यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया |
यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति || 20||
सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद्बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम् |
वेत्ति यत्र न चैवायं स्थितश्चलति तत्त्वत: || 21||
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं तत: |
यस्मिन्स्थितो न दु:खेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते || 22||
तं विद्याद् दु:खसंयोगवियोगं योगसञ्ज्ञितम् |
स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा || 23||
yatroparamate chittaṁ niruddhaṁ yoga-sevayā
yatra chaivātmanātmānaṁ paśhyann ātmani tuṣhyati
sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam
vetti yatra na chaivāyaṁ sthitaśh chalati tattvataḥ
yaṁ labdhvā chāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ
yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vichālyate
taṁ vidyād duḥkha-sanyoga-viyogaṁ yogasaṅjñitam
sa niśhchayena yoktavyo yogo ’nirviṇṇa-chetasā
yatra—when; uparamate—rejoice inner joy; chittam—the mind; niruddham—restrained; yoga-sevayā—by the practice of yog; yatra—when; cha—and; eva—certainly; ātmanā—through the purified mind; ātmānam—the soul; paśhyan—behold; ātmani—in the self; tuṣhyati—is satisfied; sukham—happiness; ātyantikam—limitless; yat—which; tat—that; buddhi—intellect; grāhyam—grasp; atīndriyam—transcending the senses; vetti—knows; yatra—wherein; na—never; cha—and; eva—certainly; ayam—he; sthitaḥ—situated; chalati—deviates; tattvataḥ—Eternal Truth; yam—which; labdhvā—having gained; cha—and; aparam—any other; lābham—gain; manyate—considers; na—not; adhikam—greater; tataḥ—than that; yasmin—in which; sthitaḥ—being situated; na—never; duḥkhena—by sorrow; guruṇā—(by) the greatest; api—even; vichālyate—is shaken; tam—that; vidyāt—you should know; duḥkha-sanyoga-viyogam—state of severance from union with misery; yoga-saṅjñitam—is known as yog; saḥ—that; niśhchayena—resolutely; yoktavyaḥ—should be practiced; yogaḥ—yog; anirviṇṇa-chetasā—with an undeviating mind
Translation:
Where the mind rests restrained by the practice of yoga, and where the self seeing the Self is delighted in the Self; and where established, the yogi knows that bliss which transcends the senses, which is understandable by the purified intellect only, and from the experience of Self does not even move; possessing which, he does not think any other gain greater than that; in which established he is not shaken even by great sorrow; that should be known by the term yoga, and that yoga which is free from sorrow should be attained by the undesponding and determined mind.
Commentary:
These four verses should be taken together The excellence of Dhyanayoga by which union with Self is attained and the Atmic state is experienced, is explained here.
When the mind merges in Atma, man experiences supreme peace and bliss. That is the goal of life. But the perfectly controlled mind only can go near Atma and merge in it. The mind should be purified and withdrawn from the sense-objects. How to purify and control the mind? By the practice of yoga it should be controlled. Just as the ordinary man wastes his life in worldly pursuits (Vishayaseva) – the wise man spends his life usefully in ‘Yogaseva‘. So let `Vishayaseva’ be transformed into ‘Yogaseva’, and let man thus attain the highest.
By the practice of yoga, the seeker perceives Atma. Atma is not a theoretical proposition to be comprehended by vain logic and argument. It is the Reality that can be seen (i.e.) brought into one’s own consciousness. The idea is that Atma is not like a material object which is seen with the eyes, and yet it can be known by direct experience. Seeing means experience. Nothing else can reveal the Self except the purified mind. Where is this Atma, the Lord? Atma is in one’s own self. The searchlight of the mind should be focused on one’s own heart, because Atma, the Lord, in there. He is nearest to us, nearer than anything else external or internal. We are in Him and He is in us. This idea should give us invincible strength in our sadhana. What is it that one gains by unveiling Atma in himself? He comes to possess supreme joy. Having tired himself out by seeking petty pleasures here and there, he rests himself in his own Self, and then he finds the treasure for which he has been searching everywhere.
What is the nature of the joy felt in Atma? It is infinite and transcendental; it is to be comprehended by the purified intellect. When the intellect is purified, it discards its enveloping ignorance and is transformed into the Self. The bliss of the Self is experienced directly. It can never be felt by those whose minds are externalised by contact with sense-objects. How can intellect comprehend the Atmic Ananda? Though the intellect is also an organ of the mind, yet when it attains perfect purity, it discards its material form and assumes the form of Brahman. It is just like a salt-doll merging in the sea. When the salt-doll touches the sea, does it retain its former shape? No. Similarly, the intellect, when it is purified, becomes That. There is no one who does not possess the intellect. Only it is not pure. It is deluded by avidya, and many impure `vasanas’ inhere in it. What the seeker has to do is wash it, clean it, and make it sharp and bright so that it can perceive the Reality as it is. The bliss of the Self is infinite (atyanatikam) because it is unlike any other joy derived from worldly objects through the senses. The seeker should learn not to hanker after wretched short-lived pleasures. Having once experienced the Atmic Ananda, never again does man move away from it. True. Does the bee drinking honey from a full-blown lotus, leave it and go away to some other withered flower? When a man possesses the real thing, be it a jewel or a flower, does he hanker after its image in a photograph or a picture? If he does so, it only means that he is not in possession of the real thing. When a man thinks of dream pleasures, it only shows that he is not fully awakened from sleep.
Having attained the Self-state, the sage does not think of obtaining any other thing in this world or in any other. Even the position of Indra is nothing to him, not to speak of all the wealth, position, and power of this world. Worldly things are momentary, and even if they are permanent, the human body with which they are to be enjoyed is itself subject to death at any moment. Let people cultivate faith in the Lord’s teaching and stop begging for foolish pleasures which they have had through innumerable births, which are repeating themselves endlessly without their being aware of it. How many times in previous births one had wife and children? How many times was he on the crest of the wave of success, and how many times was he plunged into the depths of despair? These things have come to beings innumerable times, but they are not able to recollect them. They have been here millions of times and gone through an endless series of births and deaths. Knowing this, does any man thirst and hunger for insipid things? No. There is only one thing that man should attain, and that is the Supreme Reality.
The sage who has reached the plane of Atma is not moved even by the greatest disaster. We see people who are upset even by the slightest inconvenience or discomfort. There is the constant fear of losing the body, fear of poverty, fear of shame and disgrace, and a host of subtle fears which cause misery to man, however, highly placed and powerful he may be. The sage alone is free from fear because he has seen and known the imperishable Reality. Nothing can throw him off his balance. He will face the worst form of disease, dishonour, and death without the least trace of physical or mental disturbance. He is immovably established in the Self. There is no other way by which the ills and evils of life could be overcome.
Who can attain this Self-state? It is attained by him who is undespondent and determined. The aspirant should not be deterred by any obstacle or difficulty on the spiritual path. He should have supreme self-reliance. “I will attain That, whatever may happen,” – thus should he think always. Despondency, timidity, and diffidence – these feelings should not be allowed to weaken the mind. Whatever may be the obstacles in Sadhana, the aspirant should not give up hope. The power of Maya is infinite, and yet for the determined self who has obtained the grace of the Guru and the Lord nothing is impossible.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
“Established in which state a man is not moved even by great misfortune.”[Source]
Question: By what is the mind sustained?
Answer: By the practice of Yoga (Yogaseva).
Question: Which mind is merged in Atma?
Answer: The mind withdrawn from the senses and purified.
Question: By what is Atma perceived?
Answer: By the purified mind and intellect.
Question: Where?
Answer: In one’s own self. :
Question: What is the fruit of knowing Atma?
Answer: Supreme bliss – Moksha.
Question: What is the nature of Atmananda?
Answer: It is infinite, and it transcends the senses.
Question: If it transcends the senses how to know it?
Answer: By the purified mind (Buddhigrahyam).
Question: What will the self-realised man do?
Answer: He does not move away from it.
Question: What is the highest good for man?
Answer: The possession of Atma (Atmaprapti).
Question: What is the sign of self-realisation?
Answer: He is not affected even by the greatest sorrow.
Question: So, what is the way to overcome sorrow?
Answer: Attainment of Atma.
Question: What is that Atmic state?
Answer: It has not the slightest touch of sorrow.
Question: How can man attain it?
Answer: By the undespondent and determined mind.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 6 🔻 (47 Verses)
