Chapter 6
Dhyāna-yoga
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- anāśrita karma-phal sei mukhya hay
- tāhā vinā sannyāsī ki yogī kichu nay
- karma-tyāg nahe mukhya karma-phal tyāg
- daihik ceṣṭā se tyāg nahe ta' samyak
- tāi se sannyāsī yogī samān ye kram
- karma-phal tyāg vinā dui sei bhram
Text 1: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no duty.
- asṁnyasta saṅkalpa vinā nahe yogī
- vāhye mātra kriyāhīn antare se bhogī
Text 2: What is called renunciation you should know to be the same as yoga, or linking oneself with the Supreme, O son of Pāṇḍu, for one can never become a yogī unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification.
- sab yog hay siddha karma se kāraṇ
- ārurukṣa muni sei śuna vivaraṇ
- yogete ārūḍha sei śamatā kāraṇ
- sādhaker krama panthā yogānusaraṇ
Text 3: For one who is a neophyte in the eightfold yoga system, work is said to be the means; and for one who is already elevated in yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means.
- indriyārtha yadā karma ācarita nay
- sarva saṅkalpa-śūnya sannyāsī se hay
- yogārūḍha se avasthā śāstrera nirṇay
- se avasthā mukta path karaha āśray
Text 4: A person is said to be elevated in yoga when, having renounced all material desires, he neither acts for sense gratification nor engages in fruitive activities.
- anāsakta viṣayete yathā karma dṛḍha
- saṁsāra se kūp hate nija ātmā kāḍa
- ātmāke uddhār karā ātmāra ucit
- ātmāke nāhi kabhu kara abasād
- ātmāi ātmār bandhu ātmāi se ripu
- ātmāra śatru ye hay hiraṇyakaśipu
Text 5: One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
- ye jan jinila nija man ātmajita
- se man ye bandhu tāhā śāstrete kathita
- ajita ye man sei man nija śatru
- apakārī hay sadā viruddha vipakṣa
Text 6: For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
- praśānta ye man sei sarvadāi jita
- ātmajita man paramātmā samāhita
- grīṣma śīt yata duḥkha mān apamān
- jita man yār tār sakali samān
Text 7: For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquility. To such a man happiness and distress, heat and cold, honour and dishonour are all the same.
- nija tṛpta sei man jñān vijñānete
- kūṭastha vijitendriya nijera kāryete
- sama loṣṭra svarṇa yār yukta hay yogī
- sakala avasthāte ye sarvadāi tyāgī
Text 8: A person is said to be established in self-realization and is called a yogī (or mystic) when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired knowledge and realization. Such a person is situated in transcendence and is self-controlled. He sees everything-whether it be pebbles, stones or gold-as the same.
- suhṛd mitra niṣpakṣa bandhu kimbā ari
- sakaler prati yini sama bhuddhi kari
- madhyastha kimbā sādhu ye pāpīyasī hay
- sakaler prati sāmya śreṣṭhatā prāpay
Text 9: A person is considered still further advanced when he regards honest well-wishers, affectionate benefactors, the neutral, mediators, the envious, friends and enemies, the pious and the sinners all with an equal mind.
- ye yogī satata thāki ekākī nirjane
- nirāśī aparigraha cittera yatane
- samādhistha haye thāke adhika samay
- vairāgī tāhār man vaśībhūta hay
Text 10: A transcendentalist should always engage his body, mind and self in relationship with the Supreme; he should live alone in a secluded place and should always carefully control his mind. He should be free from desires and feelings of possessiveness.
- pavitra sthānete basi nijāsan upare
- celājin vastra āsanādi paropare
- ati ucce nāhi base ati nīce nahe
- sthir man haye evā yogābhyāse rahe
- ekāgrataḥ man kari yata cittendriya
- yogābhyās kare muni viśuddha hṛday
Texts 11-12: To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should be neither too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogī should then sit on it very firmly and practice yoga to purify the heart by controlling his mind, senses and activities and fixing the mind on one point.
- deha śir grīvā tin samāna kariyā
- acala avasthā dhīr bhāvete basiyā
- nāsikār agra-bhāg satata dekhiyā
- anya yata dṛśya-vastu kichu nā dekhiyā
- praśāntātmā bhay nāi brahmacārī vrata
- saṁyamita man yevā āmātei rata
Texts 13-14: One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.
- se bhāve ye yoga sādhe niyata mānas
- sadātma sei yogī amṛta paraś
- nirvāṇ parama śānti hay adhikārī
- phire yāy mama dhāme yathā līlāhari
Text 15: Thus practising constant control of the body, mind and activities, the mystic transcendentalist, his mind regulated, attains to the kingdom of God (or the abode of Kṛṣṇa) by cessation of material existence.
- ati-bhojī anāhārī yoge siddha nay
- ati-nidrā ati-jāgī śuna dhanañjay
Text 16: There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogī, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.
- yukta-bhojī vihāra se yukta karma ceṣṭā
- yukta nidrā yukta jāgi yoga parāsṛṣtā
Text 17: He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practising the yoga system.
- yatātmā viniyata citta ātma-tuṣṭa
- nispṛha ye sarvakāme sei yoga-puṣṭa
Text 18: When the yogī, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence-devoid of all material desires-he is said to be well-established in yoga.
- yathā dīp vinā vāyu sthir bhāve thāke
- uttama upamā sei yogīra niṣṭhāke
Text 19: As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent self.
- yogīra se ātma-sthir yoga sādhanete
- yogātmana tār nām yog abhyāsete
- viṣay bhoger uparati yogīra pramāṇ
- niruddha se yog-sevā siddhira nidhān
- ātmārām yadā tuṣṭa ātmār darśane
- siddha sei yogī hay yogera sādhane
- satya ye sukh tāhā indriyatīta
- yev sei nāhi jāne asthira tattvataḥ
- ye sukh haile lābh sarva-lābh hay
- anya sab yata lābh kichu kāmya nay
- yāhāte haile sthita guru duḥkhe ati
- asthira nā hay thāke aṭala vicyuti
- yog sādhi se avasthā yadi labhya hay
- aṣṭāṅga yoger siddhi tāhāre kahay
Texts 20-23: In the stage of perfection called trance, or samādhi, one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness realized through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.
- utsāha dhairya ār nilaya ātmikā
- yog-siddhi lāgi chāḍi nirveda prāpikā
- saṅkalpa samasta dvārā nā haye kiñcit
- man dvārā indriyake kariyā vijit
Text 24: One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with determination and faith and not be deviated from the path. One should abandon, without exception, all material desires born of mental speculation and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind.
- krame krame uparām viṣaya bhogete
- ātmasthita man kari virāma cintāte
Text 25: Gradually, step by step, one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence sustained by full conviction, and thus the mind should be fixed on the self alone and should think of nothing else.
- asthira cañcal man yathā yathā dhāy
- ceṣṭā kari sei man vaśete rākhay
- ātmāra vaśete man sadāi rākhibe
- cañcal svabhāva tār śodhana karibe
Text 26: From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self.
- praśānta haile man sukh uttam yogīr
- śānta hay rajoguṇ niṣpāp śarīr
- niṣpāpa haile sei sattva guṇe sthita
- brahma-bhūta nām tār śuddha samāhita
Text 27: The yogi whose mind is fixed on Me verily attains the highest perfection of transcendental happiness. He is beyond the mode of passion, he realises his qualitative identity with the Supreme, and thus he is freed from all reactions to past deeds.
- vidhauta samasta pāp yogī akalmaṣa
- sukhe brahma saṁsparśa se kramaśa kramaśa
- brahma sukhe magna hay se yogī takhana
- prākṛta guṇādi tyaji brahma anubhava
- brahma sparśa kivā hay kemane tā jāni
- sarva-bhūta brahme darśan sarva brahma jāni
Text 28: Thus the self-controlled yogī, constantly engaged in yoga practice, becomes free from all material contamination and achieves the highest stage of perfect happiness in transcendental loving service to the Lord.
- sarvatra samān dṛṣṭi yog-yukta ātmā
- samādhistha sei yogī dekhe paramātmā
Text 29: A true yogī observes Me in all beings and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realised person sees Me, the same Supreme Lord, everywhere.
- se dekhe āmāre sab stāvara jaṅgame
- anya dṛṣṭi nāhi tār nirguṇa saṅgame
- se hay āmār premī āmi hai tār
- nīrasa śuknā tarka nahe vyavahār
Text 30: For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.
- sarva-bhūta-sthita dekhe sarvatra āmāre
- bhajane āsthita haye sevaye se more
- se yogī nikhila bhave sarvatra thākiyā
- āmāte vasaye nitya āmāre bhajiyā
Text 31: Such a yogī, who engages in the worshipful service of the Supersoul, knowing that I and the Supersoul are one, remains always in Me in all circumstances.
- vasudhā kuṭumba tār keha nahe par
- prākṛta vicāra nāi svpar apar
- nija sukha nija duḥkha anyete vyavahār
- sei se samānadarśī sarvatra pracār
Text 32: He is a perfect yogī who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress, O Arjuna!
- arjun kahilen:
- āpani ye yoga vārta kahilen āmāre
- he madhusūdan! tāhā nā sambhave more
- mor mana cañcala se asthira se mati
- ataeva bujhi āmi asambhava gati
Text 33: Arjuna said: O Madhusūdana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady.
- he kṛṣṇa jāna nā kivā pramāthī manere
- ati balavāna sei saba paṇḍa kare
- tāhāra nigraha māni ati suduṣkara
- vāyu rodha yathā hay atyanta prakhara
Text 34: The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- asaṁśaya sei kathā tumi yā kahile
- atyanta kaṭhina sei manera cañcale
- kintu yadi kare ceṣṭā śunaha kaunteya
- vairāgya sādhane tabe hay kārya śreya
Text 35: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.
- asaṁyata mana yār yog se duṣkar
- sei se āmāra mat bujaha bistar
- ātma-vaśi ceṣṭā kari ye kare upāy
- tāhāra se kārya siddhi jānaha niścay
Text 36: For one whose mind is unbridled, self-realization is difficult work. But he whose mind is controlled and who strives by appropriate means is assured of success. That is My opinion.
- arjun kahilen:
- ceṣṭā kariyāo yadi siddha nāhi hay
- he kṛṣṇa! bala tār ki āche upāy
- sādhyamata ceṣṭā kari vicalita hay
- aprāpya se yoga-siddhi tāhāra niścay
Text 37: Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, what is the destination of the unsuccessful transcendentalist, who in the beginning takes to the process of self-realization with faith but who later desists due to worldly-mindedness and thus does not attain perfection in mysticism?
- ubhaya bhraṣṭa chinnābhra mato sarvanāś
- vimūḍha brahmera pathe kivā tār āś
- mahāvāho! e saṁśaya karaha chedan
- ghucāo āpani sei manera vedan
Text 38: O mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa, does not such a man, who is bewildered from the path of transcendence, fall away from both spiritual and material success and perish like a riven cloud, with no position in any sphere?
- tumi kṛṣṇa se svayaṁ sab kichu jāna
- tumi vinā chettā kivā āche ār āna
Text 39: This is my doubt, O Kṛṣṇa, and I ask You to dispel it completely. But for You, no one is to be found who can destroy this doubt.
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- he pārtha! śunaha tumi se rūp tāhār
- ek-janme nahe siddha vipatti apār
- tāhār-o nāhi nās iha vā amutra
- kalyāṇa kārya ye sei vijaya sarvatra
Text 40: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Son of Pṛthā, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.
- yadivā haila bhraṣṭa yogera sādhane
- tathāpi se pāy sei yāhā puṇyavāne
- uttama brāhmaṇa dhanī vaṇikera ghare
- yogabhraṣṭa janma lay vidhira vicāre
Text 41: The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.
- athavā yogīra kule tār janma hay
- durlabha se saba janma kivā tār bhay
- se sab durlabha janma yadi keha pāy
- tārpar saṅga doṣe yadi nā bhramay
Text 42: Or (if unsuccessful after long practice of yoga) he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Certainly, such a birth is rare in this world.
- buddhira saṁyoge pūrva dehe ye sādhila
- he kurunandana jāna sei niścay-i bujhila
- tabe buddhimān kare puṇah yoger sādhan
- dṛḍha ceṣṭa kari yogī punaḥ siddha han
Text 43: On taking such a birth, he revives the divine consciousness of his previous life, and he again tries to make further progress in order to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru.
- svābhāvik bhāve sei icchāra udyam
- ākṛṣṭa haiyā kare se kārye udyam
- jijñāsu yadi vā hay yogera viṣay
- tathāpi se karmakāṇḍa atīta taray
Text 44: By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attracted to the yogic principles—even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures.
- yatna-mātra kari yogī kārya siddhi kare
- janma-janmāntare siddha bhavārṇava tare
Text 45: And when the yogī engages himself with sincere endeavour in making further progress, being washed of all contaminations, then ultimately, achieving perfection after many, many births of practice, he attains the supreme goal.
- tapasvī se yata āche, saba-nimna yogī kāche,
- jñānī nahe tār samatulya
- karmīra ki kathā ār, kothāy tulanā tār,
- he arjun! yogī hao yogya
Text 46: A yogī is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogī.
- yata yogī prakāra se śāstrete nirṇay
- tār madhye mad-gata-prāṇ yevā keha hay
- sabāra se śreṣṭha yogī jāniha niścay
- śraddhāvān yadi sei āmāre bhajay
Text 47: And of all the yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me-he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
- bhaktivedānta kahe śrī-gītāra gān
- śune yadi śuddha bhakta kṛṣṇagata-prāṇ::
Thus Bhaktivedānta sings the song of Śrī Gītā, with the hope that hearing this, Kṛṣṇa conscious pure devotees will be pleased.