Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 The Yoga of Meditation

Shloka 1 The True Renunciate and Yogi Is One Who Practices Selfless Action anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnir na cākriyaḥ || 6.1 || A person who performs their prescribed duty without depending on or being attached to the results of their actions is the true renunciate and the true yogi. Simply giving up Vedic rituals or refraining from action does not constitute genuine renunciation or yoga. → Shloka 2 Karma Yoga Is True Renunciation yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava na hy asaṁnyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana || 6.2 || O Arjuna, what people call renunciation should be understood as yoga itself. For no one can become a true yogi without giving up selfish desires and attachments born of personal expectations. → Shloka 3 Before Attaining Yoga, Action Is the Means; Afterward, Inner Calm Is the Means ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ karma kāraṇam ucyate yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate || 6.3 || For the contemplative seeker who wishes to attain yoga, selfless action is the prescribed means. But for one who has become firmly established in yoga, inner tranquility and withdrawal from mental distractions become the means for further spiritual progress. → Shloka 4 The Marks of One Established in Yoga yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasv anuṣajjate sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī yogārūḍhas tadocyate || 6.4 || A person is said to be firmly established in yoga when they are free from attachment to both sense objects and actions themselves, and have renounced all selfish desires and mental projections born of craving. → Shloka 5 Elevate Yourself; Do Not Let Yourself Fall uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ || 6.5 || A person should elevate themselves through their own disciplined mind and wisdom, never allowing themselves to fall into degradation. For the mind can become one's greatest friend, and the very same mind can also become one's greatest enemy. → Shloka 6 For One Who Has Mastered the Mind It Is a Friend; For One Who Has Not, It Is an Enemy bandhur ātmātmanas tasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ anātmanas tu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat || 6.6 || For the person who has mastered the mind through discipline and wisdom, the mind becomes a true friend. But for one who has failed to control it, the very same mind behaves like an enemy and becomes the cause of suffering and downfall. → Shloka 7 The Self-Controlled Yogi Remains Established in the Supreme jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ || 6.7 || For one who has mastered the mind and attained inner peace, the Supreme Lord remains firmly established in the heart. Such a yogi maintains equanimity amid all dualities of life, such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor. → Shloka 8 The Yogi Satisfied by Knowledge and Realization Sees Everything Equally jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ yukta ity ucyate yogī sama-loṣṭāśma-kāñcanaḥ || 6.8 || A seeker who is fully satisfied through scriptural knowledge and direct spiritual realization, whose mind remains steady, and who has mastered the senses is truly established in yoga. Such a yogi views a clod of earth, a stone, and gold with equal vision, remaining free from attachment and greed. → Shloka 9 The Yogi with Equal Vision Maintains the Same Attitude Toward Everyone suhṛn-mitrāry-udāsīna-madhyastha-dveṣya-bandhuṣu sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu sama-buddhir viśiṣyate || 6.9 || A yogi who maintains an equal and impartial attitude toward a selfless well-wisher, a friend, an enemy, a neutral person, a mediator, a disliked person, a relative, the righteous, and even a sinner is regarded as truly excellent. → Shloka 10 A Yogi Should Constantly Absorb the Mind in Yoga While Living in Seclusion yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ ekākī yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ || 6.10 || A yogi should regularly practice meditation in a quiet and secluded place, keeping the mind steadily absorbed in yoga. Such a practitioner should remain inwardly disciplined, free from selfish expectations, and unattached to unnecessary possessions and accumulation. → Shloka 11 Preparing a Suitable Seat for Meditation śhuchau deśhe pratiṣhṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ nātyuchchhritaṁ nātinīchaṁ chailājina-kuśhottaram || 6.11 || A yogi should prepare a firm seat in a clean and sacred place for meditation. The seat should be neither too high nor too low and should be properly arranged with layers of kuśa grass, deerskin, and cloth, creating a stable and suitable environment for meditation. → Shloka 12 Practice Yoga with a One-Pointed Mind for Inner Purification tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātma-viśuddhaye || 6.12 || Seated on that prepared seat, the practitioner should make the mind one-pointed and keep the activities of the mind and senses under control. In this way, one should practice yoga for the purification of the heart and inner consciousness. → Shloka 13 Meditate with the Body, Head, and Neck Held Upright samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalaṁ sthiraḥ samprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśaś cānavalokayan || 6.13 || The yogi should keep the body, head, and neck upright and steady. Keeping the gaze fixed toward the tip of the nose without looking in different directions helps the mind become focused and prepared for meditation. → Shloka 14 Meditate Fearlessly, Established in Brahmacarya, with the Mind Fixed on God praśāntātmā vigata-bhīr brahmacāri-vrate sthitaḥ manaḥ saṁyamya mac-citto yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ || 6.14 || The practitioner should remain peaceful, fearless, and firmly established in the discipline of brahmacarya. With the mind under control, one should meditate on Me, remain absorbed in yoga, and accept Me alone as the highest goal of life. → Shloka 15 Constant Practice of Yoga Leads to Supreme Peace yuñjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī niyata-mānasaḥ śhāntiṁ nirvāṇa-paramāṁ mat-saṁsthām adhigacchati || 6.15 || By practicing yoga in this manner with a disciplined and controlled mind, the yogi attains the highest peace—the supreme state of liberation that is established in Me and arises through union with Me. → Shloka 16 Yoga Is Not Attained Through Excessive Eating, Fasting, Sleeping, or Wakefulness nātyaśnatas tu yogo'sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ na cāti-svapna-śīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna || 6.16 || O Arjuna, yoga cannot be perfected by one who eats excessively, nor by one who practices extreme fasting. Likewise, it is not attained by one who sleeps too much or by one who deprives oneself of sleep. A balanced way of living is essential for success in yoga. → Shloka 17 Yoga Becomes the Destroyer of Sorrow Through Moderation in Food, Recreation, and Actions yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā || 6.17 || For one who maintains moderation in food, recreation, work, sleep, and wakefulness, yoga becomes a means of removing sorrow. A balanced lifestyle is the foundation for successful spiritual practice. → Shloka 18 Yoga Is Perfected When the Mind Becomes Established in the Self yadā viniyataṁ cittam ātmany evāvatiṣṭhate niḥspṛhaḥ sarva-kāmebhyo yukta ity ucyate tadā || 6.18 || When a seeker's disciplined mind becomes firmly established in the Self alone and is free from all selfish desires and cravings, that person is truly said to be established in yoga. → Shloka 19 The Steady Mind of a Yogi Is Like a Lamp in a Windless Place yathā dīpo nivātastho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā yogino yata-cittasya yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ || 6.19 || Just as the flame of a lamp placed in a windless place does not flicker, similarly the mind of a yogi engaged in meditation for Self-realization remains perfectly steady and undisturbed. This is the classic comparison used to describe the state of a disciplined meditator. → Shloka 20 Through Yoga the Mind Becomes Still and Finds Satisfaction in the Self yatroparamate cittaṁ niruddhaṁ yoga-sevayā yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyann ātmani tuṣyati || 6.20 || When, through the practice of yoga, the mind becomes completely restrained and peaceful, and the seeker realizes the Self through the purified inner consciousness, finding complete satisfaction in the Self alone, that is the higher state of yoga. → Shloka 21 Experiencing the Supreme Bliss Beyond the Senses, Grasped by the Intellect sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ || 6.21 || In this state, the yogi experiences the highest bliss, which is beyond the senses and can be realized only through a purified intellect. Established in that realization of Truth, the yogi never deviates from it. → Shloka 22 Having Attained Which, No Greater Gain Remains and Even Great Sorrow Cannot Disturb yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate || 6.22 || Having attained that supreme spiritual realization, the seeker considers no other gain to be greater. Established in that state, even the greatest sorrow cannot shake or disturb the inner equilibrium of the yogi. → Shloka 23 Yoga is the Separation from Union with Sorrow taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam sa niścayena yoktavyo yogo'nirviṇṇa-cetasā || 6.23 || That state in which a person becomes free from the bondage of sorrow is called Yoga. This Yoga should be practiced with firm determination and an undiscouraged, cheerful, and persevering mind. → Shloka 24 Renouncing Desires Born of Imagination and Controlling the Senses Through the Mind saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ viniyamya samantataḥ || 6.24 || A seeker should completely renounce all desires that arise from mental imagination and, through the power of the mind, bring all the senses under proper control. This is an essential discipline for progress in meditation and yoga. → Shloka 25 Gradually Steadying the Mind in the Self Through Patient Intelligence śanaiḥ śanair uparamed buddhyā dhṛti-gṛhītayā ātma-saṁsthaṁ manaḥ kṛtvā na kiñcid api cintayet || 6.25 || The seeker should gradually calm the mind with an intellect strengthened by patience and determination. Having established the mind in the Self, one should allow it to remain there without letting it wander toward other thoughts. → Shloka 26 Whenever the Restless Mind Wanders, Bring It Back to the Self yato yato niścarati manaś cañcalam asthiram tatas tato niyamyaitad ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet || 6.26 || Whenever this restless and unsteady mind wanders toward any object, thought, or distraction, one should gently restrain it and repeatedly bring it back to the Self. This repeated return is the essence of meditation practice. → Shloka 27 The Yogi with a Peaceful Mind Attains Supreme Happiness praśānta-manasaṁ hy enaṁ yoginaṁ sukham uttamam upaiti śānta-rajasaṁ brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam || 6.27 || The yogi whose mind has become completely peaceful, whose restless passion has subsided, and who has become free from inner impurities while established in Brahman, certainly attains the highest happiness. → Shloka 28 By Constant Practice of Yoga, the Yogi Attains the Supreme Bliss of Contact with Brahman yuñjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī vigata-kalmaṣaḥ sukhena brahma-saṁsparśam atyantaṁ sukham aśnute || 6.28 || By constantly practicing yoga in this manner, the yogi, purified of sins and inner impurities, effortlessly attains contact with Brahman and experiences the supreme, boundless bliss that arises from that realization. → Shloka 29 The Yogi of Equal Vision Sees the Self and the Supreme in All Beings sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni cātmani īkṣate yoga-yuktātmā sarvatra sama-darśanaḥ || 6.29 || The yogi established in yoga sees the same Self present in all living beings and all living beings existing in the Self. Such a yogi perceives the one Divine Reality equally everywhere. → Shloka 30 One Who Sees Me Everywhere and Sees Everything in Me yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati || 6.30 || The seeker who sees Me everywhere and sees everything existing in Me never loses sight of Me, nor is he ever separated from Me. Such a devotee remains in an unbroken relationship with the Divine. → Shloka 31 The Yogi Who Worships the Lord Present in All Beings sarvabhūtasthitaṁ yo māṁ bhajatyekatvamāsthitaḥ sarvathā vartamāno'pi sa yogī mayi vartate || 6.31 || The yogi who worships Me as present in all beings, established in the vision of oneness, truly lives in Me. Whatever circumstances such a yogi may outwardly be engaged in, inwardly he always remains united with Me. → Shloka 32 The Supreme Yogi Sees Everyone as Equal to Himself ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśyati yo'rjuna sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ || 6.32 || O Arjuna! The person who regards all beings as equal to himself and understands the happiness and suffering of others as his own is considered, in My opinion, to be the highest yogi. → Shloka 33 Arjuna's Question — Due to the Restless Mind, Steady Yoga Seems Difficult arjuna uvāca yo'yaṁ yogas tvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana etasyāhaṁ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitiṁ sthirām || 6.33 || Arjuna said: O Madhusudana! The yoga of equanimity that You have taught appears difficult for me to sustain, because the mind is naturally restless and I do not see how its steady state can be maintained. → Shloka 34 Arjuna Says — The Mind is Extremely Restless and Difficult to Control cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva suduṣkaram || 6.34 || Arjuna said: O Krishna! The mind is undoubtedly restless, turbulent, powerful, and stubborn. Therefore, I consider controlling it to be as difficult as controlling the wind. → Shloka 35 The Mind Can Be Controlled Through Practice and Detachment śrī-bhagavān uvāca asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ calam abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate || 6.35 || The Blessed Lord said: O mighty-armed Arjuna! There is no doubt that the mind is restless and difficult to control. Yet, O son of Kunti, it can be brought under control through constant practice and detachment. → Shloka 36 Yoga is Difficult for the Undisciplined but Attainable for the Self-Controlled asaṁyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyo'vāptum upāyataḥ || 6.36 || In My opinion, Yoga is very difficult to attain for one whose mind is undisciplined. However, one who has mastered the mind and strives sincerely can attain Yoga through the proper means. → Shloka 37 Arjuna's Question About the Destiny of a Seeker Who Falls Away from Yoga arjuna uvāca ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto yogāc calita-mānasaḥ aprāpya yoga-saṁsiddhiṁ kāṁ gatiṁ kṛṣṇa gacchati || 6.37 || Arjuna said: O Krishna, what becomes of a seeker who has faith but is unable to persevere, whose mind turns away from Yoga before attaining its complete perfection? What destination does such a person reach? → Shloka 38 Does the Seeker Who Falls from Yoga Perish in Both Worlds? kaccin nobhaya-vibhraṣṭaś chinnābhram iva naśyati apratiṣṭho mahā-bāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi || 6.38 || O mighty-armed Krishna, does such a seeker who has fallen from the path of Yoga lose both worldly and spiritual attainments, becoming like a scattered cloud—without support and bewildered on the path to Brahman? → Shloka 39 Arjuna's Prayer—Only You Can Completely Remove This Doubt etan me saṁśayaṁ kṛṣṇa chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ tvad-anyaḥ saṁśayasyāsya chettā na hy upapadyate || 6.39 || O Krishna, please remove this doubt of mine completely, for I see no one other than You who is capable of resolving it fully. → Shloka 40 A Righteous Effort Is Never Lost śrī-bhagavān uvāca pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati || 6.40 || The Blessed Lord said: O Pārtha, such a seeker is never lost either in this world or in the next. O dear Arjuna, one who performs righteous and beneficial actions never meets with a bad destiny. → Shloka 41 The Fallen Yogi Attains Heavenly Realms and Is Reborn in a Noble Family prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo'bhijāyate || 6.41 || The yogi who falls short of complete perfection first attains the heavenly realms of the virtuous and resides there for a long period. Thereafter, he is born in a pure, righteous, and prosperous family where favorable conditions exist for continuing his spiritual journey. → Shloka 42 Or Else He Is Born in the Family of Wise Yogis athavā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām etad dhi durlabhataraṁ loke janma yad īdṛśam || 6.42 || Or, the yogi who fell short of complete perfection is born into the family of wise and realized yogis. Such a birth is exceedingly rare in this world because it provides an exceptional opportunity for continuing spiritual progress from an early stage of life. → Shloka 43 He Regains the Spiritual Wisdom of His Previous Birth and Again Advances on the Path of Yoga tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ labhate paurva-dehikam yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana || 6.43 || O Kuru-nandana! In that birth, such a yoga-bhraṣṭa regains the spiritual understanding and impressions acquired in the previous life. Thereafter, inspired by those past impressions, he strives once again—more earnestly than before—to attain complete perfection in yoga. → Shloka 44 By the Power of Previous Practice, the Seeker Is Naturally Drawn Back to Yoga pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva hriyate hy avaśo'pi saḥ jijñāsur api yogasya śabda-brahmātivartate || 6.44 || Because of the spiritual practice performed in previous lives, such a yoga-bhraṣṭa is naturally drawn back toward the path of yoga, even without conscious intention. Even one who merely develops a sincere desire to understand yoga gradually rises beyond the ritualistic portion of the Vedas and advances toward direct spiritual realization. → Shloka 45 Through Persistent Effort Across Many Lives, the Yogi Attains the Supreme Goal prayatnād yatamānas tu yogī saṁśuddha-kilbiṣaḥ aneka-janma-saṁsiddhas tato yāti parāṁ gatim || 6.45 || The yogi who continues striving with sincere effort and whose inner impurities have gradually been purified eventually attains perfection through many births. Thereafter, such a seeker reaches the supreme goal of spiritual realization. → Shloka 46 The Yogi Is Superior to Ascetics, Scholars, and Ritualistic Performers tapasvibhyo 'dhiko yogī jñānibhyo 'pi mato 'dhikaḥ karmibhyaś cādhiko yogī tasmād yogī bhavārjuna || 6.46 || The yogi is superior to ascetics, superior even to those who possess only scriptural knowledge, and superior to those engaged merely in ritualistic actions. Therefore, O Arjuna, become a yogi. → Shloka 47 Among All Yogis, the Devotional Yogi Is the Supreme yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ || 6.47 || Among all yogis, the one who, with unwavering faith, fixes the mind and heart on Me and lovingly worships Me is considered by Me to be the most perfectly united and the highest of all yogis. →