पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि स: |
जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते || 44||
pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva hriyate hyavaśho ’pi saḥ
jijñāsur api yogasya śhabda-brahmātivartate
pūrva—past; abhyāsena—discipline; tena—by that; eva—certainly; hriyate—is attracted; hi—surely; avaśhaḥ—helplessly; api—although; saḥ—that person; jijñāsuḥ—inquisitive; api—even; yogasya—about yog; śhabda-brahma—fruitive portion of the Vedas; ativartate—transcends
Translation:
Indeed, they feel drawn toward God, even against their will, on the strength of their past discipline. Such seekers naturally rise above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures.
Commentary:
From this, we understand the force of samskaras acquired in previous births. Even without any volition on his part, he is drawn to yoga. This is due to the mysterious power of nature acting through past experience. As the fish takes to water, as the bird takes to the air, he, the yogabhrashta takes to yoga. Past thoughts and habits of life, whatever they may be, fulfill themselves in the present birth. We come across persons who are born with vairagya, whom no temptations can draw down into the mire of samsara. Just so, we find persons steeped in samsara in spite of all the disasters and calamities of life. So, past yogic practice drives him who are born to take to yoga without his being aware of any special effort on his part. He cannot remain idle. It is the duty of all seekers to do as much spiritual sadhana as they can so that when he takes a new birth he can rise to higher and higher planes of Self-realisation.
The second line of the verse reveals the transcendental power of yoga (union with Self). Even by thinking of the law of yoga, he transcends all the Vedic lore and sastric leaning, and directly rises to the supreme state. Here ‘Sabdabrahma‘ may mean either the fruits of Vedic rites and rituals or indirect knowledge arising from the study of the sastras. From this, we understand the power of yoga which leads to union with Brahman. If by merely thinking of yoga he can transcend the lower level, what reward he would get by actual practice can be imagined.
Question: How does the yogabhrashta take to yoga?
Answer: He is drawn to it even without his volition by the power of past experience.
Question: What is the excellence of yoga?
Answer: It enables him to rise above all sastras and Vedic lore.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 6 🔻 (47 Verses)
