bhagavad-giitaa adhyaaya 6 (English)

This chapter starts with a continuation of the previous explanations of yoga and of a person who has attained yoga. Kr's'n'a continues to explain how a yogii should behave and how he should view the world. Thereafter, Kr's'n'a explains a way of meditation where one should sit in a certain way and meditate. This form of meditation might be suitable for a few people, but as Kr's'n'a also explains later on, it is not suitable for everybody. Kr's'n'a also explains that there is no yoga for someone who eats too much or too little, or who sleeps too much or too little. This means that if someone mistakenly thinks that in order to be a yogii, he must eat as little as possible and sleep as little as possible, he is just as wrong as if he would think that in order to be a yogii, he must eat and sleep as much as possible. Unfortunately, such mistaken opinions are not uncommon. Kr's'n'a also speaks about the advanced forms of meditation where one doesn't allow one's thoughts to wander, but focuses one's thoughts on the Supreme. When Arjuna points out that the mind is very difficult to control, Kr's'n'a agrees but says that it is possible by steady practice. At the end, Arjuna asks an important question about the fate of someone who starts his practice of yoga, but then fails to succeed. Kr's'n'a reassures him that such a person takes his next birth in a pious family where he can continue his practice of yoga. This means that the idea, that someone who fails will go to a hellish existence, contradicts Kr's'n'a's teachings in the Bhagavad-giitaa. People who put forth such ideas in the name of Vaishnavism are simply cheaters who should be avoided. In the last verse, Kr's'n'a says that of all yogiis, one who worships Kr's'n'a is the most united. The Sanskrit word for "worship" in this verse has the same verb root as the word bhakti. Thus, it is indicated that bhakti-yogiis are the most united ones.

Next adhyaaya

Â:iB:g:v:an:Øv:ac: An:aeÂ:t:H km:üPl:ö kay:þ km:ü kr<et: y:H . s: s:nny:as:i c: y:<g:i c: n: en:r¡gn:n:ü c:ae#y:H / 1 /	S''rii Bhagavaan spoke: He, who is detached to the result of action, and performs appropriate action, he is a sannyaasii and a yogii, not someone who is without fire^* and inactive. (1)
y:ö s:nny:as:em:et: )ahÚy:<üg:ö t:ö ev:e¹ p:aNRv: . n: Ês:nny:st:s:¢lp:< y:<g:i B:v:et: kÁ:n: / 2 /	Know that to be yoga which they have declared as abandonment, o Paan'd'u's son^*, for noone with unabandoned wishes becomes a yogii! (2)
Aa,,x:<m:Øün:ðy:<üg:ö km:ü karN:m:Øcy:t:ð . y:<g:a-Zsy: t:sy:òv: S:m:H karN:m:Øcy:t:ð / 3 /	The action of the hermit, who is willing to undertake divine union, is called the means. The tranquility of him alone, who has undertaken divine union, is called the means, (3)
y:da eh n:ð¡ndÒy:aT:ðü\:Ø n: km:üsv:n:Ø\:jj:t:ð . s:v:üs:¢lp:s:nny:as:i y:<g:a-Zst:d<cy:t:ð / 4 /	for when someone who abandons all wishes is not attached to sense-objects^* or actions, then he is called an undertaker of divine union. (4)
u¹rðdatm:n:atm:an:ö n:atm:an:m:v:s:ady:ðt:Î . Aatm:òv: Êatm:n:< b:nD:Øratm:òv: erp:Øratm:n:H / 5 /	He would raise himself through himself, and not lower himself, for the self is indeed a friend of the self. The self is indeed an enemy of the self. (5)
b:nD:Øratm:atm:n:st:sy: y:ðn:atm:òv:atm:n:a ej:t:H . An:atm:n:st:Ø S::Øtv:ð v:t:ðüt:atm:òv: S::Øv:t:Î / 6 /	The self is a friend of the self for him, by whom the self is indeed conquered by the self, but when another is an enemy, that very self would continue like an enemy. (6)
ej:t:atm:n:H )S:ant:sy: p:rm:atm:a s:m:aeht:H . S:it:<\Nas:ØK:dØHK:ð\:Ø t:T:a m:an:ap:m:an:y:<H / 7 /	The soul of a calm person, who has conquered the self, is concentrated on the Supreme in cold and hot, pleasure and pain, as well as in honour and contempt. (7)
wan:ev:wan:t:àpt:atm:a kÝXsT:< ev:ej:t:ð¡ndÒy:H . y:ØVt: Ety:Øcy:t:ð y:<g:i s:m:l:<ÄaSm:kaWc:n:H / 8 /	The soul, who is satisfied by religious knowledge and mundane knowledge, and who has subdued his senses, is firmly situated at the peak. A yogii, to whom a lump of clay, stone, and gold is equal, is called united. (8)
s:ØÆ¡nm:*:ay:Øüdas:in:m:Dy:sT:¾ð\y:b:nD:Ø\:Ø . s:aD:Ø\v:ep: c: p:ap:ð\:Ø s:m:b:Øe¹ev:üeS:\y:t:ð / 9 /	An indifferent person excels among friends, associates, enemies, bystanders, mediators, foes, relatives, as well as among saints and villains. (9)
y:<g:i y:ØWj:it: s:t:t:m:atm:an:ö rhes: ¡sT:t:H . Okaki y:t:ec:¶:atm:a en:raS:irp:erg:ÒhH / 10 /	A yogii, whose thoughts are controlled and who is situated in solitude and free from desire and possessions, should always unite himself alone. (10)
S:Øc:> dðS:ð )et:Åapy: ¡sT:rm:as:n:m:atm:n:H . n:aty:Ø¡cCÕt:ö n:aet:n:ic:ö c:òl:aej:n:kÙS:<¶:rm:Î / 11 /	He ought to place himself in a firm seat, in a pure place, not excessively raised, not excessively low, sitting on cloth, skin of antelope, and grass, in sequence^*. (11)
t:*:òkag:Òö m:n:H kátv:a y:t:ec:¶:ð¡ndÒy:e#y:H . up:ev:Sy:as:n:ð y:ØWjy:a½<g:m:atm:ev:S:Ø¹y:ð / 12 /	There, after focusing his mind, with his thoughts, senses, and action controlled, and sitting down on the seat, he would prepare his divine union for self-purity, (12)
s:m:ö kay:eS:r<g:Òiv:ö D:ary:Àc:l:ö ¡sT:rH . s:m)ðxy: n:aes:kag:Òö sv:ö edS:Á:an:v:l:<ky:n:Î / 13 /	firmly keeping body, head, and neck upright and immovable, after examining the tip of his own nose, and not paying attention to directions^*. (13)
)S:ant:atm:a ev:g:t:B:ib:ÒüÉc:ariv:Òt:ð ¡sT:t:H . m:n:H s:öy:my: m:¡cc:¶:< y:ØVt: Aas:it: m:tp:rH / 14 /	After controlling his mind, the calm, fearless soul, who is situated in the vow of divine study, and who is united and absorbed in thoughts of me, would rest supremely with me. (14)
y:ØWj:Àðv:ö s:datm:an:ö y:<g:i en:y:t:m:an:s:H . S:a¡nt:ö en:v:aüN:p:rm:aö m:ts:ösT:am:eD:g:cCet: / 15 /	The yogii with subdued mind, who is always uniting himself in this way, obtains the peace which consists of extinction^* as well as dwelling with me, (15)
n:aty:Sn:t:st:Ø y:<g:<\|¡st: n: c:òkant:m:n:Sn:t:H . n: c:aet:sv:pn:S:il:sy: j:ag:Òt:< n:òv: c:aj:Øün: / 16 /	but there is no divine union for the one who eats too much or doesn't eat what's necessary, and not for the one who has a habit of too much sleep or even of being awake, o Arjuna. (16)
y:ØVt:aharev:harsy: y:ØVt:c:ðÄsy: km:üs:Ø . y:ØVt:sv:pn:av:b:<D:sy: y:<g:< B:v:et: dØHK:ha / 17 /	The divine union of someone, who is united in bringing near and turning away, in his manner of actions, and in sleeping and being awake, becomes a remover of pain. (17)
y:da ev:en:y:t:ö ec:¶:m:atm:ny:ðv:av:et:Åt:ð . en:Hsp:àhH s:v:ükam:ðBy:< y:ØVt: Ety:Øcy:t:ð t:da / 18 /	When someone abstains from all desires, and remains in his own self with restrained thought, then he is called united. (18)
y:T:a dip:< en:v:at:sT:< n:ð¤t:ð s:<p:m:a sm:àt:a . y:<eg:n:< y:t:ec:¶:sy: y:ØWj:t:< y:<g:m:atm:n:H / 19 /	The divine union of the self of the uniting yogii, whose thoughts are controlled, can be compared with a lamp, which doesn't move, when it is situated where there is no wind. (19)
y::<p:rm:t:ð ec:¶:ö en:,¹ö y:<g:s:ðv:y:a . y:: c:òv:atm:n:atm:an:ö p:Sy:Àatm:en: t:Ø\y:et: / 20 /	Where the thought stops, confined by the practice of yoga, and even where one, who sees the self by the self, becomes satisfied in the self, (20)
s:ØK:m:aty:¡nt:k÷ y:¶:ºØe¹g:ÒaÊm:t:i¡ndÒy:m:Î . v:ðe¶: y:*: n: c:òv:ay:ö ¡sT:t:Á:l:et: t:¶v:t:H / 21 /	with that infinite pleasure, which is intelligible and beyond the senses, and where not even this fixed person, who knows, actually quivers,^* (21)
y:ö l:bDv:a c:ap:rö l:aB:ö m:ny:t:ð n:aeD:k÷ t:t:H . y:¡sm:¡nsT:t:< n: dØHK:ðn: g:Ø,N:aep: ev:c:aly:t:ð / 22 /	and after catching it, does not consider inferior gain superior to that, in which a fixed person is not agitated even by intense pain. (22)
t:ö ev:½a¸ØHK:s:öy:<g:ev:y:<g:ö y:<g:s:öewt:m:Î . s: en:Á:y:ðn: y:<Vt:vy:< y:<g:<\|en:ev:üNN:c:ðt:s:a / 23 /	One should know this infliction and separation of pain which is termed as yoga. This yoga should be performed with determination and with an undepressed consciousness. (23)
s:¢lp:)B:v:ankam:aösty:Vtv:a s:v:aün:S:ð\:t:H . m:n:s:òv:ð¡ndÒy:g:Òam:ö ev:en:y:my: s:m:nt:t:H / 24 /	After entirely abandoning all desires which are born of one's will, and after completely restraining the sense organs with one's own mind, (24)
S:n:òH S:n:ò,p:rm:ðºØdÏDy:a D:àet:g:àhit:y:a . Aatm:s:ösT:ö m:n:H kátv:a n: ek¡Wc:dep: ec:nt:y:ðt:Î / 25 /	one should very gently stop them by one's firmly grasped intelligence. After making the mind established in one's self, one should think about nothing at all. (25)
y:t:< y:t:< en:Á:ret: m:n:Á:Wc:l:m:¡sT:rm:Î . t:t:st:t:< en:y:my:òt:datm:ny:ðv: v:S:ö n:y:ðt:Î / 26 /	From whatever place the movable and unsteady mind rises, from that very place one should lead one's wish into one's own self, after restraining the mind, (26)
)S:ant:m:n:s:ö Êðn:ö y:<eg:n:ö s:ØK:m:Ø¶:m:m:Î . up:òet: S:ant:rj:s:ö b:ÒÉB:Üt:m:klm:\:m:Î / 27 /	for the highest pleasure comes to that spotless yogii with tranquilised mind, whose passions are pacified, and whose existence is brahma. (27)
y:ØWj:Àðv:ö s:datm:an:ö y:<g:i ev:g:t:klm:\:H . s:ØK:ðn: b:ÒÉs:ösp:S:üm:ty:nt:ö s:ØK:m:Sn:Øt:ð / 28 /	The yogii, whose stain has disappeared, and who is always uniting himself in this way, gains with pleasure the endless pleasure of contact with brahma. (28)
s:v:üB:Üt:sT:m:atm:an:ö s:v:üB:Üt:aen: c:atm:en: . Ix:t:ð y:<g:y:ØVt:atm:a s:v:ü*: s:m:dS:ün:H / 29 /	The soul, who is united in yoga, views the self located in all living beings, and all living beings in the self, looking indifferently everywhere. (29)
y:< m:aö p:Sy:et: s:v:ü*: s:v:þ c: m:ey: p:Sy:et: . t:sy:ahö n: )N:Sy:aem: s: c: m:ð n: )N:Sy:et: / 30 /	To him, who sees me everywhere and sees everything in me, I don't disappear and he doesn't disappear to me. (30)
s:v:üB:Üt:¡sT:t:ö y:< m:aö B:j:ty:ðktv:m:a¡sT:t:H . s:v:üT:a v:t:üm:an:<\|ep: s: y:<g:i m:ey: v:t:üt:ð / 31 /	That yogii, who acknowledges oneness and worships me located in all living beings, dwells in me, even while moving in every way. (31)
Aatm:>p:my:ðn: s:v:ü*: s:m:ö p:Sy:et: y:<\|j:Øün: . s:ØK:ö v:a y:ed v:a dØHK:ö s: y:<g:i p:rm:< m:t:H / 32 /	That yogii, who sees impartially everywhere, whether pleasure or pain, through comparison with himself, o Arjuna, is considered the highest. (32)
Aj:Øün: uv:ac: y:<\|y:ö y:<g:stv:y:a )<Vt:H s:amy:ðn: m:D:Øs:Üdn: . Ot:sy:ahö n: p:Sy:aem: c:Wc:l:tv:a¡tsT:et:ö ¡sT:ram:Î / 33 /	Arjuna spoke: Out of volatility, I don't see the steady condition of this yoga, which is explained by you with equilibrium, o Madhusuudana^*, (33)
c:Wc:l:ö eh m:n:H ká\Na )m:aeT: b:l:v:¸àZm:Î . t:sy:ahö en:g:Òhö m:ny:ð v:ay:<erv: s:ØdØ\krm:Î / 34 /	for the troubling, powerful, and strong mind is volatile, o Kr's'n'a. I consider its suppression to be as difficult to achieve as the suppression of the wind. (34)
Â:iB:g:v:an:Øv:ac: As:öS:y:ö m:hab:ah< m:n:< dØen:üg:Òhö c:l:m:Î . ABy:as:ðn: t:Ø k>nt:ðy: v:òragy:ðN: c: g:àÊt:ð / 35 /	S''rii Bhagavaan spoke: Without doubt the fluctuating mind is difficult to suppress, o Mahaabaahu^, but by discipline and asceticism it is overpowered, o Kuntii's son^. (35)
As:öy:t:atm:n:a y:<g:< dØ\p:Òap: Eet: m:ð m:et:H . v:Sy:atm:n:a t:Ø y:t:t:a S:Vy:<\|v:apt:Øm:Øp:ay:t:H / 36 /	My opinion is that yoga is difficult to attain by an uncontrolled soul, but it is possible to obtain successfully by a subdued soul who keeps in line. (36)
Aj:Øün: uv:ac: Ay:et:H Â:¹y:<p:ðt:< y:<g:acc:el:t:m:an:s:H . A)apy: y:<g:s:öes:e¹÷ kaö g:et:ö ká\Na g:cCet: / 37 /	Arjuna spoke: After failing to obtain perfection in yoga, which condition does the non-ascetic, whose mind has been shaken from the yoga he approached by confidence, go to, o Kr's'n'a? (37)
k¡cc:À<B:y:ev:B:ÒÄ¡SCÀaB:Òem:v: n:Sy:et: . A)et:Å< m:hab:ah< ev:m:ÜZ< b:ÒÉN:H p:eT: / 38 /	Does he not perish like a torn cloud, strayed from both^* and being unsafe and perplexed in the course of brahma, o Mahaabaahu^*? (38)
Ot:nm:ð s:öS:y:ö ká\Na Cð¶:Øm:hüsy:S:ð\:t:H . tv:dny:H s:öS:y:sy:asy: Cð¶:a n: ÊÚp:p:½t:ð / 39 /	Please cut entirely through this uncertainty that I have, o Kr's'n'a, for no other cutter of this uncertainty exists than you! (39)
Â:iB:g:v:an:Øv:ac: p:aT:ü n:òv:ðh n:am:Ø*: ev:n:aS:st:sy: ev:½t:ð . n: eh kly:aN:kátkeÁ:¸Øg:üet:ö t:at: g:cCet: / 40 /	S''rii Bhagavaan spoke: His destruction is absolutely not known, neither in this world nor in the other world, o Pr'thaa's son^*, for no performer of virtuous deeds goes to hell, o darling. (40)
)apy: p:ØNy:kát:aö l:<kan:Øe\:tv:a S:aÃ:t:iH s:m:aH . S:Øc:in:aö Â:im:t:aö g:ðhð y:<g:B:ÒÄ<\|eB:j:ay:t:ð / 41 /	After reaching the worlds of the performers of pious deeds, and after dwelling there for eternal years, the one, whose yoga was shattered, is born in the house of the honest and prosperous, (41)
AT:v:a y:<eg:n:am:ðv: kÙl:ð B:v:et: D:im:t:am:Î . Ot:e¹ dØl:üB:t:rö l:<kñ j:nm: y:didàS:m:Î / 42 /	or maybe he is born even in the family of wise yogiis, for such a birth is rarer in the world. (42)
t:*: t:ö b:Øe¹s:öy:<g:ö l:B:t:ð p:>v:üdðehkm:Î . y:t:t:ð c: t:t:< B:Üy:H s:öes:¹> kÙ,n:ndn: / 43 /	There he receives that connection to the intelligence that belonged to his former life, and then strives after still more perfection, o darling of the Kurus^*, (43)
p:Üv:aüBy:as:ðn: t:ðn:òv: eËy:t:ð Êv:S:<\|ep: s:H . ej:was:Ørep: y:<g:sy: S:bdb:ÒÉaet:v:t:üt:ð / 44 /	for even if he is unwilling, he is seized yet again by this. Even someone who wants to know divine union surpasses the sound of brahma^*, (44)
)y:tn:a½t:m:an:st:Ø y:<g:i s:öS:Ø¹ek¡lb:\:H . An:ðkj:nm:s:öes:¹st:t:< y:aet: p:raö g:et:m:Î / 45 /	but the yogii, who endeavours hard, becomes completely puritied from faults. Thereafter, when he is fully completed through many birth, he proceeds to the supreme condition. (45)
t:p:¡sv:By:<\|eD:k< y:<g:i waen:By:<\|ep: m:t:<\|eD:kH . kem:üBy:Á:aeD:k< y:<g:i t:sm:a½<g:i B:v:aj:Øün: / 46 /	A yogii is superior to ascetics, he is even considered superior to sages, and a yogii is superior to labourers. Therefore, become a yogii, o Arjuna. (46)
y:<eg:n:am:ep: s:v:ðü\:aö m:·t:ðn:ant:ratm:n:a . Â:¹av:an:Î B:j:t:ð y:< m:aö s: m:ð y:ØVt:t:m:< m:t:H / 47 /	Moreover, of all yogiis, he who has faith and worships me with his soul gone to me, is considered my most united. (47)