CHAPTER6- DHYANAYOGA
YOGA OF MEDITATION
1. anaaSrithaH karmaphalam kaaryam karma karothi yaH
sa sanyaasee cha yogee cha na niragniH na cha akriyah
One who performs the actions that have to be done without attachment to the fruit of action , he alone is the sannyasi and also a yogi and not the one who simply gives up the ritual of fire or action.
Sannyasi is the one who follows the path of knowledge and the yogi here means karmayogi who follows the path of action. For a sannyasi there are no rituals and no obligatory karma. But sannyasa means mental renunciation of the worldly desires and not physical giving up of activities while mentally dwelling upon them in which case he will be a pseudo sannyasi as Krishna Himself will elaborate in a later chapter.
On the other hand the one who does all his actions without attachment to the fruit and giving up the sense of agency, that is, a karmayogi, is both a yogi and a sannyasi as sannyasa consists in giving up attachment and yoga is giving up the sense of agency.
2. yam sannyaasam ithi praahuH yogam tham vidDhi paandava
na hi asannyastha sankalpah yogee bhavathi kaScnana
Hence what is commonly known as sannyasa is also the yoga. For one who has mentally not renounced the wishful thinking, there can be no yoga.
Sankalpa is the thoughts that propel the action. A karmayogi who has given up the sense of agency has no desire-motivated actions and all he does is an offering to the Lord. Hence there is no sankalpa which creates the feeling `I am doing.' When there is sankalpa, the will to act because of desire for fruit, it brings vikalpa or misconception due to ego-centric desires. This is the maya, called chitthavrtthi jaala. The net made up of the thread of thoughts that bind the man.
Karmayoga is normally prescribed to the householder who has to discharge his duties which are obligatory in his stage of life. But by the same process he can scale the height of the yoga of meditation. The karma done without attachment giving up the fruit therein purifies the mind preparing him for the practice of dhyanayoga, Yoga of meditation. He is commended by Krishna as being the yogi and a sanyasi at the same time. Renunciation, sannyaasa, means giving up and he who does it is a sannyaasi. Yoga is the concentration of mind and he who has it is a yogi. So by merely giving up rituals and obligatory duties does not make one a sannyasi or a yogi. The rejection of the agency, the feeling that `I am the doer' is common to both yoga and sannyasa. Hence Krishna says that without mental renunciation yoga is not possible.
3.aarurukshoH muneH yogam karmaakaranam uchyathe
yogaarooDasaya thasyaiva kshamaH kaaranam uchyatathe
For the one who wishes to climb to the state of being established in yoga, action is the means of attaining it. When he has reached that stage, tranquility is the means
The state of yoga is the same as that of sThithaprajna outlined in the second chapter when one gets the samathvabudDhi. Then his mind becomes calm without any disturbances what so ever. This is the state of yogaarooDa. It could be reached only by nishkamakarma. Hence for the one who wishes to reach there should be doing karma without attachment, which is karmayoga, referred to as karma in this sloka as the term yoga denotes the final stage of yogarooDa. When he becomes yogaarooDa the tranquility of mind born out of the renunciation of desire and sensual pleasures leads him to the final state of self-realisation.
The word muni means the one whose thoughts are always centered round the supreme self. mananaath muniH, manana meaning contemplation. The word mouna, silence is derived from muni because the mind of a muni is still without thought-disturbances and hence he remains silent, being devoid of sankalpa. There is nothing to be achieved by him by speech or willful action as denoted in the third chapter by the sloka, `naivakinchith krthenaarTho naakrthenaeha kaSchana.' (3.18) This is the state of yogarooDa. But how to know that one has reached that stage? This is explained by the next sloka.
4.yadhaa hi na indhriyaarTheshu na karmasu anushajjathe
sarvasankalpa sannyaasee yogaarooDah thadhochyathe
When one is not attached to the sense objects nor to the actions and has given up all thoughts of desire then he is said to have climbed to the state of yoga.
By practicing karma yoga, the aaruruksha, one striving for yoga, becomes free from desires and desire-motivated activities. When there is no desire, the attachment for sense objects becomes extinct. Still it is possible to get attached to the action itself born out of the sense of agency as a result of the ego that creates the feeling of "I" and "mine.' Renunciation of this is denoted by the term sarvasankalpasannyaasee. The desires for sensual pleasure no more distract him and he is free from the attachment of the result of actions and also of actions as such. Then one has reached the state of yogaarooDa.
Involvement and dedication to action need not necessarily be followed by attachment. One feels that he is placed in particular circumstances for performing the particular action by the will of the Lord and simply executes his duty to the best of his ability as the service of the Lord. Any action sacred or secular done with the spirit of sacrifice and as an offering is karma yoga because it is free from attachment. Compared with a person working with self interest the karmayogi is able to do a better job and it brings success even though he may not be expecting it. The practical method of attaining the state of yoga is being outlined in the subsequent part of this chapter.
5. udDhareth aathmanaa aathmaanam na aathmaanam avasaaDhayeth
aathmaa eva aathmano banDhuh aatmaa eva ripuH aathmanah
One should elevate himself by his own self and should not allow it to go down. The self only is the friend of oneself and the self alone is the foe of oneself.
When the peak is reached self is lifted up by itself. No external aid can help in elevating oneself which includes the learning of sasthras . All the external means to meditation like study of sasthras, japa , chanting and others can only help in purifying our internal equipment to make us ready to concentrate. But to attain yoga and subsequent liberation one has to transcend the body mind and intellect, the latter termed as the inner equipment, and identify with one's self. This could be achieved only through Self alone. This is what has been implied by udhdhareth aathmanaathmaanam. The diffidence that whether this could be done is dispelled by the words ` naathmaanam avasaadhayeth, elevate the Self and not push it down,' which means `do not give up.' Self alone is the friend, aathma here meaning the inner self , the self alone becomes the enemy. Here the word self means not the aathma but the mind and intellect.
6. banDhuH aathmma aathmaanH thasya yena aathmaa aathmanaa jithaH
anaathmanasthu Sathruthve varthetha aathma eva Sathruvath
The self is the friend of oneself if has controlled himself by the self. But to one who has not done so the self remains hostile like an enemy.
In interpreting the words like yoga, aathma and other similar ones having a generally understood meaning , one must be careful and construe their meaning according to the context in which they are mentioned. Many distorted versions are only due to the failure of doing so or deliberate misinterpretation. To the one who has controlled himself, the Self , aathman, becomes a friend because he identifies himself with his Self and not with his body, mind and intellect, which constitute non-self. On the other hand if he identifies himself with his non-self it prevents him from realizing his Self and he becomes the enemy of himself... Here the self which becomes his enemy is not the inner self but his internal equipment consisting of body, mind an intellect.
7.jithaathmanah praSaanthasya paramaathmaa samaahithaH
SeethoshNasukhadhuhkheshu thaThaa maanaapamaanayoH
The Self of one, who has controlled himself and is serene, remains, always settled in situations of heat and cold, of joy and sorrow.
Jithaathmaa is one who has controlled his self, meaning his individual self, jeevathmaa, comprising of body, mind and intellect, (the Athman or the Suprenme self, the paramathman is not meant)
Hence as a result of this he remains praSaantha, calm.
Param aathmaa samaahithaH- His real self , aathman , is referred to as param aathman to distinguish it from the jeevaathma. His Self is integrated in Brahman in all the situations like that of heat and cold, joy and sorrow.
The experience of heat and cold belongs to the body and felt through the indhriyas. When the mind attaches itself to the indhriyas the sensations give rise to joy or sorrow. The idea of honour and disgrace, maana and apamaana pertain to the thought that is the intellect.
The one whose thoughts are centered in Brahman does not identify himself with body, mind and intellect and hence the opposites of heat and cold, joy and sorrow and honour and disgrace do not affect him.
8. jnaanavijaanathrpthaathmaa kootasTho vijithendhriyaH
yuktha ithuchyathe yogee samloshtaaSmakaanchanaH
The yogi who is contented with knowledge and wisdom and has full control of his senses is said to be integrated in yoga and remains immutable like the anvil, treating the potsherd, stone and gold equally.
. The sage who is detached from the body and mind through jnana and vijnana is not affected by anything that happens to him and hence he is kutastha, immutable and unshakable like the anvil of the ironsmith which , even though repeatedly hit does not undergo any change like the piece of iron that is placed on it, which alone changes in shape, being red-hot. The Self is called kutastha as is unaffected by the changes in the body, mind and intellect which are like red-hot iron, full of raga. (raga means colour especially red, signifying rajas.) So the one who has identified with the Self remains unaffected by the changes which pertain only to body, mind and intellect.
Such a yuktha, treats a potsherd, a stone and gold equally. Potsherd is something that is of no use and no one cares to pick it up. Stone is not so and could be used for various purposes by various people. Gold is desired by all. But to an yogi of integrated intellect, who dwells in Brahman always, all things are the same , denoted by the word samaloshtaaSma kaanchana. He experiences the joy of the Supreme Self, compared to which everything else is like the potsherd only.
This samathva or attitude of equality of all things extends also towards all people. This is explained in the next sloka.
9. suhrth mithraari udhaaseena maDhyastha dveshyabanDhushu
saaDhushvapi cha paapeshu samabudDhiH viSishyathe
The yogi who has equanimity towards a well-wisher, friend, enemy, the indifferent, the neutral, those who hate and the relatives and also towards the good and the sinners, excels.
In the chapter two, sloka 48, Krishna said `samathvam yoga uchyathe.' Yoga is equanimity. This is denoted by samabudDhi here. Krishna was going to elaborate on the practice of the yoga of meditation for which the requisites have been described in the foregoing slokas. After saying that one must have the same attitude towards the opposites and remain calm under all circumstances, now the concept is extended to include the nonchalance towards all, friend and foe.
A suhrd is one who does good without expecting anything in return. While mithra is one who befriends for a purpose. Ari is an enemy or adversary and udhaaseena is an indifferent person. Madhyastha is a mediator, dhveshya is one who hates you and bandhu is a relation. In short he treats all alike without having likes and dislikes. It is interesting to note that the words mithra and ari are juxtaposed with one another and so are the words dhveshya and bandhu. This implies that the pairs are interchangeable. A mithra who is friendly for some specific purpose can become an ari , an adversary when the purpose is not fulfilled. Similarly a bandhu will soon become dhveshya. One who shows bitterness or hatred towards you is often a relative as we see around us in this world. As these characteristics belong to the non-self, the yogi, who is united with his Self is not bothered about it. He ignores the container and sees only the content
So long Krishna has been elaborating on the state of yogaarooda, the one who has scaled the heights of meditation. Now He starts to give the guidelines to reach that state, namely the discipline to be followed by a aarurukshu, one who is desirous of reaching that state.
10. yogee yunjeetha sathatham aathmaanam rahasi sThithah
ekaakee yathachitthaathmaa niraaSeeH aparigrahaH
The yogi who wishes to reach the state of yogaarooda described above, he should always fix his mind on the Self, retiring to a secluded spot alone, controlling his mind and intellect, giving up all desires and possessions.
One who wishes to meditate should keep himself secluded as meditation is not possible in a crowd. He should be alone, ekaakee. Nowadays group meditation has become popular and this may appear to be a bit out of place but the words rahasi sthithah and ekaakee are used to indicate that the meditation should be done in a place and time as to have no disturbance or interruptions. That is why in those days the sages retired to the forest to do thapas. The state of yathachitthaathma , control of mind and intellect will come only when one becomes niraaSeeh, free from desire and aparigraha, not attached to possessions. Otherwise his mind will be full of desire for things he wants to acquire and anxiety for his possessions. To renounce the world and to become a sannyasin is no guarantee that one will be niraaSee and aprigraha. The story goes that when Janaka was listening to the upadesa of his guru, he was told that his palace was on fire. He never moved from his place because being a true karmayogi he thought that nothing belonged to him but the hermits who were with him ran to rescue their meager possessions of cloth and water pot etc. This does not mean that Janaka was failing in his duty as a protector but it shows that having done his duty well he was sure that everything would be done without his presence or concern. Individually he was not worried about his possessions which he considered to be not his in reality.
But simply by retiring to a secluded place will one be able to meditate. This is a common misconception. When we try to insist the importance of persistent contemplation of God to develop bhakthi we often hear people say “How can we think of God all the time living in the world pressed by our family commitments? It may be possible if we are allowed to go to a secluded spot away from family atmosphere." What they do not understand is that even if they go to Himalayas they take their thoughts with them. This is what exactly Krishna told Arjuna in the eighteen chapters of the Gita when he wanted to go away from the battlefield. Then what should an aspirant do? The answer is given in the next line ' yatha chitthaathmaa niraaseeh aparigrahah
One who wishes to scale the heights of meditation should be yathachitthaathmaa, self-controlled, niraasee, without desire and aparigrahah, without possessions. This does not mean renouncing the world physically but mentally, like King Janaka., by giving up clinging attachments to worldly pleasures and possessions.
11. Suchou dheSe prathishTaapya sThiram aasnam aathmanaH
na athyucChritham na athineecham chailaajinakuSottharam
He should place himself in a pure spot, in affirm seat neither too high nor too low and covered with cloth, deer skin and dharbha grass.
Next Krishna elaborates on the physical aids to meditation. The spot must be clean, conducive to spirituality, the seat must be firm to reduce anxiety and covered with kusa grass, a hide and a cloth in that order. To avoid the roughness of the seat deer skin is spread on it and dharbha grass is to preserve the skin. The cloth on the skin prevents the hairs on the skin from sticking on the body.
The seat should not be very high or very low. That is , one should not sit on a cliff or under the ground. This again is to ensure safety.If one sits in a high seat or on a cliff he may fall down if he happens to doze! In a low seat like underground he may be disturbed by insects or water.
These conditions have to be understood in the context of the period of Gita and should not be confused with the modern times. The point stressed here is that the seat on which you meditate must be comfortable and secure just enough to enable you to concentrate.
12. thathra ekaagram manaH krthvaa yathachitthendhriyakriyaH
upaviSya aasane yunjyaath yogam aathmaviSudDhaye
There he should practice yoga, with mind single-pointed, with his senses and mind controlled, seated on the seat , for the sake of purifying himself.
Seated thus one should withdraw his mind from the outside world and concentrate on the supreme for purification of his inner equipment. Are there any other conditions to practice yoga other than choosing the proper seat? This is explained in the next sloka.
13. samam kaayaSirogreevam Dhaarayan achalam sThiram
samprekshya naasikagram svam dhiSaSchaa anavlokayan
Keeping his body, head and neck straight, holding himself motionless and steady, seeing the tip of his nose not looking in other directions.
This sloka is translated as 'holding the body, head and neck evenly and steadily, the resolute yogin fixes his gaze on the tip of his nose, not looking around.' This instruction is not given so as to make the meditator develop a squint or stiff-back! It only means that one should not be distracted by body movement or by outward objects. Fixing the gaze at the tip of the nose signifies the position of the half-closed eyes as being kept open one will be tempted to look around and closing them may induce him to sleep!
13. praSaanthaathmaa vigathabheeH brahmacaarivrathe sThithaH
manaH samyamya macChitthah yuktha aaseetha
mathparaH
With his mind calm, free of fear, following abstinence, with his thoughts centered on Me by restraining his mind , he should meditate on Me.
Such a yogi becomes calm in mind, praSaanthaathma, free of fear, vigathabheeH, because he sees Brahman everywhere and in his self as fear come only from something other than us. We do not fear ourselves. To control of mind manassamyama come from his brahmacharyavratha, which does not mean celibacy but control of desire. Then he is able to turn his mind on the Lord, macChitthaH and becomes engrossed in Him, mathparaH . Then he is yuktha, integrated in yoga.
14.yunjan evam sadhaathmaanam yogee niyathamaanasaH
Saanthim nirvaNaparamaam mathsamsThaam
aDhigacChathi
Ever applying himself in this state of contemplation, the yogi, whose mind is restrained, attains the highest state of supreme peace that abides in Me.
With tranquillized inner sense and indriyas under control the yogi should direct his thoughts on the Supreme Reality. Thus he gets peace which will culminate in emancipation, nirvana.
16. na athyaSnathsthu yogo asthi na cha ekaantham anaSnathaH
na cha athisvapnaSeelasya jaagratho naiva cha arjuna
There can be no yoga possible for an overeater or for one who starves: or for one who oversleeps or the one who never sleeps.
Krishna warns against overdoing the practice of yoga as well as taking it too easy. One who eats in excess will not be able to meditate because the moment he sits down to do it he will feel sleepy and lethargic. On the other hand if one eats little or starves, eating not enough to keep him active and energetic, he will be overcome with fatigue. Similarly one who sleeps too much will cultivate thamas instead of satthva which is needed to control his mind and concentrate. But one who sacrifices his sleep in order to pursue yoga in earnest will not have the strength to do so.
Indulgence in eating has got a wider meaning of indulgence in all sensual enjoyments. As the senses are awake during the time one is not engaged in meditation, the sensual experience must be moderate and conducive to his spiritual uplift. One who strives for yoga should eat the saathvik food and avoid rajasik and thamasik as they will either excite or create indolence. Krishna elaborates on the type of food in a later chapter. Regarding other sense experiences, one should hear, contact, smell and see only what is good for his spiritual progress. In short those sensations which will increase satthva and reduce rajas and thamas. Karmayogi who works with detachment is not tempted by the latter kind of sensual experiences. This comes easily to a devotee as he does everything as the service of the Lord as Kulaekara azvar puts it in a sloka in Mukundamala thus.
`Oh tongue, sing about Kesava., the slayer of Mura. Oh mind, think of SreeDhara. Two hands, you worship Him , Two ears, you hear the stories about Achyutha. Oh eyes, look at Krishna. Pair of feet, you go to the temple of Hari. Oh nose, you smell the tulsi leaves from the feet of Mukundha. Oh head, bow down to ADhokshaja.'
When all the senses are thus engaged in the service of the Lord they will cease to be attracted by the worldly sensual pleasures. This reminds one, of the KuraL of the famous Tamil sage Thiruvalluvar, who has given to the world maxims with deep meaning in short sentences.
Pattruga pattrattrAn pattrinai appattrai pattruga pattru vidarku.
It means that in order to relinquish the attachment of the world one has to develop attachment towards the Lord. If we want to give up something it is easier to do so by shifting our attachment to something else which is more desirable.
This calls to the mind an episode in the life of Sri Ramanuja. There was a man in Srirangam who had a beautiful wife and he was much enamoured with her and use to spread an umbrella on her head to shield her from the Sun much to the ridicule of others. Ramanuja saw him and took pity on him and asked him what is that he found so attractive in his wife. He replied that she had beautiful eyes. Ramanuja told him that if he finds a pair of eyes more attractive will he switch his devotion to that. When the man asked who has more beautiful eyes, Ramanuja took him inside the temple of Ranganatha and showed him the Lord and asked him has he ever seen a pair of more beautiful eyes. Due to past merit, and due to the grace of the acharya, the man along with his wife became a great devotee of the Lord and great disciples of Ramanuja, renouncing all that he had. This illustrates well the KuraL quoted above.
17. yukthaahaaravihaarasya yuktha cheshtasya karmasu
yukthasvanaavaboDDhasya yogo bhavathi duhkhahaa
The yoga becomes destroyer of sorrows for him who is moderate in eating and in relaxation and in all his actions and in sleep and waking.
Hence one should be wise in all his activities and should eat enough to sustain himself and not indulge in food to satisfy his palate. He should also have enough sleep to give his body proper rest and in all activities be moderate and should not overdo work, taking enough time for relaxation and rest.
We could understand about moderation in food. But how to define moderation is sleep and work? The sasthra prescribes about six hours sleep in the middle part of the night, that is for two yamas, keeping awake in the first and last yama. But this varies according to the individual requirements of the yogi.
The moderation in work means to do the work as karmayoga and not get addicted to work. This addiction is called overwork and those who are addicts to work are workaholics. This occurs because of ego that one is indispensable and the attitude that "I am doing,' and `I alone can do it' etc. No one is indispensable in this world. All actions are by the will of God and is responsibility to take care of all. Man out of ego thinks that he or his work is important. Detachment should permeate not only to possessions and relations but also to the work. A karmayogi does his work as the offering to God and hence he does it well. But he is not anxious about the result., which he knows is not in his control.
18. yadhaa viniyatham chittham athmaani eva avathishTathe
nissprhaH sarvakaamebhyo yuktha ithi uchyathe thadhaa
When the mind, controlled rests on the Self, being free from desires and attachments then one is said to be yuktha, one who is integrated in yoga.
The state described by yuktha is no different from that of sThithaprajna, explained in the second chapter but here we have a more detailed account of an integrated mind, referred to in the second chapter. When is a mind said to be established in the self, `aathmani eva avathishTathe'? When it is controlled , yadhaa viniyatham, How this is achieved? When the mind is free from desires and attachments, nissprhaH sarvakaamebhyaH.
But against the common misconception that one should never have any desire, Vedanta is not against desires as even to attain liberation is a desire and to see and sing about and serve the Lord as a prelude to this is also a desire. But Vedanta is against the clinging to the desire only, which is termed as sanga in second chapter in the sloka 62 `Dhyaayatho vishyaan pumsaH--.' Desire is only a thought like saying "I like this girl." But when it turns out to be sanga , attachment due to dwelling upon the object of desire to the exclusion of everything else it becomes an obstacle to spiritual progress. This of course refers to the early stages because when one attains the final state of a sTithaprajna he becomes free from likes and dislikes and entirely free from desire of any sort. Why this happens is explained in sloka20.
19 yaThaa dheepo nivathastho nengathe sopamaasmrthaa
yogino yatha chitthasya yunjathe yogam aathmanaH
The mind of the yogi who practices meditation is compared to a flame of a lamp which does not flicker in a place devoid of wind.
In the absence of wind there is no movement of the flame of a lamp. Thoughts occur in the mind constantly, each one being replaced by the next, hence the mind is termed as fickle. This can be very well experimented when we sit down to do japa or when a student sits down to study. Thoughts which we never knew we had will crowd the mind at that time! What we should do to steady the mind then is to direct it towards the object of our devotion. When there is no wind, the flame of the lamp burns steadily upwards. So too the mind of a yogi is turned upwards without thought disturbances.
In the next four slokas we have a complete description of the state of yoga.
20.yathra uparamathe chittham nirudDham yogasevayaa
yathra caiva aathmanaa aathmaanam paSyan aathmani
thushyathi
Where the mind is at rest, controlled by the practice of yoga and where one, seeing the Self by himself revels in the Self,
The reason why the one with integrated mind is free from desires and attachment is that he is enjoying, uparamathe chittham, the supreme bliss of the absolute, aathmani thushyathi, by seeing the Self in himself aathmanaa aathmaanam paSyan. What is this bliss? As explained earlier it is the absolute bliss not dependant on external objects. Joy from external objects is short lived and the same object brings unhappiness according to the time and circumstances. This is because it is not the object but the mind which creates happiness or unhappiness. In the state of yoga the mind is still, resulting happiness is pure uncontaminated bliss.
21. sukham aathyanthikam yath thath budDhihgraahyam atheendhriyam
vetthi yathra na chaiva ayam sThithaH chalathithatthvathaH
Where one knows that supreme happiness, which can be understood by the intellect but could not be experienced by the senses , where he does not swerve from that state being established therein,
The bliss of Brahman is highest,, aathyanthikam, comprehensible through intellect, budDhigraahyam, but could not be experienced by the senses, athhendhriyam. The bliss of the Self realization will be experienced only when one transcends the body , mind and intellect and therefore it is not grasped by sense organs. When the ego is also absent, what remains is the pure self. As the ego is the creator of objective experiences the subjective nature of bliss cannot be experienced by the ego. But this could be understood by the intellect. When we are in deep sleep all that we experience on waking up is a sensation of peace and joy. But in deep sleep the senses, mind and intellect and even the ego do not exist because we never experienced anything then. What really existed then was the Self alone but we were not aware of it due to the ignorance that covers the cognition of Self. This we could understand through intellect but not through experience till that state of yoga is reached when the body , mind and intellect are transcended. To denote that it is different from the joys of the world, Krishna says, yathra sThithaH na chalathi thatthvathaH, once the state of bliss is experienced the yogi does not slip back.
If it is not an objective experience why should one strive to attain that. The answer is given in the next sloka.
22.yam labDhvaa cha aparam laabham manyathe na aDhikaH thathaH
yasmin sThithaH na duhkhena guruNaa api vichaalyathe
Attaining which one does not consider any other gain more than that and staying in which state he is not moved even by the greatest grief,
When it is said that the yogi once experienced the bliss never slips back the possible doubt that may arise is that whether the sorrows of the world would not affect him anymore? No, says Krishna. After gaining that beyond which there is no more to be gained, the yogi is not affected even by greatest sorrow. He has reached the stage, duhkheshvanudhvignamanaah sukheshu vigathasprhaH, (sloka-56-chapter2)
23.tham vidhyaath duhkhasamyogaviyogam yoga samjnitham
sa niSchayena yokthavyo yogo anirviNNachethasaa
Know that to be the yoga which separates one from the association with grief. This yoga must be practiced with a firm mind free from despondency.
This yoga , is termed as duhkhasamyogaviyoga yoga,' disjunction from the conjunction with duhkha ,by Krishna. He further says that this yoga has to be practised with a mind not dejected, `anirvinnachethasaa.'
The purpose of yoga is to free oneself from the ills of samsara and from the cycle of births and deaths because even the joys of samsara are felt as duhkhayonayaH, source of sorrow. So the contact with everything in the world is duhkhasamyoga, contact with sorrow. The yoga outlined above is the cure for samsara and hence it is called duhkha samyoga viyoga , the disjunction of the conjunction with sorrow.
This yoga must be followed with firm conviction, niSchyena and without dejection or despondency. Firm conviction comes out of the decision that this is the way of salvation and anirviNna chethas , the mind without despondency is emphasized because the yoga could not come to completion if the mind is dejected at the failure to progress as one wished. In other words it should be faithfully followed.
24. sankalpaprabhavaan kaamaan thyakthvaa sarvaan
aSeshathaH
manasaa eva indhriyagraamam viniyamya samanthathaH
Relinquishing all desires born out of the mind completely, controlling the senses by the mind in all respects,
The natural rejoinder to this would be " How can I practise this?" Krishna anticipates this and answers it Himself. First one has to give up all desires, sarvaan kaamaan thyakthvaa, born of thoughts, sanlkalpaprabhavaan, by controlling the senses with the mind on, manasaa indhriyagraamam samyamya all sides, samanthathaH
A desire gets strengthened only when the mind runs behind it. That is why it is said that the senses should be controlled by the mind. As explained earlier sankalpa is the seat of desire. The path of desire is described thus. First comes sprhaa, eagerness which creates icCha, wish which turns in to thrshNa, longing and once enjoyed the vasana or impression of the experience which is the cause of attachment follows. So here it is said that one should give up all desires rising out of the thought on them as made out in the sloka `Dhyaayatho vishyaan.' (2.62)
25.SanaiH SanaiH uparameth budDhyaa Dhrthigrheethayaa
aathmasamsTham manaH krthvaa na kimchidhapi
chinthayeth
Slowly one should detach himself with the intellect in firm grasp, with mind fixed on the Self, without having any thoughts.
Slowly and gradually, sanaih sanaih, the mind should be trained to concentrate on Brahman . It is easily said than done. True, says Krishna, but you have to withdraw the mind from wherever it wanders. The nature of the mind is that if you control it in one direction it runs in another. So draw back the mind persistently when it runs from one object to the other.
It is not possible to turn the mind away from the worldly desires and attachment in s single attempt due to the accumulated vasanas of several lives. To do it forcibly will only result in disaster as the mind at the next available opportunity will run after them with redoubled vigour. It is something like those following a vratha abstaining from drink for the period specified. When the period of austerity is over they indulge in drink with double fold enthusiasm. Hence it should not be forced but slowly and gradually the mind should be turned away from the worldly attachments. The more one gets involved in spiritual studies and association with the spiritually minded, the better will be the mind control. In sitting down to meditation first it will be possible to control the mind only for few minutes and then gradually the period will increase until one comes to a stage where he is able to concentrate on the divine the moment he sits down for it.
26. yatho yatho niScharathi manah chanchalam asThiram
thatho thatho niyamaya ethath aathmani eva vaSam nayeth
The mind should be restrained and directed towards the Self, pulling the fickle and restless mind from wherever it wanders.
Usually we find that when you sit down to japa, for instance before you chant the name, say, Rama, the mind wanders to the Raman next door and by the time it has dwelt on his history and qualities past and present and you become aware of its wanderings you would come to the end of your japa. So, says Krishna, "Withdraw the mind the moment it wanders and concentrate on the Self and again when it starts to run, bring it back." Restraining the mind thus it finally does your bidding. It is suggested that you fix your gaze at some symbol or form for few minutes and then close your eyes and try t see the same inside
27.praSaanthamanasam hyenam yoginam sukham utthamam
upaithi Saantha rajasam brahmabhootham akalmasham
The greatest bliss comes to the yogi, whose mind is at peace, who has subdued the rajas, who is free from defects and who is established in Brahman.
praSaanthamanasam- refers to the one who has given up desires through discrimination, viveka and detachment, vairagya.
Saantharajasam- one who has given up all activities that increase rajas, that is, desire-motivated activities.
kalmasham- defects born out of thamas like lethargy, delusion and evil tendencies which induce one to commit sin. Akalmasham refers to one who has given up thamasik activities and tendencies.
Brahmabhootham- means the yogi who has dispelled rajas and thamas and established in sativa but not yet attained the final bliss of Brahman. It is gained only through persistent contemplation mentioned in the next sloka
28. yunjan evam sadhaathmaanam yogee vigatha kalmashaH
sukhena brahmasamsparSam athyantham sukham aSnuthe
Thus the yogi who is engrossed in the Self always, from whom all impurities are removed, gets this greatest Bliss through the contact with Brahman.
As explained in the sloka 25 the mind is trained to think of nothing but Brahman always, sadhaa aathmaanam yunjan, because the yogi identifies himself with the Self only and not with body, mind and intellect. Vigatha kalamashah is the same as akalmashaH in the last sloka.
When the mind is free from the defects due to rajas and thamas, the intellect is established in pure satva and it becomes easy then to contemplate on the Brahman. The Brahman experience resulting from this is the BrahmasamsparSa. Then there is unlimited bliss of Brahman.
How to define this bliss of Brahman? The upanishat says,
Yo vai bhoomaa thath sukham na alpe sukham asthi' bhoomaa eva sukham ; bhoomaathveva vijijnaasithavyam (Chandogya.7.23.1)
Whichever is the highest that alone is the bliss. There is no happiness in that which is trivial. The highest alone is bliss and one should try to cognize that alone.
What is bhoomaa, the highest? The upanishat explains,
yathra na anyath paSyathi, na anyath SrNothi, na anyath vijaanaathi, sa bhoomaa.(chandogya-7.24.1)
Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, knows nothing else, that is bhoomaa, the highest.
Yathra anyath paSyathi anyath SrNothi anyath vijaanaathi thath alpam. yo vai bhoomaa thath amrtham yath alpam thath marthyam (chandogya-7.24.1)
Where one is aware of, hears, and sees something else it is alpam, trivial. Bhoomaa is immortal and alpam is mortal.
What this conveys is that, whatever joy one experiences in this world it is always impermanent as we are aware of other things at the same time which mars the enjoyment. Any acquisition of the object of desire is sooner or later brings fear, anxiety and uncertainty in its wake. This is due to the difficulties experienced in protecting and maintaining what we have. So it is called alpam, trivial and mortal, marthyam, because the desire motivated activities resulting in the joy of the worldly things only creates karma which causes birth and death.
On the other hand the bliss of Brahman is called bhoomaa, the highest, because in that state one is not aware of anything else except the unlimited joy and it is amrtham, immortal because there is no return to mortality from that.
The scriptures have also given an estimate of the bliss of Brahman in order that it may be understood by the intellect. In Brhadhaaranyaka upanishat we have a passage describing the bliss of Brahman. (brhd.4.3.33)
If one could imagine an individual who has youth, money, power, family, land, health, fame and honour, he is the happiest of men and it is the highest joy of this world. Hundred times this is the joy in the pithrloka. In gandhrvaloka the joy is hundred times that of the pthrs. Hundred times this is the happiness of those who have become devas by their merit and the happiness of the born-devas is hundred times more than these devas by merit. In the prajapathi loka one gets hundred times more joy than that of the devas. The bliss of Brahman is hundred times more than that of the prajapathis. But in fact this bliss of Brahman cannot be measured at all as anything that can be measured becomes limited and the bliss of Brahman is unlimited.
The yogi who is integrated in yoga sees himself in all beings and all beings in himself and thus has the perception of the same everywhere.
The effects of yoga are outlined in these slokas. The one who has identified himself with the Self, not only sees himself as the Self but also the others. In fact there is no such concept as `others,' as everything is nothing but Brahman. As all the ornaments are nothing but gold to a goldsmith, to the yogi who has had the perception of Brahman, everything is only Brahman. Hence he sees himself in all and all in himself.
29.sarvabhoothasThamaathmaanamsarvabhoothaanichaatmani
eekshathe yogayukthaathmaa sarvathra samadharSanaH
30. yo maam paSyathi sarvathra sarvam cha mayi paSyathi
thasyaaham na praNaSyaami sa cha me na praNaSyathi
One who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me, I never perish (cease to exist) in him nor he perishes in Me.
`Isavasyam idham sarvam,' says the upanishat. The whole universe is the Lord Himself. Everything came from Him and he is the inner soul of all and hence everything is the Lord Himself , the contained and the container. The teacups may be of different forms, colour and shapes but the tea is the same. Similarly the real Self in all is the Lord and the devotee-yogi sees Him in everything everywhere. But the example should not be taken too literally as the cup and the tea are two different things and exist in the relationship of the container and the contained while the Lord is both.
Nammazvar says, `uNnum soru o paruguneer tinnum vettrilaiyum ellaam kaNNan emperumaan,' the food, the water and betel leaves taken after food, everything is the Lord. Not only the sentient but also the insentient is perceived as the Lord by the devotee who is established in bhakthiyoga.
In such a devotee the Lord always exists and he exists in the Lord. That is, there is no more separation. In truth there was never a separation and the ignorance deluded us into believing that we are different from the Self and from others. It is like a king's son who got lost and believed himself to be a poor beggar but when he was made aware of his real identity he finds that he was always the son of the king. The bliss of Brahman described above is the rightful inheritance of every one but like the king's son we were led to believe that we were the imperfect beings caught in samsara. Upanishads give various examples to illustrate this. When one sees the Lord every thing and everything in the Lord this realization never goes away as it is the real truth and not delusion like believing ourselves to be finite beings subjected to sufferings of the world.
This idea is expressed in the Upanishads thus:
Dhvaa suparNaa sayujaa sakhaayaa
Samaanam vrksham parishasvajaathe
thayoH ekaH pippalam svaadhu atthi
anaSnan anyaH parichaakaSeethi (Mundaka Up.)
Two birds who were always together and friendly, occupies the same tree. One of them eats sour and sweet fruits in the tree whole the other simply observes not eating anything.
These two birds are the jeevathma and paramathma. The jeeva identifying itself with the body, mind and intellect experiences the sorrow and joy of the world which are denoted by the sour and sweet fruits of the world. The Paramathma or supreme self is not affected by the world and looks on as the witness. The jeeva personified as the bird eating the fruits of the tree is further described in the upanishat as rising slowly towards the top and going near the other bird it realizes that they were not two but one. That is , the jeeva realizes that it is only the Self and not the body. This beautiful metaphor conveys exactly what has been described as the effect of the yoga in the above sloka.
31. sarvabhoothasThitham yo maam bajathi ekathvam aasThithah
sarvaThaa varthamaano api sa yogee mayi varthathe
That yogi who is established in the view of oneness, worships Me , he exists in Me wherever he is.
This sloka answers the question whether a yogi who sees the Lord everywhere will lapse back into activity or not. When he has attained the perception of oneness, worships the Lord everywhere but he continues in this world doing everything as before but with a different attitude, as the service of the Lord. What ever he does is for lokakshema as explained earlier. So in all his activities which may appear normal, he dwells in the Lord.
This sloka implies that one need not retreat to the forest to become a yogi but could realize the self from wherever he is if he is able to give up his desires and attachment and become engrossed in the divine.
32. aatmoupamyena sarvathra samam paSyathi yo arjuna
sukham vaa yadhi vaa duhkham sa yogee paramo mathaH
One who sees the likeness of athman everywhere and hence everything equally, pleasure or pain, that yogi is the highest.
To such a yogi as described in the foregoing slokas, who sees the Self everywhere and attained equanimity, the sThthaprajna, both pleasure and pain are the same since they do not affect him.
One whose mind is established in Brahman is always in bliss whether he is in meditation or engaged in worldly pursuits whether he is in company or alone. Such a yogi who looks on all as his own Self is deemed the highest.
Arjuna uvaacha
Arjuna said
33. yo ayam yogaH thvayaa prokthaH saamyena maDhusoodhana
ethasya aham na paSyaami chanchalathvaath sThithim sThiraam
This yoga of equanimity which you taught Krishna, I am not able to see its stability because of the fickleness (of the mind.)
34.chanchalam hi manaH krshNa pramaaTHi balavath dhrDam
thasya aham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudhushkaram
The mind, Krishna, is fickle, agitated, strong and obstinate. Controlling it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.
Krishna has been talking about the state of yogaarooda which is rather difficult to understand by the uninitiated and Arjuna was like us and to him it is next to impossible to control the mind and bring it to the state of one-pointedness. The mind, he says, is very unsteady, turbulent, obstinate and powerful. Therefore the control of the mind is as difficult as controlling the wind, which is to say that it is impossible.
We are under the control of the mind and not vice versa. So like Arjuna we feel that it is next to impossible to control our mind. But even in everyday life without any spiritual pursuit one has to exercise certain amount of control mentally, orally and physically in order to live a happy and peaceful life. As our speech and action are only the external manifestation of our thoughts the reins of control must be applied to our mind before the thoughts get transferred into words or action. This is what has been emphasized in the second chapter of the Gita by 'dhyaayatho vishayaan pumsah---'(BG2-62,63.)
There are three adjectives applied to the mind. pramaaThee, agitated, balavath, strong and dhrDam, firm or obstinate. When mind gets attached to a thing, it becomes turbulent, pramaaThee swayed by the emotions of kaama and krodha etc. It also becomes strong, balavat, in its attachment and it is not easy to detach it from the object of desire. When we try to do it the mind shows its obstinacy, dhrDathva, by justifying its action. There are so many reasons the mind can supply for remaining attached. The man of the world says, "why should I give up the pleasures of the world for something which I do not know about and who will take care of my family and possessions if I give them up?"
One thing should be understood clearly. Detachment does not necessitate running away from the world to the forest which is what Arjuna wanted to do, but due to attachment and not detachment. The real detachment vairagya consists in change of attitude and not change of circumstances. This detachment from the world comes only with the knowledge that all the pleasures and possessions are not the source of permanent happiness.
The word KrshNa means eternal bliss. Krshi refers to the earth and the `Na'kaara stands for nivrtthi , bliss through emancipation. Krshna also means one who attracts. Karshati ithi. To detach from one thing is possible only by attaching ourselves to something higher as explained earlier. So when mind gets attached to the Lord, the other attractions which are termed as alpa in the upanishat are given up to attain the happiness that is bhoomaa.
35.asamSayam mahaabaahoo manam dhurnigraham chalam
abhyaasena thu kountheya vairaagyeNa cha grhyathe
Oh Great armed one, of course the mind is difficult to grasp and fickle. But it can be empowered by practice and detachment.
36. asamyathaathmanaa yogo dhushpraapa ithi me mathiH
vaSyaathmanaa thu yathathaa Sakyo avaapthumupaayathaH
Yoga is not possible for one who has no self control. But by the one who has controlled himself and tries, it is possible.
Do not despair, says Krishna, in the oft -quoted and one of the most important slokas of the Gita. Of course the mind is fickle and uncontrollable. But it can be controlled by abhyasa and vairagya. Dispassion, vairagya comes from renouncing the desires of the world as mentioned in an earlier sloka 'sankalpaprabhavaan kaamaan—` and the abhyasa consists in withdrawing the mind slowly and gradually on each and every occasion when it plays truant, as made out in the earlier sloka 'yatho yatho nischarathi--.'
In the beginning of the 6th chapter of the Gita it is said 'aarurukshormuneryogam karma kaaranam uchyathe.' In the beginning, to renounce the desires, karmayoga is practised. To do action without attachment to the fruit results in the removal of desire. When the agency is given up and all actions are done as the work of the Lord, one feels that he is the instrument in His hands.
In the modern times it is fitting to give the analogy of a computer to explain karmayoga. The computer does the work it is programmed for though very efficiently, more or less like a sentient being, yet it is only an instrument. Similarly we are programmed according to our karma and if we do our work efficiently without attachment to the fruit like the computer, which has no desire of its own, we will be the instrument of God through which His grace flows.
When the desires are removed one gets detachment, vairagya and the mind is no more agitated and become the slave of the yogi . But till one achieves this, constant practice, abhyaasa is essential. The phrase 'vairagyena cha,' is significant because no amount of practice will be fruitful without detachment. Only because of the absence of vairagya the mind is dhurnigraha and chala. Therefore Yoga is not possible without controlling the mind but can be achieved easily by one who ceaselessly tries with his mind under control.
Vairgya and abhyasa are like the two hands of the tongs of self control. One gets strengthens with the other.
Abhyasa means continuous application of mind on the Self by the method described earlier in this chapter. One way of doing it is to relate whatever one experiences, with the Divine as in the song, `kaakaicchiraginilE nandhalala,' where the poet Subrmanyabharathi associates everything he sees with the Lord. the black colour of the crow, the green trees etc. This attitude has been described beautifully by the azvars in their compositions on the nayaka- nayajki bhava of devotion.
This requires incessant contemplation of the divine by sravana, hearing about the divine manifestations and manana, ruminating on what is heard and nidhidhyaasana, deep contemplation and assimilating the divine thoughts.
The association with the saintly souls helps. The mind will be peaceful in the company of the good and spiritually inclined. It is difficult to control the mind in the company of evil. To get rid of raga and dvesha one must live in the atmosphere of the good vibrations.
Nowadays there is a sad tendency of people to involve themselves too much with the emotions and violence of the make- belief world, I mean the TV serials. If one watches the episodes displaying violent and negative emotions all day long the mind will accumulate more rubbish than it already has. The samsara is duhkha as it is, but why should you create an illusory samasara to add to the burden of our sorrow!
Vairagya detachment can be gained by the knowledge that all the pleasures and possessions of this world are temporary and end in grief. Man knows this and sees it happening all around Still it is the desire which prevents him from seeing the truth. Recently we saw that the millionaires were virtually on the streets due to the earthquake in Gujarath. This is what Sankara means by saying `harathi nimeshaath kaalaH sarvam,' the time carries away everything in a moment including our life. Yodhishtira was asked by the yaksha what was the most wonderful thing in the world and he said that men see people dying everyday but still he thinks not about his own death. This is greatest wonder.
Patanjali in his yoga suthra defines vairagya thus:
Dhrshtaanusravika vishayavithrshNasya vaSeekaara samjnaa vairagyam
.
Giving up all the desires of things of this world and the next is vairagya. Desire of the next world is not the desire of moksha but the desire for attaining heaven etc., which also belong to the world of their own. Hence desire-motivated karma, kaamya karma, like performance of yajna, vrata and other austerities for the sake of enjoyment in the next life or in the life after death is also to be avoided. Gita says later that one who attains other worlds due to his merit gained in this world also returns here only after the merit is exhausted. `ksheeNe puNye marthyalokam viSanhi.'
With this knowledge gained through studies of scriptures and of the lives of the holy men, one gets vairagya. Then he gets the supreme vairagya knowing that everything is Brahman and to attain that stage is the ultimate joy. Patanjali terms it as thathparam purushakhyaatheH guna vaithrshnyam. Knowledge and experience of Brahman can be gained by transcending the gunas of prakrthi, as detailed by Krishna in the earlier chapters.
Thus if abhyasa is the current of the river that takes the mind towards Brahman, vairagya is the dam that prevents the mind from running around towards the worldly desires.
In sloka 36, we find the declaration that by one who has controlled the mind and tries, yoga becomes attainable. vaSyaathmanaa thu yathathaa. There may be a doubt as to why the word yathathaa is used here. Vasyaathmaanaa refers to the one who has controlled his mind. But that is not the end. When the mind is completely in his power and ready to do his bidding, the yogi should make repeated efforts to unite the mind with the divine. This is possible only when he employs his mind all the time in contemplation of the Divine. If we want to meditate on the Lord for half an hour everyday, we should engage our mind in the thought of Him for the rest of 23 and a half hours. If we allow the mind to run around all through the day it will not come to rest when we sit on meditation. Like a dog which seems to be well controlled as long as it is on the leash but runs away to the garbage heap as soon as it is let off the mind can be treacherous and must always be kept on the leash of vairagya.
Arjunauvaacha ---Arjuna said
37. ayathih SradDhayopethaH yogaath chalithamaanasaH
apraapya yogasamsidDhim kaam gathim krshna gacChathi
What will be the fate of one. Krishna, who cannot control himself though possessed of faith and his mind thus wanders away from yoga?
38.kaschith na ubhayavibhrashtaH Chinnaabhram iva naSyathi
aprathishTo mahabaho vimooDaH brahmaNaH paThi
Fallen from both, (karma and yoga) is he lost like a cloud broken by wind, swerving from the path to Brahman deluded and supportless?
39.ethath me samSayam krshNa Chetthum arhasi aSeshathaH
thvadhanyaH samSayasya asya chetthaa nahyupapadhyathe
This is my doubt, Krishna , and I find no one else more competent enough to clear this and hence you must dispel this doubt completely.
Now Arjuna comes out with another question. Suppose an aspirant starts meditation with full faith and tries to control his mind unsuccessfully and before he accomplishes it his life is cut short. What will be the fate of such a person? Should he start his spiritual practice from the beginning in his next life? Or is he lost like a torn cloud deprived of both, the Self realisation and the heavenly enjoyment which he would have if he had proceeded in the karma marga, meaning kamyakarma?
A seeker striving for the bliss of Brahman has to forego the joys of the world by controlling his mind and also has to give up the desires of heaven etc. Thus he tries for achievement of yoga but finds it difficult to control his mind. He has the faith in the scriptural teachings and in the final goal of eternal bliss. But he is not able to achieve full mind control and his life ends. Hence he had lost the joys of this world and the next and also had not attained the bliss of Brahman. What will be the fate of such a yogi who has swerved from his path and dies? Will his efforts be in vain? This is the pertinent question of Arjuna.
Vyasa the poet compares the state of such yoga bhrashta to the cloud scattered by winds.
Sree Bhagavan uvaacha- The Lord said,
40. paarTha naiveha naamuthra vinaaSasthasya vidhyathe
na hi kalyanakrtha kaSchith dhurgathim thaatha gacChathi
Oh Arjuna, neither in this world not in the next such a soul gets lost. No one who does good perishes.
Here Krishna as the Supreme Self gives the assurance, that none who strives for self redemption ever comes to harm. The what happens to a yogabhrashta, one who has strayed from the path of Self realisation and meets his end of life? The answer is given in the next sloka.
The above statement is one of the assurances contained in the Gita like `Kountheya prasthijaneehi na m bhakthaH praNasyathi,' (ch.9.31), `ananyaaschithaantho maam,'(ch.9.22) etc. This statement holds good generally for all who do good, whether it is worship, or dhana, giving to and helping others, any austerities and even mentally indulging in such activities. Nothing good done goes waste. This is not a matter of faith alone but could be scientifically verified by the Newton.s laws of motion that says, every action has an equivalent and opposite reaction. Action is karma which creates future karma in the form of results to be experienced.. Good karma brings good results. Since thinking is also karma, good thoughts create good vibrations which come back to us redoubled. If even the desire motivated karma produces good result, the spiritual karma would definitely bring only good result, in this life or the next. This is explained in the following slokas.
41.praapya puNyakrtho lokaan ushithvaa SaasvatheeH samaaH
Sucheenaam Sreemathaam gehe yogabhrashto abhijaayathe
After attaining the meritorious worlds and staying there for considerable time the one who has swerved from his yoga is born in the house of pure-hearted and prosperous.
The man who has slipped from yoga goes to the meritorious worlds and stays there for long time and then takes birth in a home of a householder who conform to vedic ordinances and who is affluent. There, due to poorvajanma vaasanas he is drawn towards yoga and when the obstructing vasanaas are weakened he pursues the yogic path.
One should remember that the term yogabhrashta applies not to the one who after practicing yoga a little, lapses back to sensuous life, not able to control his mind, but to the one who practises till the end but unsuccessfully, or is not able to fix his mind at the last moments of his life due to the strong vasnas which overpower him at the time of death.
Any individual who is born in an affluent family of pious and honest people but has no interest in worldly pleasures is an example of this kind of yogabhrashta. Even in kaliyuga we have had many examples like the acahryas and saints and saint composers like the Trinity of carnatic music etc.
42.aThavaa yoginaam eva kule bhavathi Dheemathaam
ethath hi dhurlabhatharam loke janma yath eedhrsam
Or he is born in the family of yogis with wisdom. But it is very rare to get such birth in this world.
43. thathra tham budDhisamyogam labhathe pourvadhehikam
yathathe sa thatho bhooyaH samsidDhou kurunandhana
There he gets the perfection of the intellect from where left of in the previous birth and strives again hard to attain salvation.
Depending upon the state up to which he has advanced in yoga he perhaps gets birth in the family of wise yogins though it is rare because this happens only to a near perfect yogin like Jadabharatha who are very rare.
Being born in the family of yogis he acquires memory of ideas accumulated in his previous birth and strives harder to reach perfection.
The idea is that one need not lose courage and confidence as to whether he will be able to achieve perfection in this life. Whatever we do comes to our aid sooner or later and we start from where we left. This is because the spiritual vasanaas once acquired never perish and even when one slips back they always come to him at the right time as in the case of Ajamila, who was trained for spiritual life but was tempted to the evil life of lust and crime, but got the wisdom at the right time through the grace of the Lord. So the right time to start is now!
44. poorvaabhyaasena thenaiva hriyathe hyavaSopi saH
jijnaasurapi yogasya sabdhabrahma athivarthathe
Due to the practice earlier he gets the yoga without conscious effort. Even one who is desirous of practicing yoga transcends, sabdhabrahma, the world of sensual experiences and of the vedic rituals performed for the sake of result.
This sloka refers to the one who is yogabhrashta and born in the home of fortunate and pure, Sucheenaam Sreemathaam gehe. To him affluence dose not offer any temptation and his mind is fixed in yoga by nature, like king Janaka. Here Krishna, to confirm the statement that none who strives for self redemption ever comes to harm, says that also one who has the desire to know the yoga even before he progresses in practising it transcends the sabdha brahma. The term sabDha brahma refers the world of sensual experience, the sabdha or sound representing all senses. Sabdha brahma also refers to the word of the Vedas referring to the ritualistic portion of the Vedas which prescribes performing yajna etc. for attaining the desired fruit.
45. pryathnaath yathamaansthu yogee samSudDDhakilbishaH
anekajanmasamsidDhaH thatho yaathi paraam gathim
But the yogi who consciously practises yoga perfected from several births, purified from sins attains the highest goal.
The yogi who has perfected his yoga more or less but dies without attaining the goal is born in the family of yogis and there in the conducive atmosphere he easily attains the goal of yoga, the highest status, paraamgathim, that is moksha. He has already done the preliminaries in the previous births necessary in the previous births and is ready for the completion of yoga. His sins being washed off , jnaananirDhootha kalmashaaH,(ch.5.17) already his mind and intellect pure, the realization dawns like the sun , theshaam aadhithyavath jnaanam prakaaSayathi thath param,(CH.5-16) as soon as he starts yoga in this birth. Then he attains the final state from where there is no more returning to samsara. gacchanthi apunaraavrtthim (ch.5.17)
46. thapasvibhyo aDhiko yogee jnaanibhyoapi matho aDhikaH
karmibhyaH cha aDhiko yogee thasmaath yogee bhava arjuna
The yogi so far described above is superior to those who follow austerities, who pursue knowledge and those who follow the karmamarga. Therefore Arjuna . be a yogi.
There are many disciplines prescribed for spiritual progress. Following austerities is called thapas, like controlling the mind and body and concentrating on an ideal with the purpose of attaining something , either in this world or the next. Visvamithra was the classical example of this kind of thapasvee.
Acquiring knowledge of Brahman by the study of scriptures is another and one who does that is referred to here as jnani, and the term jnana should not be confused with brahmajnana which is the result of only the direct experience of Brahman. The one who has the latter is termed as jnani in the next chapter in sloka `chathurviDhaabajanthe maam,' where Krishna mentions four kinds of persons who resort to Him, aarthee, arThaaThee , jinjnaasu and jnani. The word jnani in this sloka denotes jijnaasu, one with the thirst for knowledge.
The thapasvee mentioned above can be classified as the arThaarThee, one who practice austerities for result and the karmi can come under aarthee, as he is dissatisfied with his lot and wants to better himself.
The term karmi, means those who follow the injunctions of the karmakanda for satisfying various desires in this world and the next and for the mitigation of ills of the world and perform the rituals prescribed in the karmakanda of the Vedas.
Then who is the yogi specified here? It is the one who , by the path of jnanayoga, karmayoga or bhakthiyoga, has cleansed his inner equipment and contemplates on the divine with equanimity and detachment and who in due course become qualified for experiencing Brahman.
As explained in this chapter earlier, yoga of meditation is not possible for one who has not given up all worldly desires and controlled his mind fully. Then there is a single thought of divinity in his mind and he alone attains the final goal of self-realisation.
Granting that the yogi has single-pointed concentration, what should be his object of contemplation? This is answered in the next sloka.
47.yoginaam api sarveshaam madhgathena antharathmanaa
SrdDhaavaan bhajathe yo maam sa Me yukthathamo mathaH
Of all the yogis the one whose mind and intellect is engrossed in Me, one who contemplates on Me with faith is integrated in yoga, in My opinion.
madhgathena antharaathmanaa, when the inner equipment, antharaathman, consisting of mind and intellect is absorbed in the Lord,
Sraddhaavaan- one who has full faith that this is the path of salvation as made out by the scriptures.
bhajathe maam- one who worships Me The root `bhaj' has many meanings one of them being `to adore.' It is in this sense the word is used here and not in the common meaning of worship with flowers or singing etc.
As explained earlier in the chapter to detach the mind from the lower, one has to attach it to the higher. There is nothing higher than the Lord Himself and when all thoughts are centered on Him all the worldly shackles fall off and yoga becomes as obvious as the fruit on hand. The perfect example of this yoga are the gopis of Brindavan. Their entire thoughts, emotions and their senses were completely immersed in Krishna. Hence they attained the supreme state very easily, which even the sages strive hard to reach,. They stand as the definition of the word yoga described by Patanjali in his yogasuthra.
Krishna says that such a yogi is in his opinion is yukthathama, most integrated in yoga..
The Gita is traditionally divided into three parts, 1. First six chapters, 2. chapters 7to 12 and 3.chapters 13 to 18, the whole gita being the elucidation of the mahavakya, thath thvam asi, `that thou art.' The first six chapters denote the meaning of thvam, the individual soul, the next six describe the thath, the nature of Brahman, the absolute reality and the last six with asi, elaborating on how the individual soul becomes united with the supreme self.
According to visishtadvaita , it can be taken to mean the three reals, isvara, jeeva and jagath, the first part explaining the nature of jiva , the second , of the Lord, Isvara and the last is about the jagath, world.
The three sections of Gita are also believed to represent the three themes of the philosophy of Visishtadvaita , namely, thathva, hitha and purusharTha, that is, what is the reality, how to attain it and the benefits on attaining it.
But in reality it is difficult to segregate the chapters of Gita like this because all these principles permeate through all the chapters. Hence the Gita should be read as one whole, poornam, without parts, as the Lord Himself.