination and an undaunted heart.”
6:24-25 saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ viniyamya samantataḥ śanaiḥ śanair uparamed buddhyā dhṛti-gṛhītayā ātma-saṁsthaṁ manaḥ kṛtvā na kiñcid api cintayet
“By completely abandoning all worldly desires born of the imagination (Saṅkalpa), and by restraining the entire group of senses through the mind from all sides; one should gradually attain tranquility. With an intellect held by firm resolve, and the mind fixed solely on the Atman, one should think of nothing else.”
6:26 yato yato niścarati manaś cañcalam asthiram tatas tato niyamyaitad ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet
“From wherever the restless and unsteady mind wanders, one should surely restrain it and bring it back under the control of the Atman (Self) alone.”
6:27 praśānta-manasaṁ hy enaṁ yoginaṁ sukham uttamam upaiti śānta-rajasaṁ brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam
“Supreme happiness comes to the Yogī whose mind is perfectly tranquil, whose passions are quieted, who is free from sin, and who has attained the state of Brahman (Oneness with the Supreme).”
6:28 yuñjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī vigata-kalmaṣaḥ
sukhena brahma-saṁsparśam atyantaṁ sukham aśnute
“Always engaging the self in this manner, the Yogī who is freed from all stains of sin easily experiences the boundless bliss of contact with the Supreme.”
6:29 sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni cātmani īkṣate yoga-yuktātmā sarvatra sama-darśanaḥ
“A true Yogī, united in Yoga, sees the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self. Such a person possesses the Vision of Equality (Sama-darśanaḥ) everywhere.”
6:30 yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati
“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost to them, nor are they ever lost to Me.”
6:31 sarva-bhūta-sthitaṁ yo māṁ bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ
sarvathā vartamāno’pi sa yogī mayi vartate
“The Yogī who, established in unity, worships Me as dwelling in all beings, lives in Me in whatever way they may act.”
6:32 ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśyati yo’rjuna
sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ
“One who, by comparison with oneself, sees the same pleasure and pain in all others, is considered a perfect Yogī, O Arjuna.”
6:33 — arjuna uvāca yo’yaṁ yogas tvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana etasyāhaṁ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitiṁ sthirām
Arjuna said: “O Kṛṣṇa, the system of Yoga You have described—the Yoga of Equanimity—seems impractical and unattainable to me, because the mind is so restless and unsteady.”
6:34 cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva su-duṣkaram
“The mind is indeed restless, O Kṛṣṇa; it is turbulent, strong, and stubborn. To curb it, I think, is as difficult as controlling the wind.”
6:35 — śrī-bhagavān uvāca asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ calam abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
The Blessed Lord said: “Without a doubt, O mighty-armed one, the mind is restless and difficult to restrain. But it can be conquered, O son of Kuntī, through constant practice (Abhyāsa) and detachment (Vairāgya).”
6:36 asaṁyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyo’vāptum upāyataḥ
“For one whose mind is not controlled, self-realization is difficult to achieve. But for one whose mind is mastered and who strives by right means, it is attainable. This is My opinion.”
6:37 — arjuna uvāca ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto yogāc calita-mānasaḥ aprāpya yoga-saṁsiddhiṁ kāṁ gatiṁ kṛṣṇa gacchati
Arjuna asked: “O Kṛṣṇa, what is the fate of one who possesses faith but lacks sufficient self-control—whose mind wanders away from Yoga and fails to attain the summit of perfection? What becomes of them?”
6:38 kaccin nobhaya-vibhraṣṭaś chinnābhram iva naśyati
apratiṣṭho mahā-bāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi
“Does such a person, fallen from both spiritual and material paths, perish like a scattered cloud, with no foundation and deluded on the path to Brahman?”
6:39 etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ
tvad-anyaḥ saṁśayasyāsya chettā na hy upapadyate
“O Kṛṣṇa, I ask You to dispel this doubt of mine completely; for there is no one else but You who can truly remove it.”
6:40 — śrī-bhagavān uvāca pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati
The Blessed Lord said: “O Arjuna, such a seeker of the Good never meets with destruction, either in this world or the next. Truly, My friend, no one who does good ever comes to a bad end.“
6:41 prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo’bhijāyate
“Having attained the worlds of the righteous and dwelt there for countless years, the unsuccessful Yogī is reborn into a home of the pure and prosperous.”
6:42 atha vā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām
etad dhi durlabhataraṁ loke janma yad īdṛśam
“Or, they are reborn into a family of wise Yogīs—though such a birth in this world is very rare indeed.”
6:43 tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ labhate paurva-dehikam yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana
“In that birth, they regain the spiritual consciousness from their previous life, and from that point, they strive even more for perfection, O son of the Kurus.”
6:44 pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva hriyate hy avaśo’pi saḥ
jijñāsur api yogasya śabda-brahmātivartate
“By virtue of their previous practice, they are drawn to the path of Yoga almost instinctively. Even a seeker who merely desires to know Yoga transcends the ritualistic scripts of the Vedas.”
6:45 prayatnād yatamānas tu yogī saṁśuddha-kilbiṣaḥ
aneka-janma-saṁsiddhas tato yāti parāṁ gatim
“The Yogī who strives with great effort, purified of all sins and perfected through many births, finally attains the Supreme Goal.”
6:46 tapasvibhyo’dhiko yogī jñānibhyo’pi mato’dhikaḥ karmibhyas cādhiko yogī tasmād yogī bhavārjuna
“A Yogī is superior to the ascetic (Tapasvī), superior to the scholar (Jñānī), and superior to the ritualist (Karmī). Therefore, O Arjuna, become a Yogī!“
6:47 yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
“And of all Yogīs, the one who dwells in Me with full faith and worships Me within their inner self—that person is considered by Me to be the most intimately united with Me.”
Thus ends the Sixth Conversation of the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6.
“May all beings be well, may all beings be at peace, may all beings attain perfection, and may all beings experience divine glory.”
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