श्रीभगवानुवाच |
अनाश्रितः कर्मफलं कार्यं कर्म करोति यः |
स संन्यासी च योगी च न निरग्निर्न चाक्रियः ||६-१||
śrībhagavānuvāca .
anāśritaḥ karmaphalaṃ kāryaṃ karma karoti yaḥ .
sa saṃnyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnirna cākriyaḥ ||6-1||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Krishna said: One who does the work that is their duty without depending on the result of action, that person is a renunciant and a yogi. Not the one who keeps no fire and does no action.
यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव |
न ह्यसंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन ||६-२||
yaṃ saṃnyāsamiti prāhuryogaṃ taṃ viddhi pāṇḍava .
na hyasaṃnyastasaṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana ||6-2||
Simple English
Primary Translation
What they call renunciation, know that to be yoga, O Pandava. No one becomes a yogi without giving up selfish intention.
आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते |
योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते ||६-३||
ārurukṣormuneryogaṃ karma kāraṇamucyate .
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate ||6-3||
Simple English
Primary Translation
For the sage who wishes to rise to yoga, action is said to be the means. For that same person, once established in yoga, stillness is said to be the means.
यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते |
सर्वसङ्कल्पसंन्यासी योगारूढस्तदोच्यते ||६-४||
yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasvanuṣajjate .
sarvasaṅkalpasaṃnyāsī yogārūḍhastadocyate ||6-4||
Simple English
Primary Translation
When a person is not attached to sense objects or to actions, and has renounced all selfish intentions, then that person is said to be established in yoga.
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ||६-५||
uddharedātmanātmānaṃ nātmānamavasādayet .
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ ||6-5||
Simple English
Primary Translation
One should lift oneself up by oneself. One should not bring oneself down. The self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self.
बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः |
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ||६-६||
bandhurātmātmanastasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ .
anātmanastu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat ||6-6||
Simple English
Primary Translation
For one who has conquered the self by the self, the self is a friend. But for one who has not conquered the self, the self acts as an enemy.
जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः |
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः ||६-७||
jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ .
śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ ||6-7||
Simple English
Primary Translation
For one who has conquered the self and is at peace, the supreme self is steady in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor.
ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः |
युक्त इत्युच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ||६-८||
jñānavijñānatṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ .
yukta ityucyate yogī samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ ||6-8||
Simple English
Primary Translation
One who is satisfied with knowledge and discernment, who is unmoved, who has mastered the senses, is called absorbed. To that yogi, a clod, a stone, and gold are the same.
सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु |
साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते ||६-९||
suhṛnmitrāryudāsīnamadhyasthadveṣyabandhuṣu .
sādhuṣvapi ca pāpeṣu samabuddhirviśiṣyate ||6-9||
Simple English
Primary Translation
One who has the same view toward well-wishers, friends, enemies, the neutral, the impartial, the hateful, relatives, the righteous, and the unrighteous, is outstanding.
योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थितः |
एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा निराशीरपरिग्रहः ||६-१०||
yogī yuñjīta satatamātmānaṃ rahasi sthitaḥ .
ekākī yatacittātmā nirāśīraparigrahaḥ ||6-10||
Simple English
Primary Translation
A yogi should constantly concentrate the mind by staying in a solitary place, alone, with mind and body controlled, free from longing and possessions.
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः |
नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् ||६-११||
śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiramāsanamātmanaḥ .
nātyucchritaṃ nātinīcaṃ cailājinakuśottaram ||6-11||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Having set up a firm seat for oneself in a clean place, neither too high nor too low, covered with cloth, deerskin, and kusa grass laid in order,
तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः |
उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये ||६-१२||
tatraikāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā yatacittendriyakriyaḥ .
upaviśyāsane yuñjyādyogamātmaviśuddhaye ||6-12||
Simple English
Primary Translation
sitting on that seat, making the mind one-pointed, controlling the movements of mind and senses, one should practice yoga for the purification of the self.
समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः |
सम्प्रेक्ष्य नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश्चानवलोकयन् ||६-१३||
samaṃ kāyaśirogrīvaṃ dhārayannacalaṃ sthiraḥ .
samprekṣya nāsikāgraṃ svaṃ diśaścānavalokayan ||6-13||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Holding the body, head, and neck upright and still, not moving, gazing at the tip of one's own nose and not looking around,
प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितः |
मनः संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्परः ||६-१४||
praśāntātmā vigatabhīrbrahmacārivrate sthitaḥ .
manaḥ saṃyamya maccitto yukta āsīta matparaḥ ||6-14||
Simple English
Primary Translation
with a calm mind, free from fear, firm in the vow of celibacy, controlling the mind and keeping it fixed on me, one should sit in yoga, intent on me as the supreme goal.
युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी नियतमानसः |
शान्तिं निर्वाणपरमां मत्संस्थामधिगच्छति ||६-१५||
yuñjannevaṃ sadātmānaṃ yogī niyatamānasaḥ .
śāntiṃ nirvāṇaparamāṃ matsaṃsthāmadhigacchati ||6-15||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Practicing yoga constantly in this way, the yogi of controlled mind reaches the peace that culminates in liberation and abides in me.
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः |
न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ||६-१६||
nātyaśnatastu yogo.asti na caikāntamanaśnataḥ .
na cātisvapnaśīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna ||6-16||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who does not eat at all. It is not for one who sleeps too much, nor for one who stays awake too much, O Arjuna.
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु |
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ||६-१७||
yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu .
yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā ||6-17||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Yoga becomes a remover of sorrow for one whose eating and movement are balanced, whose effort in action is moderate, and whose sleep and waking are regulated.
यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते |
निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ||६-१८||
yadā viniyataṃ cittamātmanyevāvatiṣṭhate .
niḥspṛhaḥ sarvakāmebhyo yukta ityucyate tadā ||6-18||
Simple English
Primary Translation
When the controlled mind rests in the self alone, free from longing for any object of desire, then that person is said to be absorbed.
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता |
योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः ||६-१९||
yathā dīpo nivātastho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā .
yogino yatacittasya yuñjato yogamātmanaḥ ||6-19||
Simple English
Primary Translation
A lamp in a windless place does not flicker. That is the image recalled for the yogi of controlled mind who is absorbed in the yoga of the self.
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया |
यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति ||६-२०||
yatroparamate cittaṃ niruddhaṃ yogasevayā .
yatra caivātmanātmānaṃ paśyannātmani tuṣyati ||6-20||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Where the mind comes to rest, restrained by the practice of yoga, and where, seeing the self through the self, one is content in the self alone,
सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद् बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम् |
वेत्ति यत्र न चैवायं स्थितश्चलति तत्त्वतः ||६-२१||
sukhamātyantikaṃ yattad buddhigrāhyamatīndriyam .
vetti yatra na caivāyaṃ sthitaścalati tattvataḥ ||6-21||
Simple English
Primary Translation
where one knows that absolute joy which is grasped by the intellect and is beyond the senses, and being established there, does not move away from the truth,
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः |
यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते ||६-२२||
yaṃ labdhvā cāparaṃ lābhaṃ manyate nādhikaṃ tataḥ .
yasminsthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate ||6-22||
Simple English
Primary Translation
having gained which, one thinks no other gain is greater, and being established in which, one is not shaken even by great sorrow,
तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम् |
स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा ||६-२३||
taṃ vidyād duḥkhasaṃyogaviyogaṃ yogasaṃjñitam .
sa niścayena yoktavyo yogo.anirviṇṇacetasā ||6-23||
Simple English
Primary Translation
know that severance from the pain of contact with sorrow to be what is called yoga. That yoga should be practiced with determination and without a despairing heart.
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः |
मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्ततः ||६-२४||
saṅkalpaprabhavānkāmāṃstyaktvā sarvānaśeṣataḥ .
manasaivendriyagrāmaṃ viniyamya samantataḥ ||6-24||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Giving up entirely all desires born from thought, and restraining all the senses on every side with the mind alone,
शनैः शनैरुपरमेद् बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया |
आत्मसंस्थं मनः कृत्वा न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत् ||६-२५||
śanaiḥ śanairuparamed buddhyā dhṛtigṛhītayā .
ātmasaṃsthaṃ manaḥ kṛtvā na kiñcidapi cintayet ||6-25||
Simple English
Primary Translation
little by little one should come to stillness, with the intellect held steady. Having fixed the mind in the self, one should think of nothing at all.
यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् |
ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ||६-२६||
yato yato niścarati manaścañcalamasthiram .
tatastato niyamyaitadātmanyeva vaśaṃ nayet ||6-26||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Wherever the restless, unsteady mind wanders, one should bring it back and draw it under the control of the self.
प्रशान्तमनसं ह्येनं योगिनं सुखमुत्तमम् |
उपैति शान्तरजसं ब्रह्मभूतमकल्मषम् ||६-२७||
praśāntamanasaṃ hyenaṃ yoginaṃ sukhamuttamam .
upaiti śāntarajasaṃ brahmabhūtamakalmaṣam ||6-27||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Supreme joy comes to this yogi whose mind has become fully calm, whose passion has subsided, who has become the absolute, and who is free from wrong.
युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी विगतकल्मषः |
सुखेन ब्रह्मसंस्पर्शमत्यन्तं सुखमश्नुते ||६-२८||
yuñjannevaṃ sadātmānaṃ yogī vigatakalmaṣaḥ .
sukhena brahmasaṃsparśamatyantaṃ sukhamaśnute ||6-28||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Practicing yoga constantly in this way, the yogi who is free from wrong easily touches the absolute and enjoys boundless joy.
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि |
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः ||६-२९||
sarvabhūtasthamātmānaṃ sarvabhūtāni cātmani .
īkṣate yogayuktātmā sarvatra samadarśanaḥ ||6-29||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The one whose self is absorbed through yoga, and who sees the same everywhere, sees the self in all beings and all beings in the self.
यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति |
तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति ||६-३०||
yo māṃ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṃ ca mayi paśyati .
tasyāhaṃ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati ||6-30||
Simple English
Primary Translation
One who sees me everywhere and sees all things in me, I am not lost to that person, and that person is not lost to me.
सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः |
सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि स योगी मयि वर्तते ||६-३१||
sarvabhūtasthitaṃ yo māṃ bhajatyekatvamāsthitaḥ .
sarvathā vartamāno.api sa yogī mayi vartate ||6-31||
Simple English
Primary Translation
That yogi who, established in unity, worships me as present in all beings, lives in me, whatever their condition.
आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन |
सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं स योगी परमो मतः ||६-३२||
ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṃ paśyati yo.arjuna .
sukhaṃ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṃ sa yogī paramo mataḥ ||6-32||
Simple English
Primary Translation
O Arjuna, the one who sees equally in all beings, in pleasure or in pain, measuring by the same standard as the self, is considered the highest yogi.
योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन |
एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात्स्थितिं स्थिराम् ||६-३३||
arjuna uvāca .
yo.ayaṃ yogastvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana .
etasyāhaṃ na paśyāmi cañcalatvātsthitiṃ sthirām ||6-33||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Arjuna said: This yoga of sameness that you have described, O Madhusudana, I do not see how it can stand steady, because the mind is restless.
चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद् दृढम् |
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ||६-३४||
cañcalaṃ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham .
tasyāhaṃ nigrahaṃ manye vāyoriva suduṣkaram ||6-34||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The mind is restless, Krishna, turbulent, strong, and stubborn. I think controlling it is as hard as controlling the wind.
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् |
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ||६-३५||
śrībhagavānuvāca .
asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam .
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate ||6-35||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Krishna said: Without doubt, O mighty-armed one, the mind is hard to control and restless. But it is brought under control through practice and dispassion, O son of Kunti.
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः |
वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः ||६-३६||
asaṃyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ .
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyo.avāptumupāyataḥ ||6-36||
Simple English
Primary Translation
I hold that yoga is hard to reach for one whose self is not controlled. But one who strives and has a controlled self can attain it through the right means.
अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः |
अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति ||६-३७||
arjuna uvāca .
ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto yogāccalitamānasaḥ .
aprāpya yogasaṃsiddhiṃ kāṃ gatiṃ kṛṣṇa gacchati ||6-37||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Arjuna said: One who has faith but does not strive hard, whose mind slips away from yoga and fails to reach perfection in yoga, what path does that person take, O Krishna?
कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति |
अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि ||६-३८||
kaccinnobhayavibhraṣṭaśchinnābhramiva naśyati .
apratiṣṭho mahābāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi ||6-38||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Does such a person fall away from both paths and perish like a scattered cloud, with no footing, O mighty-armed one, confused on the path to the absolute?
एतन्मे संशयं कृष्ण छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः |
त्वदन्यः संशयस्यास्य छेत्ता न ह्युपपद्यते ||६-३९||
etanme saṃśayaṃ kṛṣṇa chettumarhasyaśeṣataḥ .
tvadanyaḥ saṃśayasyāsya chettā na hyupapadyate ||6-39||
Simple English
Primary Translation
O Krishna, you should remove this doubt of mine completely. No one other than you can dispel this doubt.
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते |
न हि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद् दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ||६-४०||
śrībhagavānuvāca .
pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśastasya vidyate .
na hi kalyāṇakṛtkaścid durgatiṃ tāta gacchati ||6-40||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Krishna said: O Partha, for that person there is no ruin here or hereafter. No one who acts rightly comes to a bad end, my friend.
प्राप्य पुण्यकृतां लोकानुषित्वा शाश्वतीः समाः |
शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे योगभ्रष्टोऽभिजायते ||६-४१||
prāpya puṇyakṛtāṃ lokānuṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ .
śucīnāṃ śrīmatāṃ gehe yogabhraṣṭo.abhijāyate ||6-41||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Having reached the worlds of the righteous and lived there for many years, the one who fell from yoga is born in a home of the pure and the prosperous.
अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम् |
एतद्धि दुर्लभतरं लोके जन्म यदीदृशम् ||६-४२||
athavā yogināmeva kule bhavati dhīmatām .
etaddhi durlabhataraṃ loke janma yadīdṛśam ||6-42||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Or that person is born into a family of wise yogis. A birth like this is even harder to come by in the world.
तत्र तं बुद्धिसंयोगं लभते पौर्वदेहिकम् |
यतते च ततो भूयः संसिद्धौ कुरुनन्दन ||६-४३||
tatra taṃ buddhisaṃyogaṃ labhate paurvadehikam .
yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saṃsiddhau kurunandana ||6-43||
Simple English
Primary Translation
There, that person regains the understanding built in the previous body, and strives again from there toward perfection, O descendant of Kuru.
पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि सः |
जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते ||६-४४||
pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva hriyate hyavaśo.api saḥ .
jijñāsurapi yogasya śabdabrahmātivartate ||6-44||
Simple English
Primary Translation
By that same prior practice, that person is carried forward even without intending it. Even one who merely inquires about yoga goes beyond the results of Vedic rituals.
प्रयत्नाद्यतमानस्तु योगी संशुद्धकिल्बिषः |
अनेकजन्मसंसिद्धस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ||६-४५||
prayatnādyatamānastu yogī saṃśuddhakilbiṣaḥ .
anekajanmasaṃsiddhastato yāti parāṃ gatim ||6-45||
Simple English
Primary Translation
But the yogi who strives with effort, purified from wrong, perfected through many births, then goes to the highest goal.
तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः |
कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिको योगी तस्माद्योगी भवार्जुन ||६-४६||
tapasvibhyo.adhiko yogī jñānibhyo.api mato.adhikaḥ .
karmibhyaścādhiko yogī tasmādyogī bhavārjuna ||6-46||
Simple English
Primary Translation
A yogi is greater than those who practice austerity. A yogi is considered greater than those with knowledge. A yogi is greater than those who perform ritual action. Therefore, O Arjuna, be a yogi.
योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना |
श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः ||६-४७||
yogināmapi sarveṣāṃ madgatenāntarātmanā .
śraddhāvānbhajate yo māṃ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ ||6-47||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Among all yogis, the one who worships me with inner self fixed on me and with faith, that one is considered by me to be the most deeply absorbed in yoga.