ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः। युक्त इत्युच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः।।6.8।।
He whose mind is satisfied with knowledge and wisdom, who is steadfast, who has conquered the senses, is called a yogi, and is equal toward earth, stone, and gold.
सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु। साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते।।6.9।।
He who has equal understanding toward friends, companions, enemies, neutrals, mediators, the hateful, relatives, the virtuous and the sinful, is distinguished.
योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थितः। एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा निराशीरपरिग्रहः।।6.10।।
The yogi should always practice self-union, remaining alone in seclusion, with controlled mind and self, free from desires and possessions.
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः। नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम्।।6.11।।
In a clean place, he should establish a firm seat for himself, not too high nor too low, with cloth, deer skin, and kusa grass as the foundation.
तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः। उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये।।6.12।।
There, having made the mind one-pointed, with controlled thought and senses, he should sit on the seat and practice yoga for self-purification.
समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः। संप्रेक्ष्य नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश्चानवलोकयन्।।6.13।।
Holding the body, head, and neck straight and steady, gazing at the tip of his own nose, without looking in any direction.
प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितः। मनः संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्परः।।6.14।।
With a peaceful mind, free from fear, established in the vow of celibacy, controlling the mind, absorbed in Me, he should sit, devoted to Me.
युञ्जन्नेवं सदाऽऽत्मानं योगी नियतमानसः। शान्तिं निर्वाणपरमां मत्संस्थामधिगच्छति।।6.15।।
Thus, always practicing self-union, the yogi with controlled mind attains peace, supreme liberation, established in Me.
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः। न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन।।6.16।।
Yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who abstains entirely; it is not for one who sleeps excessively, nor for one who is always awake, O Arjuna.
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु। युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा।।6.17।।
For one who is moderate in eating and recreation, moderate in actions, moderate in sleep and waking, yoga destroys suffering.
यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते। निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा।।6.18।।
When the controlled mind rests only in the self, free from all desires, then one is said to be united in yoga.
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता। योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः।।6.19।।
Just as a lamp in a windless place does not flicker, so is the comparison used for the yogi whose mind is controlled, practicing self-union.
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया। यत्र चैवात्मनाऽऽत्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति।।6.20।।
When the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, comes to rest, and when, seeing the self by the self, one is content within the self,
सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद्बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम्। वेत्ति यत्र न चैवायं स्थितश्चलति तत्त्वतः।।6.21।।
There, one experiences a happiness that is boundless, grasped by the intellect and beyond the senses, and established in that state, one does not waver from the truth.
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः। यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते।।6.22।।
Having attained that, one considers no other gain greater than it; established in that, one is not shaken even by great sorrow.
तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम्। स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा।।6.23।।
Let that be known as yoga, the disconnection from union with suffering; this yoga must be practiced with determination and an unwavering mind.
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः। मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्ततः।।6.24।।
Abandoning entirely all desires born of intention, and restraining the group of senses on all sides by the mind alone,
शनैः शनैरुपरमेद् बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया। आत्मसंस्थं मनः कृत्वा न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत्।।6.25।।
Gradually, step by step, let one attain stillness by the intellect held steady; having fixed the mind on the self, let one think of nothing else.
यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम्। ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत्।।6.26।।
Wherever the restless and unsteady mind wanders, from there let one restrain it and bring it under the control of the self alone.
प्रशान्तमनसं ह्येनं योगिनं सुखमुत्तमम्। उपैति शान्तरजसं ब्रह्मभूतमकल्मषम्।।6.27।।
Supreme happiness comes to the yogi whose mind is peaceful, whose passion is calmed, who has become Brahman and is free from blemish.
युञ्जन्नेवं सदाऽऽत्मानं योगी विगतकल्मषः। सुखेन ब्रह्मसंस्पर्शमत्यन्तं सुखमश्नुते।।6.28।।
Constantly disciplining himself in this way, the yogi, freed from impurities, easily attains boundless happiness through contact with Brahman.
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि। ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः।।6.29।।
With the mind united in yoga, seeing the self abiding in all beings and all beings in the self, he views everything with equal vision.
यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति। तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति।।6.30।।
He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, for him I am not lost, and he is not lost to Me.
सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः। सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि स योगी मयि वर्तते।।6.31।।
He who worships Me, established in unity, abiding in all beings, that yogi lives in Me, whatever his way of life.
आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन। सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं सः योगी परमो मतः।।6.32।।
Arjuna, he who, by comparison with himself, sees the same everywhere—whether in happiness or in sorrow—such a yogi is considered supreme.
अर्जुन उवाच योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन। एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिं स्थिराम्।।6.33।।
Arjuna said: O Madhusudana, this yoga which you have described as equanimity, I do not see a steady foundation for it, because of the restlessness of the mind.
चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम्। तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम्।।6.34।।
Indeed, Krishna, the mind is restless, turbulent, strong, and obstinate; I think controlling it is as difficult as controlling the wind.
श्री भगवानुवाच असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं। अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते।।6.35।।
The Blessed Lord said: Without doubt, O mighty-armed, the mind is hard to control and restless; but by practice and detachment, O son of Kunti, it can be restrained.
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः। वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः।।6.36।।
In my view, yoga is difficult to attain for one whose self is not controlled; but for one who has mastered the self and strives by proper means, it is attainable.
अर्जुन उवाच अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः। अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति।।6.37।।
Arjuna said: What is the fate, O Krishna, of one who, though endowed with faith, but lacking self-control, whose mind strays from yoga and does not attain perfection in yoga?