Path of Meditation

The 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.

Actions such as Agnihotra, etc., performed without the expectation of their fruits purify the mind and become the means to Dhyana Yoga or the Yoga of Meditation.Karyam Karma bounden duty.Niragnih without fire. He who has renounced the daily rituals like Agnihotra, which are performed with the help of fire.Akriya without action. He who has renounced austerities and other meritorious acts like building resthouses, charitable dispensaries, digging wells, feeding the poor, etc.Sannyasi he who has renounced the fruits of his actions.Yogi he who has a steady mind. These two terms are applied to him in a secondary sense only. They are not used to denote that he is in reality a Sannyasi and a Yogi.The Sannyasi performs neither Agnihotra nor other ceremonies. But simply to omit these without genuine renunciation will not make one a real Sannyasi. (Cf.V.3)

Do you, O Arjuna, know that Yoga is what they call renunciation; no one indeed becomes a Yogi who has not renounced their thoughts.

Sankalpa is the working of the imagining faculty of the mind that makes plans for the future and guesses the results of plans so formed. No one can become a Karma Yogi who plans and schemes and expects fruits for his actions. No devotee of action who has not renounced the thought of the fruits of his actions can become a Yogi of steady mind. The thought of the fruits will certainly make the mind unsteady.Lord Krishna eulogises Karma Yoga here because it is the means or an external aid (Bahiranga Sadhana) to Dhyana Yoga. Karma Yoga is a steppingstone to Dhyana Yoga. It leads to the Yoga of Meditation in due course. In order to encourage the practice of Karna Yoga it is stated here that Karma Yoga is Sannyasa. (Cf.V.4)

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.

For a man who cannot practise meditation for a long time and who is not able to keep his mind steady in meditation, action is a means to get himself enthroned in Yoga. Action purifies his mind and makes the mind fit for the practice of steady meditation. Action leads to steady concentration and meditation.For the sage who is enthroned in Yoga, Sama or renunciation of actions is said to be the means.The more perfectly he abstains from actions, the more steady his mind is, and the more peaceful,he is, the more easily and thoroughly does his mind get fixed in the Self. For a Brahmana there is no wealth like unto the knowledge of oneness and homogeneity (of the Self in all beings), truthfulness, good character, steadiness, harmlessness, straightforwardness and renunciation of all actions. (Mahabharata, Santi Parva, 175.38)

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.

Yogarudha he who is enthroned or established in Yoga. When a Yogi, by keeping the mind ite steady, by withdrawing it from the objects of the senses, has attachment neither for sensual objects such as sound, nor for the actions (Karmas, Cf. notes to V.13), knowing that they are of no use to him when he has renounced all thoughts which generate various sorts of desires for the objects of this world and of the next, then he is said to have become a Yogarudha.Do not think of senseobjects. The desires will die by themselves. How can you free yourself from thinking of the objects Think of God or the Self. Then you can avoid thinking of the objects. Then you can free yourself from thinking of the objects of the senses.Renunciation of thoughts implies that all desires and all actions should be renounced, because all desires are born of thoughts. You think first and then act (strive) afterwards to possess the objects of your desire for enjoyment.Whatever a man desires, that he willsAnd whatever he wills, that he does. -- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 4.4.5Renunciation of all actions necessarily follows from the renunciation of all desires.O desire I know where thy root lies. Thou art born of Sankalpa (thought). I will not think of thee and thou shalt cease to exist along with the root

One should raise oneself by one's own self alone; let not one lower oneself; for the self alone is one's own friend, and the self alone is one's own enemy.

Practise Yog. Discipline the senses and the mind. Elevate yourself and become a Yogarudha. Attain to Yoga. Shine gloriously as a dynamic Yogi. Do not sink into the ocean of Samsara (transmigration). Do not become a wordlyminded man. Do not become a slave of lust, greed and anger. Rise above worldliness, become divine and attain Godhead.You alone are your friend you alone are your enemy. The socalled worldly friend is not your real friend, because he gets attached to you, wastes your time and puts obstacles on your path of Yoga. He is very selfish and keeps friendship with you only to extract something. If he is not able to get from you the object of his selfish interest, he forsakes you. Therefore he is your enemy in reality. If you are attached to your friend on account of delusion or affection, this will become a cause of your bondage to Samsara.Friends and enemies are not outside. They exist in the mind only. It is the mind that makes a friend an enemy and an enemy a friend. Therefore the Self alone is the friend of oneself, and the Self alone is the enemy of oneself. The lower mind or the Asuddha Manas (impure mind) is your real enemy because it binds you to the Samsara, and the higher mind or the Sattvic mind (Suddha Manas or the pure mind) is your real friend, because it helps you in the attainment of Moksha.

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.

Conquer the lower mind through the higher mind. The lower mind is your enemy. The higher mind is your friend. If you make friendship with the higher mind you can subdue the lower mind ite easily. The lower mind is filled with Rajas and Tamas (passion and darkness). The higher mind is filled with Sattva or purity.The Self is the friend of one who is selfcontrolled, and who has subjugated the lower mind and the senses. But the Self is an enemy of one who has no selfrestraint, and who has not subdued the lower mind and the senses. Just as an external enemy does harm to him, so also his own (lower) self (mind) does harm to him. The lower mind injures him severely. The highest Self or Atman is the primary Self. Mind also is self. This is the secondary self.

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.

The selfcontrolled Yogi who is rooted in the Self keeps poise amidst the pairs of opposites (Dvandvas) or the alternating waves of cold and heat, pleasure and pain, honour and dishonour. When the Yogi has subdued his senses, when his mind is balanced and peaceful under all conditions, when he is not in the least influenced by the pairts of opposites, when he has renounced all actions, then the Highest Self really becomes his own Self. He attains to Selfrealisation. As he rests in hiw own Self, he is ever serene or tranil he is not affected by the pairs of opposites, and he stands as adamant in the face of the changing conditions of Nature.

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.

Jnana is ParokshaJnana or theoretical knowledge from the study of the scriptures. Vijnana is Visesha Jnana or Aparoksha Jnana, i.e., direct knowledge of the Self through Selfrealisation (spiritual experience or Anubhava).Kutastha means changeless like the anvil. Various kinds of iron pieces are hammered and shaped on the anvil, but the anvil remains unchanged. Even so the Yogi remains unshaken or unchanged or unaffected though he comes in contact with the senseobjects. So he is called Kutastha. Kutastha is another name of Brahman, the silent witness of the mind. (Cf.V.18VI.18)

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.

He excels He is the best among the Yogarudhas.Samabudhhi is equanimity or evenness of mind. A Yogi of Samabuddhi has eal vision. He is ite impartial. He is the same to all. He makes no difference with reference to caste, creed or colour. He loves all as his own self, as rooted in the Self.A goodhearted man does good to others without expecting any servie from them in return.Udasina is one who is ite indifferent.A neutral is one who does not join any of the two contending parties. He stands as a silent spectator or witness.The righteous are those who do righteous actions and follow the injunctions of the scriptures.The unrighteous are those who do wrong and forbidden actions, who inure others and who do not follow the scriptures.

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.

The Yogi who treads the path of renunciation (NivrittiMarga) can practise meditation in a solitary cave in the mountains. He should renounce all possessions.A householder with Yogic tendencies and spiritual inclination, can practise meditation in a solitary and quiet room in his own house or any solitary place on the banks of any holy river (during the holidays or throughout the year if he is a wholetime aspirant or if he has retired from service).The practice must be constant. Only then can one attain Selfrealisation surely and quickly. He who practises meditation by fits and starts and for a few minutes daily will not be able to achieve any tangible results in Yoga. The Yogic aspirant should be free from hope, desire and greed. Only then will he have a steady mind. Hope, desire and greed make the mind ever restless and turbulent. They are the enemies of peace and Selfknowledge. The aspirant should not have many possessions either. He can only keep those articles which are absolutely necessary for the maintenance of his body

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.

In this verse the Lord has prescribed the external seat for practising meditation. Details of the pose are given in verse 13.Spread the Kusagrass on the ground first. Over this spread a tigerskin or deerskin over this spread a white cloth.Sit on a naturally clean spot, such as the bank of a river. Or, make the place clean, wherever you want to practise meditation.

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.

The self means the mind. The real Supreme Self is the Atma. This is Primary (Mukhya). Mind also is the self. But this is used in a secondary sense (Gauna). Mukhya Atma is Brahman or the highest Self. Gauna Atma is the mind.Make the mind onepointed by collecting all its dissipated rays by the practice of Yoga. Withdraw it from all senseobjects again and again and try to fix it steadily on your Lakshya or point of meditation or centre. Gradually you will have concentration of the mind or onepointedness. You must be very regular in your practice. Only then will you succeed. Regularity is of paramount importance. You should know the ways and habits of the mind through daily introspection, selfanalysis or selfexamination. You should have a knowledge of the laws of the mind. Then it will be easy for you to check the wandering mind. When you sit for meditation, and when you deliberately attempt to forget the worldly objects, all sorts of worldly thoughts will crop up in your mind and disturb your meditation. You will be ite astonished. Old thoughts that you entertained several years ago, and old memories of past enjoyments will bubble up and force the mind to wander in all directions. You will find that the trapdoor of the vast subconscious mind is opened or the lid of the storehouse of thoughts within is lifted up and the thoughts gush out in a continous stream

Let him firmly hold his body, head, and neck erect and still, gazing at the tip of his nose without looking around.

The Lord describes here the pose or Asana and the Drishti (gaze) in this verse.You cannot practise meditation without a firm seat. If the body is unsteady, the mind will also become unsteady. There is an intimate connection between the body and the mind.You should not shake the body even a bit. You should attain mastery over the Asana (AsanaJaya) by daily practice. You should be as firm as a statue or a rock. If you keep the body, head and neck erect, the spinal cord also will be erect and the Kundalini will rise up steadily through the subtle nervechannel (Nadi) called the Sushumna. Sit in the lotus pose or the adept pose. This will help you in maintaining the nervous eilibrium and mental poise. You should steadily direct your gaze towards the tip of your nose. This is known as the Nasikagra Drishti. The other gaze is the Bhrumadhya Drishti or gazing between the two eyrows where the psychic centre known as the Ajna Chakra is situated. This is described in chapter V, verse 27. In Bhrumadhya Drishti direct the gaze towards the Ajna Chakra with closed eyes. If you practise this with open eyes, it may produce headache. Foreign particles or dust may fall into the eyes. There may be distraction of the mind also. Do not strain the eyes. Practise gently. When you practise concentration at the tip of the nose you will experience DivyaGandha (various aromas)

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.

The spiritual aspirant should possess serenity of mind. The Divine Light can descend only in a serene mind. Serenity is attained by the eradication of Vasanas or desires and cravings. He should be fearless. This is the most important qualification. A timid man or a coward is very far from Selfrealisation.A Brahmachari (celibate) should serve his Guru or the spiritual preceptor wholeheartedly and should live on alms. This also constitutes the BrahmachariVrata. The aspirant should control the modifications of the mind. He should be balanced in pleasure and pain, heat and cold, honour and dishonour. He should ever think of the Lord and take Him as the Supreme Goal.Brahmacharya also means continence. Semen or the vital fluid tones the nerves and the brain, and energises the whole system. That Brahmachari who has preserved this vital force by the vow,of celibacy and sublimated it into Ojas Sakti or radiant spiritual power can practise steady meditation for a long period. Only he can ascend the ladder of Yoga. Without Brahmacharya or celibacy not an iota or spiritual progress is possible. Continence is the very foundation on which the superstructure of meditation and Samadhi can be built up. Many persons waste this vital energy -- a great spiritual treasure indeed -- when they become blind and lose their power of reason under sexual excitement

Thus, always keeping the mind balanced, the yogi, with the mind controlled, attains the peace abiding in Me, culminating in liberation.

Thus in the manner prescribed in the previous verse.The Supreme Self is an embodiment of peace. It is an ocean of peace. When one attains to the supreme peace of the Eternal, by controlling the modifications of the mind and keeping it always balanced, he attains to liberation or perfection.

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.

In this verse the Lord prescribes the diet for the students of Yoga. You must observe moderation in eating and sleeping. If you eat too much you will feel drowsy, and sleep will overpower you. You will get indigestion, flatulence, diseases of the bowels and the liver. If you eat too little you will get weakness and you will not be able to sit for a long time in meditation. You should eat neither more nor less than what is actually necessary for maintaining the body in a healthy and strong state.It may mean also that success in Yoga is not possible for him who eats more than the antity prescribed in the text books on Yoga. They prescribe Half the stomach must be filled with food a quarter with water and the remaining fourth must be empty for the free movement of air. This is the Mitahara or moderate diest for a student of Yoga.If you sleep too much you will become lethargic. The mind will be dull and the body will be heavy. You cannot meditate. If you sleep too little you will experience drowsiness. You will sleep during meditation. Keep the golden medium. You will have rapid progress in Yoga.

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.

In this verse the Lord prescribes for the student of Yoga, diet, recreation and th like. The student of Yoga should always adopt the happy medium or the middle course. Lord Buddha went to the extremes in the beginning in matters of food, drink, etc. He was very abstemious and became extremely weak. He tortured his body very much. Therefore he was not able to attain to success in Yoga. Too much of austerity is not necessary for Selfrealisation. This is condemned by the Lord in chapter XVII, verses 5 and 6. Austerity should not mean selftorture. Then it becomes diabolical. The Buddi Yoga of Krishna is a wise approach to austerity. Some aspirants take asceticism as the goal it is only the means but not the end. The nervous system is extremely,sensitive. It responds even to very slight changes and causes distraction of the mind. It is, therefore, very necessary that you should lead a very regulated and disciplined life and should be moderate in food, sleep and recreation. Take measured food. Sleep and wake up at the prescribed time. Sleeo at 9 or 10 p.m. and get up at 3 or 4 a.m. Only then will you attain to success in Yoga which will kill all sorts or pains and sorrows of this life.

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'.

Perfectly controlled mind The mind with onepointedness.When all desires for the objects of pleasure seen or unseen die, the mind becomes very peaceful and rests steadily in the Supreme Self within. As the Yogi is perfectly harmonised, as he has attained to oneness with the Self and as he has become identical with Brahman, sense phenomena and bodily affections do not disturb him. He is conscious of his immortal, imperishable and invincible nature.Yukta means united (with the Self) or harmonised or balanced. Without union with the Self neither harmony nor balance nor Samadhi is possible. (Cf.V.23VI.8)

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.

This is a beautiful simile. Yogins quote this simile very often when they talk of concentration or steadiness or onepointedness of the mind. A steady mind will serve as a powerful searchlight to find out the hidden spiritual treasures of the Self.

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.

The verses 20, 21, 22 and 23 must be taken together.When the mind is completely withdrawn from the objects of the senses, supreme peace reigns within the heart. When the mind becomes ite steady by constant and protracted practice of concentration the Yogi beholds the Supreme Self by the mind which is rendered pure and onepointed and attains to supreme satisfaction in the Self within.

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.

The Infinite Bliss of the Self (which is beyond the reach of the senses) can be grasped (realised) by the pure intellect independently of the senses. During deep meditation the senses cease to function, as they are involved into their cause, the mind. The intellect is rendered pure by the practice of Yama (selfrestriant) and Niyama (observances and disciplinary practices) and constant meditation.

Having obtained it, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; established in it, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow.

Which the gain or the realisation of the Self or the immortal Soul.Wherein in the allblissful Self which is free from delusion and sorrow. The Self is allfull and selfcontained. All the desires are fulfilled when one attains Selfrealisation. That is the reason why the Lord says There is no other acisition superior to Selfrealisation. If one gets himself established in the Supreme Self within, he cannot be shaken every by heavy sorrow and pain, because he is mindless and he is identifying himself with the sorrowless and painless Brahman. One can experience pain and sorrow when he identifies himself with the body and the mind. If there is no mind there cannot be any pain. When one is under chloroform he feels no pian even when his hand is amputated, because the mind is withdrawn from the body.

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.

In verses 20, 21 and 22 the Lord describes the benefits of Yoga, viz., perfect satisfaction by resting in the Self, infinite unending bliss, freedom from sorrow and pain, etc. He further adds that this Yoga should be practised with a firm conviction and iron determination and with nondepression of heart. A spiritual aspirant with a wavering mind will not able to attain success in Yoga. He will leave the practice when he meets with some obstacles on the path. The practitioner must also be bold, cheerful and selfreliant.

Abandoning unreservedly all desires born of Sankalpa (thought and imagination) and completely restraining the whole group of senses by the mind from all sides.

Without reserve The mind is so diplomatic that it keeps certain desires for its secret gratification. Therefore you should completely abandon all desires without reservation.Desire is born of imagination (Sankalpa). Therefore destroy the Sankalpa first. If the imagination is annihilated first then the desires will die by themselves. Mark here All the senses must be controlled from all sides by the mind. Even if one sense is turbulent in one direction it will distract the mind often and often. The senses will be absorbed in the mind by the constant practice of abstraction (Pratyahara). Then the mind will not think of the objects of sensepleasure and will become perfectly calm.That mind which is endowed with a strong discrimination and dispassion will be able to control the whole ground (or group) of the senses from their objects in all directions. Therefore cultivate strong Viveka or discrimination between the Real and the unreal and also Vairagya or total dispassion for sensual pleasures. (Cf.II.62)

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.

The practitioner of Yoga should attain tranillity gradually or by degrees, by,means of the intellect controlled by steadiness. The peace of the Eternal will fill the heart gradually with thrill and bliss through the constant and protracted practice of steady conentration. He should make the mind constantly abide in the Self within through ceaseless practice. If anyone constantly thinks of the immortal Self within, the mind will cease to think of the objects of sensepleasure. The mental energy should be directed along the spiritual channel by Atmachintana or constant contemplation on the Self.

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.

In this verse the Lord gives the method to control the mind. Just as you drag the bull again and again to your house when it runs out, so also you will have to drag the mind to your point or centre or Lakshya again and again when it runs towards the external objects. If you give good cotton seed extract, sugar, plantains, etc., to the bull, it will not turn away but will remain in your house. Even so if you make the mind taste the eternal bliss of the Self within little by little by the practice of concentration, it will gradually abide in the Self only and will not run towards the external objects of the senses. Sound and the other objects only make the mind restless and unsteady. By knowing the defects of the objects of sensual pleasure, by understanding their illusory nature, by the cultivation of discrimination between the Real and the unreal and also dispassion, and by making the mind understand the glory and the splendour of the Self you can wean the mind entirely away from sensual objects and fix it firmly on the Self.

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.

In this verse and in the next also the Lord describes the benefits of Yoga.Supreme (eternal, unalloyed and uninterrupted) bliss comes to the Yogi whose mind is perfectly serene, who has calmed his passionate nature, who has destroyed all sorts of attachments, who has attained knowledge of the Self and thus become a Jivanmukta or one who is liberated while living, who feels that all is Brahman only, and who is taintless, i.e., who is not affected by Dharma or Adharma (good or evil).

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).

By Yogic practices such as the withdrawal of the senses, concentration and meditation he loses contact with the objects of the senses and comes into contact with Brahman or the immortal Self within and thus enjoys the Infinite Bliss of Brahman.Sensual pleasures are transitory or fleeting but the bliss of Brahman is uninterrupted, undecaying and everlasting. That is the reason why one should attempt to realise the Self within.The Yogi removes the obstacles that stand in the way of obtaining union with the Lord and thus always keeps the mind steady in the Self.

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.

The Yogi beholds through the eye of intuition (JnanaChakshus or DivyaChakshus) oneness or unity of the Self everywhere. This is a sublime and magnanimous vision indeed. He feels, All indeed is Brahman. He beholds that all beings are one with Brahman and that the Self and Brahman are identical.

He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, never becomes separated from Me, nor do I from him.

In this verse the Lord describes the effect of the vision of the unity of the Self or oneness.He who sees Me, the Self of all, in all beings, and everything (from Brahma the Creator down to the blade of grass) in Me, I am not lost to him, nor is he lost to Me. I and the sage or seer of unity of the Self become identical or one and the same. I never leave his presence nor does he leave My presence. I never lose hold of him nor does he lose hold of Me. I dwell in him and he dwells in Me.

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.

He who has dissolved all duality in the underlying unity, who is thus established in unity, who worships Me, i.e., who has realised Me as the Self of all, dwells always in Me, whatever his mode of living may be. He is ever liberated.Sadana lived in God though he was a butcher because his mind was ever fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord.

He who, through the likeness of the Self, O Arjuna, sees reality everywhere, be it pleasure or pain, is regarded as the highest Yogi.

He sees that whatever is pleasure or pain to himself is also pleasure or pain to all other beings. He does not harm anyone. He is ite harmless. He wishes good to all. He is compassionate to all creatures. He has a very soft and large heart. He sees thus equality everywhere as he is endowed with the right knowlede of the Self, as he beholds the Self only everywhere, and as he is established in the unity of the Self. Therefore he is considered as the highest among all Yogis. (Cf.VI.47)

Arjuna 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."

As the mind is restless, impetuous and unsteady I find it difficult to practise this Yoga of equanimity declared by Thee. O my Lord, I cannot have steady concentration of the mind, as it wanders here and there in the twinkling of an eye.

The mind is indeed restless, turbulent, strong, and unyielding, O Krishna; I consider it as difficult to control as controlling the wind.

The mind constantly changes its objects and so it is ever restless.Krishna is derived from Krish which means to scrape. He scrapes all the sins, evils, and the causes of evil from the hearts of His devotees. Therefore He is called Krishna.The mind is not only restless but also turbulent or impetuous, strong and obstinate. It produces violent agitation in the body and the senses. The mind is drawn by the objects in all directions. It works always in conjunction with the five senses. It is drawn by them to the five kinds of objects. Therefore it is ever restless. It enjoys the five kinds of sensobjects with the help of these senses and the body. Therefore it makes them subject to external influences. It is even more difficult to control it than to control the wind. The mind is born of Vayutanmatra (wind rootelement). That is the reason why it is as restless as the wind.

The 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."

The constant or repeated effort to keep the wandering mind steady by constant meditation on the Lakshya (centre, ideal, goal or object of meditation) is Abhyasa or practice. The same idea or thought of the Self or God is constantly repeated. This constant repetition destroys Vikshepa or the vacillation of the mind and desires, and makes it steady and onepointed.Vairagya is dispassion or indifference to senseobjects in this world or in the other, here or hereafter, seen or unseen, heard or unheard, achieved through constantly looking into the evil in them (DoshaDrishti). You will have to train the mind by constant reflection on the immortal, allblissful Self. You must make the mind realise the transitory nature of the wordly enjoyments. You must suggest to the mind to look for its enjoyment not in the perishable and changing external objects but in the immortal, changeless Self within. Gradually the mind will be withdrawn from the external objects.

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.

Uncontrolled self he who has not controlled the senses and the mind by the constant practice of dispassion and meditation. Selfcontrolled he who has controlled the mind by the constant practice of dispassion and meditation. He can attain Selfrealisation by the right means and constant endeavour.

Arjuna 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?"

He has faith in the efficacy of Yoga but he is not able to control the senses and the mind. He has no concentration of mind. His mind wanders away when the last breath departs from his body and he loses the memory also. Having failed to achieve perfection in Yoga, i.e., Selfrealisation or the knowledge of the Self, what path will he tread, and what end will such a man,meet

Fallen from both, does he not perish like a rent cloud, supportless, O mighty-armed one, deluded on the path of Brahman?

Both the path of Karma or the path of ritualistic activity in accordance with the Karma Kanda of the Vedas on the one hand and the path of Yoga on the other.Path of Brahman the path by which Brahman can be reached or the way that leads to Brahman.The Yoga taught by the Lord here demands onepointed devotion to its practice. The aspirant turns away from the world and spurns heaven, too. Some people held that if he failed to attain the goal, he would have lost everything for nothing. Hence the question.

O Krishna, please completely dispel this doubt of mine, for it is not possible for anyone but You to do so.

There can be no better teacher than Thee for Thou art the omniscient Lord. Thou alone canst dispel this doubt. A Rishi (seer), a Deva (god), or a Muni (sage) will not be able to destroy this doubt.

The 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."

He who has not succeeded in attaining to perfection in Yoga in this birth will not be destroyed in this world or in the next world. Surely he will not take a birth lower than the present one. What will he attain, then, This is described by the Lord in verses 41, 42, 43 and 44. Tata: son. A disciple is regarded as a son.

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.

Yogabhrashta one who has fallen from Yoga, i.e., one who was not able to attain perfection in Yoga, or one who climbed a certain height on the ladder of Yoga but fell down on account of lack of dispassion or slackness in the practice (by becoming a victim to Maya or his turbulent senses).The righteous Those who tread the path of truth, who do virtuous actions such as charity, Yajna, rituals, worship of the Lord, and who act in accordance with the prescribed rules of the scriptures.Everlasting years means only a considerably long period but not absolutely everlasting.The pure those who lead a pure, moral life those who have a pure heart (free from jealousy, hatred, pride, greed, etc.). (Cf.IX.20,21)

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.

A birth in a family of wise Yogis is more difficult to obtain than the one mentioned in the preceding verse.

Then he comes into contact with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives even more for perfection, O Arjuna.

When he takes a human body again in this world his previous exertions and practice in the path of Yoga are not wasted. They bear full fruit now, and hasten his moral and spiritual evolution.Our thoughts and actions are left in our subconscious minds in the form of subtle Samskaras or impressions. Our experiences in the shape of Samskaras, habits and tendencies are also stored up in our subconscious mind. These Samskaras of the past birth are revivified and reenergised in the next birth. The Samskaras of Yogic practices and meditation and the Yogic tendencies will compel the spiritual aspirant to strive with greater vigour than that with which he attempted in the former birth. He will endeavour more strenuously to get more spiritual experiences and to attain to higher planes of realisation than those acired in his previous birth.

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.

The man who fell from Yoga is carried to the goal which he intended to reach in his previous birth, by the force of the Samskaras of the practice of Yoga though he may not be conscious of them and even if he may not be willing to adopt the course of Yogic discipline on account of the force of some evil Karma. If he had not done any great evil action which could overwhelm his Yogic tendencies he will certainly continue his Yogic practices in this birth very vigorously through the force of the Yogic Samskaras created by his Yogic practices in his previous birth. If the force of the evil action is stronger, the Yogic tendencies will be overpowered or suppressed for some time. As soon as the fruits of the evil actions are exhausted, the force of the Yogic Samskaras will begin to manifest itself. He will start his Yogic practices vigorously and attain the final beatitude of life.Even an enquirer in whom a desire for information about Yoga is kindled goes beyond the Brahmic word, i.e., the Vedas. He rises superior to the performer of the Vedic rituals and ceremonies. He is beyond the entanglement of forms and ceremonies. He is not satisfied with mere ritualism. He thirsts for a satisfaction higher than that given by the sensual objects

But the Yogi who strives assiduously, purified of sins and perfected gradually over many births, reaches the highest goal.

He gains experiences little by little in the course of many births and eventually attains to perfection. Then he gets the knowledge of the Self and attains to the final beatitude of life.

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.

Tapasvi One who observes the austerities of speech, mind and body prescribed in chapter XVII. 14, 15 and 16.Jnani One who has a knowledge of the scriptures (an indirect knowledge or theoretical knowledge of the Self).Karmi He who performs the Vedic rituals.To all these the Yogi is superior, for he has the direct knowledge of the Self through intuition or direct cognition through Nirvikalpa Samadhi. (Cf.V.2XII.12XIII.24)

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.

Among all Yogis He who worships Me, the Absolute, is superior to those who worship the lesser gods such as the Vasus, Rudra, Aditya, etc.The inner self merged in Me The mind absorbed in Me, (Cf.VI.32),(This chapter is known by the names Atmasamyama Yoga and Adhyatma Yoga also.)