Chapter 6 · 47 verses

आत्मसंयमयोग

Ātma Saṃyama Yoga (Dhyāna Yoga)

The Yoga of Meditation / Self-Control

Krishna describes the practice of meditation — the seat, posture, regulated life, and the steadying of a restless mind. He assures Arjuna that no sincere effort is ever lost; even a failed yogi continues the journey in future lives.

Theme: Meditation and mastery of the mind

All Shlokas (Shloka 1–47)

47 verses

6.1
श्री भगवानुवाचThe Blessed Lord said: He who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits of his actions—he is a sannyasi and a yogi, not he who is without fire and without action.
6.2
यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव।Do you, O Arjuna, know that Yoga is what they call renunciation; no one indeed becomes a Yogi who has not renounced their thoughts.
6.3
आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते।For a sage who wishes to attain to Yoga, action is said to be the means; for the same sage who has attained Yoga, inaction is said to be the means.
6.4
यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते।When a person is not attached to the sense-objects or to actions, having renounced all thoughts, then they are said to have attained Yoga.
6.5
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।Let a person lift himself by his own self; let him not degrade himself. For the self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is its enemy.
6.6
बन्धुरात्माऽऽत्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः।The Self is the friend of the self of him by whom the Self has been conquered; but to the unconquered self, this Self stands in the position of an enemy, like an external foe.
6.7
जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः।The Supreme Self of him who is self-controlled and peaceful remains balanced in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, as well as in honor and dishonor.
6.8
ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः।The Yogi who is satisfied with the knowledge and wisdom of the Self, who has conquered the senses, and to whom a clod of earth, a piece of stone, and gold are all the same, is said to have attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
6.9
सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु।He who is of the same mind towards the good-hearted, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful, the relatives, the righteous, and the unrighteous, excels.
6.10
योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थितः।Let the yogi constantly strive to keep the mind steady, remaining in solitude, alone, with the body and mind controlled, and free from hope and greed.
6.11
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः।In a clean spot, having established a firm seat of his own, neither too high nor too low, made of cloth, skin, and kusha grass layered one over the other.
6.12
तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः।There, having made the mind one-pointed, with the actions of the mind and senses controlled, let him, seated on the seat, practice Yoga for the purification of the self.
6.13
समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः।Let him firmly hold his body, head, and neck erect and still, gazing at the tip of his nose without looking around.
6.14
प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितः।Serene-minded, fearless, firm in the vow of a Brahmachari, having controlled their mind, thinking of Me and balanced in mind, let them sit, having Me as their supreme goal.
6.15
युञ्जन्नेवं सदाऽऽत्मानं योगी नियतमानसः।Thus, always keeping the mind balanced, the yogi, with the mind controlled, attains the peace abiding in Me, culminating in liberation.
6.16
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः।Verily, Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much, nor for him who does not eat at all, nor for him who sleeps too much, nor for him who is always awake, O Arjuna.
6.17
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु।Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is moderate in eating and recreation (such as walking, etc.), who exercises moderation in action, and who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.
6.18
यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते।When the perfectly controlled mind rests in the Self alone, free from longing for any of the objects of desire, then it is said, 'He is united'.
6.19
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता।As a lamp placed in a windless spot does not flicker, so is the Yogi of a controlled mind, who practices Yoga in the Self, compared.
6.20
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया।When the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, attains quietude, and when one sees the Self by the Self, they are satisfied in their own Self.
6.21
सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद्बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम्।When he (the Yogi) feels that infinite bliss which can be grasped by the pure intellect and which transcends the senses, and is established therein, never moving away from the reality.
6.22
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः।Having obtained it, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; established in it, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow.
6.23
तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम्।Let this be known by the name of Yoga, the severance from union with pain. This Yoga should be practiced with determination and with an undespairing mind.
6.24
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः।Abandoning unreservedly all desires born of Sankalpa (thought and imagination) and completely restraining the whole group of senses by the mind from all sides.
6.25
शनैः शनैरुपरमेद् बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया।Little by little, let him attain steadiness of the intellect by holding it firmly; having made the mind establish itself in the Self, let him not think of anything else.
6.26
यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम्।From whatever cause the restless and unsteady mind wanders away, let him restrain it from that and bring it under the control of the Self alone.
6.27
प्रशान्तमनसं ह्येनं योगिनं सुखमुत्तमम्।Supreme Bliss indeed comes to this Yogi whose mind is made peaceful, whose passion is quelled, who has become Brahman, and who is free from sin.
6.28
युञ्जन्नेवं सदाऽऽत्मानं योगी विगतकल्मषः।The yogi, always engaging the mind thus (in the practice of yoga), is freed from sins and easily enjoys the infinite bliss of contact with Brahman (the Eternal).
6.29
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि।With the mind harmonized by Yoga, he sees the Self abiding in all beings and all beings in the Self; he sees the same everywhere.
6.30
यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति।He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, never becomes separated from Me, nor do I from him.
6.31
सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः।He who, being established in unity, worships Me, who dwells in all beings, that yogi abides in Me, whatever their mode of living may be.
6.32
आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन।He who, through the likeness of the Self, O Arjuna, sees reality everywhere, be it pleasure or pain, is regarded as the highest Yogi.
6.33
अर्जुन उवाचArjuna said, "O Krishna, I do not see how this Yoga of equanimity, which you have taught me, can be maintained steadily, due to the restlessness of the mind."
6.34
चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम्।The mind is indeed restless, turbulent, strong, and unyielding, O Krishna; I consider it as difficult to control as controlling the wind.
6.35
श्री भगवानुवाचThe Blessed Lord said, "Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but with practice and dispassion, it can be restrained."
6.36
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः।I think Yoga is hard to be attained by one with an uncontrolled self, but the self-controlled and striving one can attain it by the appropriate means.
6.37
अर्जुन उवाचArjuna said, "He who is unable to control himself, even though he has faith, and whose mind wanders away from Yoga, what end does he meet, having failed to attain perfection in Yoga, O Krishna?"
6.38
कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति।Fallen from both, does he not perish like a rent cloud, supportless, O mighty-armed one, deluded on the path of Brahman?
6.39
एतन्मे संशयं कृष्ण छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः।O Krishna, please completely dispel this doubt of mine, for it is not possible for anyone but You to do so.
6.40
श्री भगवानुवाचThe Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, neither in this world nor in the next will there be destruction for him; none, indeed, who does good, O my son, ever comes to grief."
6.41
प्राप्य पुण्यकृतां लोकानुषित्वा शाश्वतीः समाः।Having attained to the worlds of the righteous and having dwelt there for everlasting years, he who fell from Yoga is born in a house of the pure and wealthy.
6.42
अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम्।Or he is born in a family of even the wisest of yogis; verily, such a birth is very difficult to obtain in this world.
6.43
तत्र तं बुद्धिसंयोगं लभते पौर्वदेहिकम्।Then he comes into contact with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives even more for perfection, O Arjuna.
6.44
पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि सः।By that same former practice, he is borne on in spite of himself. Even he who merely wishes to know Yoga goes beyond the Brahmanic word.
6.45
प्रयत्नाद्यतमानस्तु योगी संशुद्धकिल्बिषः।But the Yogi who strives assiduously, purified of sins and perfected gradually over many births, reaches the highest goal.
6.46
तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः।The yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics, even superior to those who have knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures; he is also superior to men of action; therefore, be thou a yogi, O Arjuna.
6.47
योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना।And among all the Yogis, he who, full of faith and with his inner self merged in Me, worships Me is deemed by Me to be the most devoted.