Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Verse 20 — Atma Samyama Yoga
Sanskrit
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया | यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति ||६-२०||
Transliteration
yatroparamate cittaṃ niruddhaṃ yogasevayā . yatra caivātmanātmānaṃ paśyannātmani tuṣyati ||6-20||
Hindi Meaning
।।6.20।। योगका सेवन करनेसे जिस अवस्थामें निरुध्द चित्त उपराम हो जाता है तथा जिस अवस्थामें स्वयं अपने-आपमें अपने-आपको देखता हुआ अपने-आपमें सन्तुष्ट हो जाता है।।
English Meaning
In the stage of perfection called trance, or samādhi, one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self.
Commentary
By practice of yoga one becomes gradually detached from material concepts. This is the primary characteristic of the yoga principle. And after this, one becomes situated in trance, or samādhi, which means that the yogī realizes the Supersoul through transcendental mind and intelligence, without any of the misgivings of identifying the self with the Superself. Yoga practice is more or less based on the principles of the Patañjali system. Some unauthorized commentators try to identify the individual soul with the Supersoul, and the monists think this to be liberation, but they do not understand the real purpose of the Patañjali system of yoga. There is an acceptance of transcendental pleasure in the Patañjali system, but the monists do not accept this transcendental pleasure, out of fear of jeopardizing the theory of oneness. The duality of knowledge and knower is not accepted by the nondualist, but in this verse transcendental pleasure – realized through transcendental senses – is accepted. And this is corroborated by Patañjali Muni, the famous exponent of the yoga system. The great sage declares in his Yoga-sūtras (4.33): puruṣārtha-śūnyānāṁ guṇānāṁ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṁ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti. This citi-śakti, or internal potency, is transcendental. Puruṣārtha means material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, the attempt to become one with the Supreme. This “oneness with the Supreme” is called kaivalyam by the monist. But according to Patañjali, this kaivalyam is an internal, or transcendental, potency by which the living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. In the words of Lord Caitanya, this state of affairs is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, or clearance of the impure mirror of the mind. This “clearance” is actually liberation, or bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. The theory of nirvāṇa – also preliminary – corresponds with this principle. In the Bhāgavatam (2.10.6) this is called svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. The Bhagavad-gītā also confirms this situation in this verse. After nirvāṇa, or material cessation, there is the manifestation of spiritual activities, or devotional service to the Lord, known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the words of the Bhāgavatam , svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ: this is the “real life of the living entity.” Māyā, or illusion, is the condition of spiritual life contaminated by material infection. Liberation from this material infection does not mean destruction of the original eternal position of the living entity. Patañjali also accepts this by his words kaivalyaṁ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti. This citi-śakti, or transcendental pleasure, is real life. This is confirmed in the Vedānta-sūtra (1.1.12) as ānanda-mayo ’bhyāsāt. This natural transcendental pleasure is the ultimate goal of yoga and is easily achieved by execution of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga will be vividly described in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā . In the yoga system, as described in this chapter, there are two kinds of samādhi, called samprajñāta-samādhi and asamprajñāta-samādhi. When one becomes situated in the transcendental position by various philosophical researches, he is said to have achieved samprajñāta-samādhi. In the asamprajñāta-samādhi there is no longer any connection with mundane pleasure, for one is then transcendental to all sorts of happiness derived from the senses. When the yogī is once situated in that transcendental position, he is never shaken from it. Unless the yogī is able to reach this position, he is unsuccessful. Today’s so-called yoga practice, which involves various sense pleasures, is contradictory. A yogī indulging in sex and intoxication is a mockery. Even those yogīs who are attracted by the siddhis (perfections) in the process of yoga are not perfectly situated. If yogīs are attracted by the by-products of yoga, then they cannot attain the stage of perfection, as is stated in this verse. Persons, therefore, indulging in the make-show practice of gymnastic feats or siddhis should know that the aim of yoga is lost in that way. The best practice of yoga in this age is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is not baffling. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is so happy in his occupation that he does not aspire after any other happiness. There are many impediments, especially in this age of hypocrisy, to practicing haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga and jñāna-yoga, but there is no such problem in executing karma-yoga or bhakti-yoga. As long as the material body exists, one has to meet the demands of the body, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But a person who is in pure bhakti-yoga, or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, does not arouse the senses while meeting the demands of the body. Rather, he accepts the bare necessities of life, making the best use of a bad bargain, and enjoys transcendental happiness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is callous toward incidental occurrences – such as accidents, disease, scarcity and even the death of a most dear relative – but he is always alert to execute his duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or bhakti-yoga. Accidents never deviate him from his duty. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.14) , āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. He endures all such incidental occurrences because he knows that they come and go and do not affect his duties. In this way he achieves the highest perfection in yoga practice.
Hinglish Commentary
Yoga ki practice se insaan dheere-dheere material concepts se alag hota hai, yeh yoga ka sabse bada feature hai. Jab yeh process hota hai, tab insaan samādhi ya trance mein chala jata hai, jahan yogi Supersoul ko apne transcendental mind aur intelligence se samajhta hai, bina apne aap ko Superself se milane ki galat fehmi rakhte hue. Yoga ka ye process Patañjali ke principles par adharit hai. Kuch log jo unauthorized hai, wo individual soul ko Supersoul ke sath milane ki koshish karte hain, aur monists ise liberation samajhte hain, lekin unhe Patañjali ke yoga system ka asli maqsad samajh nahi aata. Patañjali ka system transcendental pleasure ko accept karta hai, par monists isse nahi maante, kyunki unhe oneness ka theory khatrey mein lagta hai. Nondualist knowledge aur knower ki duality ko nahi maante, lekin is verse mein transcendental pleasure ko accept kiya gaya hai, jo ki Patañjali Muni ke dwara bhi confirm kiya gaya hai. Unhone apne Yoga-sūtras mein kaha hai ki ye citi-śakti, yaani internal potency, transcendental hai. Puruṣārtha ka matlab hai material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, aur aakhir mein Supreme ke sath milne ki koshish. Monist ise kaivalyam kehta hai, lekin Patañjali ke hisaab se, yeh kaivalyam ek internal potency hai, jisse living entity apni asli position ko samajhta hai. Lord Caitanya ke shabdon mein, is state ko ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, yaani mind ke impure mirror ka clearance kaha gaya hai. Yeh "clearance" asal mein liberation hai, yaani bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. Nirvāṇa ka theory bhi is principle se juda hai. Bhāgavatam mein isse svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ kaha gaya hai. Bhagavad-gītā bhi is situation ko confirm karti hai. Nirvāṇa ke baad, spiritual activities ka manifestation hota hai, yaani Kṛṣṇa consciousness ka devotional service. Bhāgavatam ke shabdon mein, yeh "real life of the living entity" hai. Māyā, yaani illusion, wo condition hai jahan spiritual life material infection se contaminate ho jata hai. Is material infection se liberation ka matlab yeh nahi hai ki living entity ki original eternal position khatam ho jaye. Patañjali bhi is baat ko maante hain ki citi-śakti, yaani transcendental pleasure, asli life hai. Yeh Vedānta-sūtra mein bhi confirm kiya gaya hai. Yeh natural transcendental pleasure yoga ka ultimate goal hai aur bhakti-yoga ke madhyam se asani se hasil kiya ja sakta hai. Bhakti-yoga ko Bhagavad-gītā ke Seventh Chapter mein achhe se explain kiya gaya hai. Is chapter mein yoga system ke do types ke samādhi hain: samprajñāta-samādhi aur asamprajñāta-samādhi. Jab koi vyakti philosophical research ke zariye transcendental position mein aata hai, tab usse samprajñāta-samādhi milta hai. Asamprajñāta-samādhi mein mundane pleasure se koi connection nahi hota, kyunki insaan har tarah ke sense-derived happiness se transcendental hota hai. Jab yogi is transcendental position mein hota hai, tab wo kabhi bhi isse shake nahi hota. Agar yogi is position tak nahi pahunchta, toh wo successful nahi hota. Aaj kal ke so-called yoga practices, jo sense pleasures se bhari hain, wo contradictory hain. Yogi agar sex aur intoxication mein indulge karta hai, toh wo ek tarah se mazak hai. Jo yogi yoga ke siddhis ke taraf attract hote hain, wo bhi perfectly situated nahi hote. Agar yogi yoga ke by-products ke liye attract hote hain, toh wo perfection stage nahi paa sakte. Isliye, jo log gymnastic feats ya siddhis ki make-show practice karte hain, unhe samajhna chahiye ki yoga ka aim wahan kho jata hai. Is age ka best yoga practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness hai, jo confuse nahi karta. Kṛṣṇa conscious vyakti itna khush hota hai ki wo kisi aur happiness ki tamanna nahi karta. Is hypocritical age mein haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga aur jñāna-yoga ko practice karne mein kai rukawatein hain, lekin karma-yoga ya bhakti-yoga mein aisi koi samasya nahi hai. Jab tak material body exist karti hai, insaan ko body ki needs puri karni padti hain, jaise khana, sona, defend karna aur mating. Lekin jo vyakti pure bhakti-yoga ya Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein hai, wo body ki demands ko pura karte hue senses ko jagata nahi. Wo sirf life ki bare necessities ko accept karta hai, aur Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein transcendental happiness ka anubhav karta hai. Wo incidental occurrences, jaise accidents, disease, scarcity, aur pyare rishtey ki death se indifferent hota hai, par wo hamesha Kṛṣṇa consciousness ya bhakti-yoga mein apne duties ko execute karne ke liye alert rehta hai. Accidents usse apne duty se nahi bhatakne dete. Bhagavad-gītā ke shabdon mein, wo sab kuch sah leta hai kyunki wo jaanta hai ki yeh aate jaate hain aur uske duties ko affect nahi karte. Is tarike se wo yoga practice mein highest perfection achieve karta hai.