यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् |
यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतस: || 11||
yatanto yoginaśh chainaṁ paśhyanty ātmany avasthitam
yatanto ‘py akṛitātmāno nainaṁ paśhyanty achetasaḥ
yatantaḥ—striving; yoginaḥ—yogis; cha—too; enam—this (the soul); paśhyanti—see; ātmani—in the body; avasthitam—enshrined; yatantaḥ—strive; api—even though; akṛita-ātmānaḥ—those whose minds are not purified; na—not; enam—this; paśhyanti—cognize; achetasaḥ—unaware
Translation:
Those who strive, armed with yoga, behold him dwelling within themselves; but the undisciplined and the thoughtless do not perceive him, though they strive.
Commentary:
The Lord explains why some yogis are able to behold the Atma, whereas others fail in their efforts. The effort is common in both cases. Why should some succeed and others fail? The impure-minded people (akritatmah) do not see the Atma, in spite of their sadhana. These also do japa, dhyana and other practices, but they fail because the heart is impure, (i.e. vitiated by powerful vasanas binding them to the external world). Some people attempt to realise Atma by a Study of sastras, without eradicating the impurities of the heart. Some others carry on a show of external devotion and meditation. They do not possess real self-control, and so they fail in their search for Paramatma. We hear that the Lord insists on purity of heart as the essential condition for Atmajnana. If there is no Purity, there is no Atmajnana. When Purity is attained, Atma is realised. The path is clear.
The field should be cleared of rubbish, properly tilled and watered and then the seeds grow and the harvest is gathered. Otherwise, the seeds are buried in the earth and have no chance of sprouting into life. They are wasted, for no harvest is gathered from that untilled, unwatered field (kshetram).
The four elementary principles of sadhana (sadhana chatushtaya) should be cultivated first. The heart is then purified of its unholy desires, passions, and emotions. The bodily organs and the sense organs and the mind are brought under control. When these disturbing forces are kept under check, the mind is full of peace and in that state, the enquiry into the Self continues without any hindrance and Self-realisation easily possible.
The Lord makes it clear that two things are needed (1) Effort, (2) Purity. ‘Yatantah’ – the yogis strive to discover the truth, Atma. The striving must be there for Self-realisation. Without it, nothing can be gained. But this striving should be accompanied with Purity (Chita-suddhi). Then the reward is immediate. The word ‘achetasah‘ does not here refer to illiterate, ignorant men who have no idea of spiritual life at all. It refers to persons who have some ideas of spirituality, who believe in God, who have studied the Sastras, and who understand the truth intellectually. These qualifications are good no doubt, but they are not enough for direct Self-realisation. They have to acquire self-control and dispassion (vairagya); otherwise, there is no progress. If the seekers do a bit of self-examination, they will find out how strong the bonds are which bind them to the objective world, and how weak their vairagya is. Let them concentrate on how to purify the heart of all its impure sensual tendencies. The company of the wise, the correct way of Sadhana, faith in the words of the Lord, all these are necessary for the aspirant to reach the goal.
Question: Where is Paramatma?
Answer: In one’s own Self.
Question: Who can s see Him?
Answer: He who practices Sadhana, having purity can see Him.
Question: Who cannot see Him?
Answer: Those who strive without purity of heart (Chitta suddhi) cannot see Him.
Question: So, what are the conditions for God-realisation?
Answer: Purity and effort.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 15 🔻 (20 Verses)
