BHAGVAD GITA
Chapter 6: Path of Meditation
Lord Krishna said: One who
performs the prescribed duty without seeking its fruit for personal enjoyment
is both a Samnyasi and a KarmaYogi. One does not become a Samnyasi merely by
not cooking his own food, and one does not become a yogi merely by abstaining
from work. (6.01)
O Arjuna, know that Samnyasa and
Karma-yoga produces same end results. No one becomes a Karma-yogi who has not
given up the selfish motive behind an action. (6.02)
Karma-yoga is said to be the means
of attaining the peace of mind. And a peaceful mind is necessary for
Self-Realization. (6.03)
A person is said to have attained
yogic perfection when there is no desire for sensual pleasures, or attachment
to the fruits of work, and has given up all personal motives. (6.04)
One must elevate . and not degrade
. oneself by one's own mind. The mind alone is one's best friend as well as the
worst enemy. (6.05)
The mind is the friend of those
who have control over it, and the mind acts like an enemy for those who have no
control over it. (6.06)
One who has control over the mind
and senses remains undisturbed in heat and cold, in pleasure and pain, and in
honor and dishonor; and is ever connected with the Supreme Self. (6.07)
A yogi is called Self-realized who
is satisfied with knowledge and understanding of the Self, who is calm, who has
control over the mind and senses, and to whom a clod, a stone, and gold are the
same. (6.08)
A person is considered superior
who is impartial towards companions, friends, enemies, neutrals, arbiters,
haters, relatives, saints, and sinners. (6.09)
A yogi . seated in solitude and
alone having mind and senses under control and free from desires and
attachments for possessions . should contemplate on the Supreme Self. (6.10)
The yogi should sit on his or her
firm seat that is neither too high nor too low, covered with sacred Kusha
grass, a deerskin, and a cloth, one over the other, in a clean spot. (6.11)
Sitting in a comfortable position
and concentrating the mind on a single object, controlling the thoughts and the
activities of the senses, let the yogi practice meditation for
self-purification. (6.12)
Hold the waist, spine, chest,
neck, and head erect, motionless and steady, fix the eyes and the mind steadily
between the eye-brows, and do not look around. (6.13)
The meditator should control his
mind and senses, think of Me with peaceful mind, and set Me as the supreme
goal. (6.14)
Thus, by always keeping the mind
fixed on Me, the yogi whose mind is disciplined attains the peace of nirvana
and unites with Me. (6.15)
This yoga is not possible, O
Arjuna, for the one who eats too much or who does not eat at all; who sleeps
too much or too little. (6.16)
The yoga of meditation destroys
all sorrow for the one who is moderate in eating, recreation, working,
sleeping, and waking. (6.17)
A person is said to have achieved
yoga, union with the Self, when his perfectly disciplined mind becomes free
from all desires and gets completely united with the Self in trance (Samadhi).
(6.18)
A lamp in a spot protected from
the wind does not flicker; this example is used for the controlled mind of a
yogi practicing meditation on Brahman. (6.19)
When the mind, disciplined by the
practice of meditation, becomes steady and quiet, one becomes content with the
Self by beholding the Self with purified intellect. (6.20)
One feels infinite bliss that is
perceivable only through the intellect, and is beyond the reach of the senses.
After realizing Brahman, one is never separated from it. (6.21)
After Self-Realization (SR), one
does not regard any other gain superior to SR. Established in SR, one is not
moved even by the greatest disaster. (6.22)
Vanishing of sorrow from mind is
called yoga. This yoga should be practiced with firm determination, without any
mental reservation or doubt. (6.23)
Totally abandoning all selfish
desires, and completely controlling the senses from the sense objects by the
intellect; (6.24)
one gradually attains peace of
mind by keeping the mind fully absorbed in the Self by means of a well-trained
and purified intellect, thinking of nothing else. (6.25)
Wheresoever this restless and
unsteady mind wanders away during meditation, one should gently bring it back
to thinking of the Supreme. (6.26)
Supreme bliss comes to a
Self-realized yogi whose mind is peaceful, whose desires are under control, and
who is free from imperfections. (6.27)
Such a perfect yogi constantly
engages the mind with the Self and enjoys the infinite bliss of contact with
Brahman. (6.28)
A yogi who is in union with the
Supreme Being sees every being with an equal eye because he sees the same Self
in all beings and all beings in the Supreme Being. (6.29)
One, who sees Me everywhere and in
everything and beholds everything in Me, is not separated from Me, and I am not
separated from him. (6.30)
Such people who adore Me remaining
in all beings, remain in Me irrespective of their mode of living. (6.31)
The best yogi is one who regards
every being like oneself, and who can feel the pain and pleasures of others as
one's own, O Arjuna. (6.32)
Arjuna said: O Krishna, You have
said that yoga of meditation is characterized by the calmness of mind, but due
to restlessness of mind, I cannot imagine the steady state of mind. (6.33)
Because the mind, indeed, is very
unsteady, restless, powerful, and very difficult to control, O Krishna. I think
controlling the mind is as difficult as controlling the wind. (6.34)
Lord Krishna said: Undoubtedly,
the mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by Abhyasa ,
and Vairagya, O Arjuna. (6.35)
In My opinion, yoga is difficult
for the one whose mind is not under control. However, yoga is attainable by the
person of subdued mind by trying through proper means. (6.36)
Arjuna said: What happens to a
faithful person who deviates from the spiritual path and fails to attain yogic
perfection due to uncontrolled mind, O Krishna? (6.37)
Does he not perish like a
dispersing cloud, O Krishna, having lost both (yoga and Bhoga, the heavenly and
worldly pleasures), supportless and lost on the path of Self-realization?
(6.38)
O Krishna, only You are able to
completely dispel this doubt of mine. Because there is none, other than You,
who can dispel this doubt. (6.39)
Lord Krishna said: There is no
wasted effort in any spiritual practice either here or hereafter. A yogi never
takes lower than a human birth, My dear friend. (6.40)
The less advanced unsuccessful
yogi is reborn . after attaining heaven and living there for many years . in
the house of a pure and wealthy family. (6.41)
The highly evolved unsuccessful yogi
does not go to heaven, but is born in a spiritually advanced family. A birth
like this is very difficult to get in this world. (6.42)
The unsuccessful yogi regains the
knowledge acquired in the previous life and strives again to achieve perfection
from where he had left his Sadhana. (6.43)
The unsuccessful yogi is
automatically carried towards Brahman by virtue of his Samskara. Even the
inquirer of Brahman surpasses those who just perform Vedic rituals. (6.44)
A yogi who sincerely tries,
gradually becomes perfect after many incarnations and reaches the supreme goal
of Self-realization. (6.45)
The yogi is superior to ascetics
who practice sever self-torture. The yogi is superior to the Vedic scholars.
The yogi is superior to the ritualists. Therefore, O Arjuna, be a yogi. (6.46)
I consider one to be the best of
all the yogis who lovingly contemplates on Me with supreme faith and devotion,
and whose mind is ever absorbed in Me. (6.47)
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