CHAPTER
6: THE YOGA OF MEDITATION
About the nature of
yoga and reïncarnation
(1)
The Supreme Lord said: One who is not taking to the
fruits and does his work dutiful is of the renounced
order and a yogi, but not he who is without the fire and
does not do his duty. (2)
Know that what is called sannyâs is what links one
to the Supreme, o son of Pându; surely never will
anyone become a transcendentalist who does not give up
the selfish motive. (3)
Of the sage who has just begun one says it is by means of
work that one links up while of the ones who attained it
is said that it is surely the sameness that is the means
of yoga. (4)
When surely he is never for the good of the senses
engaged in the necessary fruitive labor, at that time he
is a renouncer of selfhood elevated in yoga, one says.
(5)
One must free oneself by mindfulness and never put
oneself down, as surely that selfinterest is indeed as
well the friend of the soul as the self its enemy.
(6)
The mindful is the best friend of that living soul who by
himself conquered himself, but to those who are soulless
the same mindfulness stays as an enemy. (7)
Those who conquered mindfully and thus attained to peace
have reached the Supersoul its sameness in cold and heat,
happiness and distress as well as honor and dishonor.
(8)
The soul satisfied by knowledge and wisdom is in the
spiritual and in the control over his senses united and
thus one says, the yogi is indifferent about a clod of
dirt, a stone or gold. (9)
And to have towards well-wishers, friends and enemies,
neutrals and arbiters, hating ones and good-willing
relatives as well as to the pious as the sinners an equal
intelligence, is even more advanced.
(10)
The spiritual person must always remember himself being
alone in a secluded position, in controlled
consciousness, without distraction and concerns about
possessions. (11-12)
At a sanctified spot he should put a seat not to high nor
too low, covering a filling with soft cloth and then
clear his busy mind to be one-pointed of heart with his
senses and activities in assuming postures of yoga.
(13-14)
Keeping the body, head and neck straight, not moving, he
should gaze at the tip of his nose without looking
elsewhere. With a calm self, without fear and loyal to
the celibate, the one connecting should sit to subdue the
mind concentrating on Me as the ultimate goal.
(15)
Constantly practicing the soulfulness as mentioned, the
meditator with a regulated mind attains to the peace and
heavenly abode of spiritual union. (16)
But nor is there yoga eating too much or with fasting
excessively either, and also not with one who sleeps too
much, or with one who stays awake, o Arjuna.
(17)
With the regulation of eating and recreating, the duties
of maintenance and sleep and wakefulness, the yoga
practice will put an end to the misery. (18)
When disciplined this way the consciousness for sure has
become situated in transcendence without hankering after
sense-gratification, then one is thus said to be united.
(19)
The comparison to a lamp out of the wind that is not
wavering is what one is reminded of with a yogi whose
balanced consciousness is connected in constantly being
engaged in the soul. (20-23)
In that state wherein the consciousness stills by doing
yoga, the self, that realizes its position in the
mindfulness of the soul, becomes satisfied. The supreme
happiness, of which one knows that by intelligence it can
be accessed in the transcendence, will surely him who is
situated in it never remove from the truth. And anything
else which by the attainment is also gained is never
considered to be more than that as in that position no
miseries, however difficult they are, can put one of
balance. Know that the miseries resulting from contacting
matter dissolve in this unification of yoga.
(24)
That yoga one must practice with firm determination
without deviating in mental speculations that are born
from lust; all this total forsaking by the mind is sure
to be from the settling of the whole sensory apparatus in
all respects.
(25)
Gradually step by step one should intelligently withdraw
the mind by means of ones conviction, putting it to the
transcendent, not even thinking of making it any other
way. (26)
From wherever the agitated mind flickering and unsteady
wanders one must certainly bring it back under the
control of the regulating self. (27)
This yogi, whose mind is pacified, attains with his
passions quieted to the spiritual liberation of being
freed from all reactions to sin. (28)
Thus engaging the soul always the yogi is freed from sin
in the transcendental joy of spiritual union and thus he
attains to its never ending happiness. (29)
The soul in all beings and all beings in the soul - that
is how someone in the spiritual union of yoga sees
everywhere with equal vision. (30)
For whoever sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me,
I am not lost nor is He lost to Me. (31)
He who is devoted to Me as situated in the heart of
everyone dwells in oneness and whatever the circumstances
of such a transcendentalist, He will always remain in Me.
(32)
He, o Arjuna, who, comparing the joy and sorrow
everywhere, sees it equally - such a yogi is considered
the best.
(33)
Arjuna said: 'Of this system of yoga generally described
by you, o Madhusûdana, I do, because of my
restlessness, not see its stability in place.
(34)
The mind is surely fickle, o Krishna, agitating, strong
and obstinate, to subdue it, I think, is as difficult as
controlling the wind.'
(35)
The Supreme Lord said: 'Undoubtedly, o mighty armed one,
is the restless mind difficult to curb, but with
persistence, o son of Kuntî, and also by detachment
it can be controlled. (36)
With a mind ill disciplined selfrealization is difficult,
in My vision, but endeavoring with a practical mind
controlling appropriately one will achieve it.'
(37)
Arjuna said: 'What is the destiny, o Krishna, to which
the one achieves who fell from his belief and who
deviates from the path of yoga with such a mind failing
the highest perfection?. (38)
Does such a one who lost both not perish like a riven
cloud without a hold, o Mighty-armed One, confused on the
path of transcendence as he is? (39)
This is my doubt, o Krishna, and I ask You to dispel it
completely, as besides You, there is certainly no other
remover of this doubt to be found.
(40)
The Supreme Lord said: 'O son of Prithâ, there is
never in this world nor in the next one destruction for
one who is engaged in doing good; surely no one who does
good will ever end in trouble. (41-42)
After achieving the worlds of those who performed piously
and after dwelling there for many years, the one who fell
from the path of yoga takes birth again in the house of
those prosperous and pure, or he will for sure take birth
in the family of experienced yoga-adepts, although such a
birth is naturally very rare in this world.
(43)
After that, he will revive the consciousness gained in
his previous embodiment and then again will strive for
perfection, o son of Kuru. (44)
By that previous practice, he certainly of his own will
be attracted and even be inquisitive about yoga and
transcend the routines of rite and prayer.
(45)
Endeavoring methodically such a transcendentalist will,
seeing all of his sins washed off in achieving perfection
through many many births, thereafter attain to the
highest destination. (46)
A yogi is greater than the ascetics and the wise and also
is the yogi considered greater than the ones working for
profit; therefore o Arjuna, become a yogi.
(47)
And of all sorts of yogîs, the one who in full
faith is always within himself thinking of Me and
rendering transcendental service, I consider to be the
greatest.
Spoken
by Anand Aadhar Prabhu
to
the text offered below