Bhagavad Gita · 6.44 · Path of Meditation·44 of 47
पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि सः।जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते ॥
pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva hriyate hyavaśho ’pi
saḥ jijñāsur api yogasya śhabda-brahmātivartate
Sanskrit recitation
When the mind will not stay · 6.33–6.47 · Teaching
Translation
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.
Meaning
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
After Swami Sivananda
When the mind will not stay· 6.33–6.47→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 6.33Arjuna 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."
- 6.34The mind is indeed restless, turbulent, strong, and unyielding, O Krishna; I consider it as difficult to control as controlling the wind.
- 6.35The 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."
- 6.36I 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.
- 6.37Arjuna 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?"
- 6.38Fallen from both, does he not perish like a rent cloud, supportless, O mighty-armed one, deluded on the path of Brahman?
- 6.39O Krishna, please completely dispel this doubt of mine, for it is not possible for anyone but You to do so.
- 6.40The 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."
- 6.41Having 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.
- 6.42Or he is born in a family of even the wisest of yogis; verily, such a birth is very difficult to obtain in this world.
- 6.43Then he comes into contact with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives even more for perfection, O Arjuna.
6.44By 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.
- 6.45But the Yogi who strives assiduously, purified of sins and perfected gradually over many births, reaches the highest goal.
- 6.46The 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.
- 6.47And 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.
Word-by-word→
- hi
- surely
- api
- even
- eva
- certainly
- tena
- by that
- saḥ
- that person
- pūrva
- past
- hriyate
- is attracted
- yogasya
- about yog
- abhyāsena
- discipline
- ativartate
- transcends
- avaśhaḥ
- helplessly
- jijñāsuḥ
- inquisitive
- śhabda-brahma
- fruitive portion of the Vedas
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