Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Verse 21 — Atma Samyama Yoga
Sanskrit
सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद् बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम् | वेत्ति यत्र न चैवायं स्थितश्चलति तत्त्वतः ||६-२१||
Transliteration
sukhamātyantikaṃ yattad buddhigrāhyamatīndriyam . vetti yatra na caivāyaṃ sthitaścalati tattvataḥ ||6-21||
Hindi Meaning
।।6.21।। जो सुख आत्यन्तिक, अतीन्द्रिय और बुध्दिग्राह्म है, उस सुखका जिस अवस्थामें अनुभव करता है और जिस सुखमें स्थित हुआ यह ध्यानयोगी फिर कभी तत्वसे विचलित नहीं होता है।।
English Meaning
In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain.
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 jata hai, ye yoga ka sabse bada pehchaan hai. Jab wo is stage tak pahunchta hai, to wo samādhi ya trance mein chala jata hai, jahan yogī Supersoul ko apne transcendental mind aur intelligence ke through samajhta hai, bina apne aap ko Superself se jodne ki galti kiye. Yoga ki practice zyada tar Patañjali ke principles par adharit hai. Kuch log jo unauthorized commentary karte hain, wo individual soul ko Supersoul se jodte hain, aur monists ise liberation samajhte hain, par wo Patañjali ke yoga system ka asli maksad nahi samajhte. Patañjali ke system mein transcendental pleasure ka swikar hai, lekin monists ise nahi maante kyunki unhe oneness ka dar hota hai. Nondualist knowledge aur knower ki duality ko nahi maante, lekin is verse mein transcendental pleasure ko maan liya gaya hai, jo Patañjali Muni ke dwara bhi confirm kiya gaya hai. Wo apne Yoga-sūtras mein kehte hain ki citi-śakti, yaani internal potency, transcendental hai. Puruṣārtha ka matlab hai material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, aur ant mein Supreme ke saath ek hone ki koshish. Ye “oneness with the Supreme” ko monists kaivalyam kehte hain. Lekin Patañjali kehte hain ki ye kaivalyam ek internal potency hai jisse jeev apne asli position ko samajhta hai. Lord Caitanya ke shabdon mein, is stithi ko ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam yaani mind ke impure mirror ka saaf karna kaha gaya hai. Ye “clearance” asal mein liberation hai. Bhāgavatam mein ise svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ kaha gaya hai. Bhagavad-gītā bhi is stithi ko confirm karti hai. Nirvāṇa ke baad, spiritual activities ya Lord ki bhakti, jo Kṛṣṇa consciousness kehlati hai, shuru hoti hai. Bhāgavatam ke shabdon mein, ye “living entity ki asli zindagi” hai. Māyā, yaani illusion, wo stithi hai jahan spiritual life ko material infection ne contaminate kar diya hai. Is material infection se liberation ka matlab jeev ki original eternal position ka destruction nahi hai. Patañjali bhi ise accept karte hain. Ye citi-śakti, yaani transcendental pleasure, asli zindagi hai. Ye Vedānta-sūtra mein bhi confirm hota hai. Ye natural transcendental pleasure yoga ka ultimate goal hai aur bhakti-yoga ke through aasani se achieve kiya ja sakta hai. Bhakti-yoga ko Bhagavad-gītā ke Seventh Chapter mein achhe se samjhaya gaya hai. Is chapter mein yoga system ko do tarah ke samādhi mein bataya gaya hai: samprajñāta-samādhi aur asamprajñāta-samādhi. Jab koi vyakti philosophical research karke transcendental position mein aata hai, to usse samprajñāta-samādhi maana jata hai. Asamprajñāta-samādhi mein mundane pleasure se koi connection nahi hota, kyunki wo sabhi tarah ki sensory happiness se transcendental hota hai. Jab yogī is transcendental position mein hota hai, to wo kabhi bhi isse hil nahi sakta. Agar yogī is position tak nahi pahunchta, to wo unsuccessful hai. Aaj kal ka so-called yoga practice, jo various sense pleasures mein hai, wo contradictory hai. Ek yogī agar sex aur intoxication mein indulge karta hai, to ye ek mazak hai. Jo yogī yoga ke siddhis se attract hote hain, wo bhi perfectly situated nahi hote. Agar yogī yoga ke by-products se attract hote hain, to wo perfection nahi paa sakte. Isliye, jo log gymnastic feats ya siddhis ka make-show karte hain, unhe pata hona chahiye ki unka yoga ka aim kho gaya hai. Is age mein sabse accha yoga practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness hai, jo kisi bhi confusion se door hai. Ek Kṛṣṇa conscious vyakti apne kaam mein itna khush hota hai ki wo kisi aur happiness ki tamanna nahi karta. Is hypocritical age mein haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga aur jñāna-yoga karne mein bahut rukawatein hain, lekin karma-yoga ya bhakti-yoga karne mein koi dikkat nahi hai. Jab tak material body hai, tab tak insaan ko body ki zarooratein puri karni padti hain, jaise khana, sona, bachav karna aur mating. Lekin jo vyakti pure bhakti-yoga ya Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein hai, wo body ki zarooratein puri karte waqt senses ko nahi jagata. Wo sirf life ki bare necessities ko accept karta hai, aur Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein transcendental happiness ka anand leta hai. Wo incidental occurrences, jaise accidents, disease, ya kisi pyare ka marna, se indifferent hota hai, lekin wo hamesha Kṛṣṇa consciousness ya bhakti-yoga mein apne duties ko poora karne ke liye alert rehta hai. Accidents usse uske duty se nahi hata sakte. Bhagavad-gītā mein kaha gaya hai ki wo sab kuch sah leta hai kyunki wo jaanta hai ki ye aate jaate hain aur uske duties ko affect nahi karte. Is tarah se wo yoga practice mein highest perfection ko achieve karta hai.