श्रुतिविप्रतिपन्ना ते यदा स्थास्यति निश्चला |
समाधावचला बुद्धिस्तदा योगमवाप्स्यसि || 53||
śhruti-vipratipannā te yadā sthāsyati niśhchalā
samādhāv-achalā buddhis tadā yogam avāpsyasi
śhruti-vipratipannā—not allured by the fruitive sections of the Vedas; te—your; yadā—when; sthāsyati—remains; niśhchalā—steadfast; samādhau—in divine consciousness; achalā—steadfast; buddhiḥ—intellect; tadā—at that time; yogam—Yog; avāpsyasi—you will attain
Translation:
When your intellect which is perplexed by hearing the various sastras becomes steady and immovable in ecstatic concentration, then you shall attain union with the Supreme Being.
Commentary:
Naturally, the seeker in the initial stages is distracted by the innumerable rites and rituals mentioned in the Vedas for the purpose of acquiring material pleasures and prosperity. The mind is distracted by the impulse of the mind, by the outgoing power of the senses in contact with physical objects. Such distraction is a great obstacle to Self-realisation. By the practice of discrimination and nishkama – karma, these distractions gradually disappear. The mind is then calm and collected because it has then overcome the tendency to run after material things. It is gradually fixed in the Self-state and man experiences the bliss of Self-realisation. That is yoga. Yoga means the union of the individual self with the Supreme Being. The Ego which keeps up the delusion of being a separate entity is merged in its own source (i.e.) Self, and then there remains only one Atma, and not two distinct entities as imagined by the deluded mind. Like a bit of salt being dissolved in the ocean, the Ego dissolves itself in the ocean of Sat-Chit-Anand. Then there is supreme peace of blessedness. Till that consummation the mind is troubled. When yoga takes place, there is no mind or Ego existing separately from the Supreme Being. The mind becomes still and immovable because it has become one with That. Then it is all one indivisible ocean of bliss and blessedness.
So long as the mind is unsteady, yoga (union with the Self) cannot happen. That is why the Lord insists on the immovable steadiness of mind (`nischala’, `achala’). If the hand is shaking it is impossible to pass the thread through the eye of the needle. So also, if the mind is split and fragmented, it cannot enter the Atmic plane.
Therefore the seeker should hear of Atma and endeavor to think and meditate on That. He should listen for a brief while and spend more time in concentration and meditation. That is the way. Moreover, rejecting the objective world as an illusion he should look inside into the fathomless spirit pure, calm, serene, and immovable. The more one practices this inward look, the nearer he moves towards Atma, and furthers away from the superficial distractions of the material world. Thus a moment arrives when the mind gets itself completely dissolved in Atma in samadhi. There is no time limit for this consummation. When the mind becomes perfectly still and motionless and is turned inwards, samadhi is reached, and immediately man attains liberation by the knowledge of his real Self.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
Who can work without any attachment? That is the real question. Such a man is the same whether his work succeeds or fails. His heart does not give one false beat even if his whole life-work is burnt to ashes in a moment. “This is the sage who always works for work’s sake without caring for the results. Thus he goes beyond the pain of birth and death. Thus he becomes free.” Then he sees that this attachment is all delusion. The Self can never be attached. … Then he goes beyond all the scriptures and philosophies. If the mind is deluded and pulled into a whirlpool by books and scriptures, what is the good of all these scriptures? One says this, another says that. What book shall you take? Stand alone! See the glory of your own soul, and see that you will have to work. Then you will become a man of firm will.[Source]
The only way to understand Him and the universe is to go beyond reason, beyond consciousness. “When thou goest beyond the heard and the hearing, the thought and the thinking, then alone wilt thou come to Truth.”[Source]
Non-scriptural reading or reading of different philosophical writings is bound to create confusion. Ramakrishna said: “One should learn from the scriptures that God alone is real and the world is illusory.” A beginner should know that only God is eternal and everything else is temporal. After Self-awareness, one finds God alone has become everything. Everything is His manifestation. He is sporting in various forms. In trance, or the superconscious state of mind, the confusion arising from conflicting views ceases, and mental equipoise is attained.
Different schools of thought, cults, systems of philosophy, ways of worship, and spiritual practices found in the Vedic culture are different rungs in the ladder of yoga. Such a wide choice of methods does not exist in any other system, religion, or way or life. People’s temperaments are different due to differences in their stages of spiritual development and understanding. Therefore, different schools of thought are necessary to suit different individuals, as well as the same individual as he or she grows and develops. The highest philosophy of pure monism is the topmost rung of the ladder. The vast majority cannot comprehend it. All schools and cults are necessary. One should not be confused because different methods are not meant to confuse, but one should choose wisely.
Question: When does man attain Yoga?
Answer: When the intellect is pure and steady in ecstatic concentration, union with the Self takes place.
