Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 Verse 22 — Atma Samyama Yoga
Sanskrit
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः | यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते ||६-२२||
Transliteration
yaṃ labdhvā cāparaṃ lābhaṃ manyate nādhikaṃ tataḥ . yasminsthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate ||6-22||
Hindi Meaning
।।6.22।। जिस लाभकी प्राप्ति होनेपर उससे अधिक कोई दूसरा लाभ उसके माननेमें भी नहीं आता और जिसमें स्थित होनेपर वह बड़े भारी दु:ख से भी विचलित नहीं होता है।।
English Meaning
Upon gaining this, he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty.
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 characteristic hai. Jab yeh process aage badhta hai, tab insaan trance ya samādhi mein chala jata hai, jahan yogi Supersoul ko apne transcendental mind aur intelligence ke zariye samajhta hai, bina kisi confusion ke ki wo khud ko Superself ke saath identify kare. Yoga practice Patañjali ke system par based hai, lekin kuch unauthorized commentators individual soul ko Supersoul ke saath confuse kar dete hain, aur monists ise liberation samajhte hain, par wo Patañjali ke yoga system ka asli maksad nahi samajhte. Patañjali system mein transcendental pleasure ka acceptance hai, lekin monists isse nahi maante kyunki unhe oneness ka theory khatam hone ka dar hai. Nondualist knowledge aur knower ki duality ko nahi maante, lekin is verse mein transcendental pleasure ko accept kiya gaya hai jo ki transcendental senses ke through realize hota hai. Patañjali Muni, jo yoga system ke mahan exponent hain, unhone apne Yoga-sūtras mein kaha hai ki yeh citi-śakti, ya internal potency, transcendental hai. Puruṣārtha ka matlab hai material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, aur aakhir mein Supreme ke saath ek hone ki koshish. Monist ise kaivalyam kehte hain, lekin Patañjali ke according, yeh kaivalyam ek internal potency hai jis se living entity apni asli position ko samajhta hai. Lord Caitanya ke shabdon mein, is state ko ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam kaha gaya hai, yaani mind ke impure mirror ka clearance. Yeh clearance asal mein liberation hai, ya bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. Nirvāṇa ki theory bhi is principle se judi hui hai. Bhāgavatam mein isse svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ kaha gaya hai. Bhagavad-gītā bhi is situation ko confirm karti hai. Nirvāṇa ke baad spiritual activities ya devotional service, jo Kṛṣṇa consciousness kehlata hai, manifest hota hai. Bhāgavatam ke shabdon mein, yeh “real life of the living entity” hai. Māyā, yaani illusion, spiritual life ki wo condition hai jo material infection se contaminated hai. Is material infection se liberation ka matlab living entity ki original eternal position ka destruction nahi hai. Patañjali bhi is baat ko accept karte hain jab wo kehte hain ki kaivalyaṁ svarūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti. Yeh citi-śakti, ya transcendental pleasure, asli life hai, jise Vedānta-sūtra mein ānanda-mayo ’bhyāsāt ke roop mein confirm kiya gaya hai. Yeh natural transcendental pleasure yoga ka ultimate goal hai aur bhakti-yoga ke through asaani se hasil kiya ja sakta hai. Bhakti-yoga ka vivid description Bhagavad-gītā ke Seventh Chapter mein diya gaya hai. Is chapter mein yoga system do tarah ke samādhi ko describe karta hai: samprajñāta-samādhi aur asamprajñāta-samādhi. Jab koi philosophical research ke zariye transcendental position mein aata hai, tab use samprajñāta-samādhi kaha jata hai. Asamprajñāta-samādhi mein koi mundane pleasure ka connection nahi hota, kyunki tab insaan sab tarah ki sensory happiness se transcendental hota hai. Jab yogi is transcendental position mein hota hai, to wo kabhi bhi isse hil nahi sakta. Agar yogi is position tak nahi pahunchta, to wo unsuccessful hai. Aaj kal ki so-called yoga practice, jo sense pleasures ko involve karti hai, wo contradictory hai. Ek yogi jo sex aur intoxication mein indulge karta hai, wo yoga ka mazak uda raha hai. Jo yogi yoga ke process mein siddhis (perfections) ki taraf attract hote hain, wo bhi perfectly situated nahi hote. Agar yogi yoga ke by-products ki taraf attract hote hain, to wo perfection ka stage nahi paa sakte, jaise is verse mein kaha gaya hai. Isliye, jo log gymnastic feats ya siddhis ki make-show practice karte hain, unhe samajhna chahiye ki yoga ka aim waisa kho gaya hai. Is age mein best yoga practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness hai, jo confusing nahi hai. Ek Kṛṣṇa conscious insaan itna khush hota hai apne kaam mein ki wo kisi aur happiness ki tamanna nahi karta. Is hypocritical age mein haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga aur jñāna-yoga practice karne mein bahut saari rukawatein hain, lekin karma-yoga ya bhakti-yoga mein aisi koi samasya nahi hai. Jab tak material body hai, insaan ko body ki zarurat – jaise khana, sona, defend karna aur mating – puri karni hoti hai. Lekin jo insaan pure bhakti-yoga ya Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein hai, wo body ki zarurat poori karte waqt senses ko disturb nahi karta. Wo sirf life ki basic necessities ko accept karta hai, aur bhakti-yoga mein transcendental happiness ka anand uthata hai. Wo incidental occurrences – jaise accidents, disease, scarcity, aur sabse pyaare relative ki death – se indifferent hota hai, lekin hamesha Kṛṣṇa consciousness ya bhakti-yoga mein apne duties ko pura karne ke liye alert rehta hai. Accidents usse apne duty se nahi hata sakte. Bhagavad-gītā mein kaha gaya hai (2.14), āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Wo sab aisi incidental occurrences ko sah leta hai kyunki wo jaanta hai ki ye aati jaati hain aur uski duties ko affect nahi karti. Is tarah wo yoga practice mein highest perfection ko achieve karta hai.