Chapter 6
Shloka 1
sri-bhagavan uvaca
anasritah karma-phalam
karyam karma karoti yah
sa sannyasi ca yogi ca
na niragnir na cakriyah
Sri Bhagavan said : Not depending upon fruits of karma, one who performs prescribed duties, he is a sanyasi and a yogi, not one without a (sacred) fire (and) without (sacred/religious) work (rites/rituals).
Shloka 2
yam sannyasam iti prahur
yogam tam viddhi pandava
na hy asannyasta-sankalpo
yogi bhavati kascana
Which is known as sanyasa (renunciation), know it to be yoga, O Pandava (Arjuna); without renouncing desire, no one becomes a yogi.
Shloka 3
aruruksor muner yogam
karma karanam ucyate
yogarudhasya tasyaiva
samah karanam ucyate
(For) a sage desirous of ascending yoga, action is said to be the means; for the yoga-ascended, tranquility is said to be the means.
Shloka 4
yada hi nendriyarthesu
na karmasv anusajjate
sarva-sankalpa-sannyasi
yogarudhas tadocyate
When (one is) unattached either (to) sense-objects or (to) work, and (has) renounced all desires, he is said to be yoga-ascended.
Shloka 5
uddhared atmanatmanam
natmanam avasadayet;
atmaiva hy atmano bandhur
atmaiva ripur atmanah
One should uplift self by self, (one)self one (should) not degrade, self is self’s friend, self alone is enemy of self.
Shloka 6
bandhur atmatmanas tasya
yenatmaivatmana jitah
anatmanas tu satrutve
vartetatmaiva satru-vat
Self is a friend to self for him who by self has conquered self, (for one with) unconquered self however self exists like an enemy.
Shloka 7
jitatmanah prasantasya
paramatma samahitah
sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu
tatha manapamanayoh
One with conquered self and with peaceful Supreme self, (remains) steadfast in cold, heat, pleasure and pain, also in honor and dishonor.
Shloka 8
jnana-vijnana-trptatma
kuta-stho vijitendriyah
yukta ity ucyate yogi
sama-lostrasma-kancanah
One who is contented with knowledge-discrimination, immovable (and having) conquered senses, (that) Yogi he is said to be yoked (steadfast in yoga), (for him) lump of clay, stone and gold are the same.
Shloka 9
suhrn-mitrary-udasina-
madhyastha-dvesya-bandhusu
sadhusv api ca papesu
sama-buddhir visisyate
Indifferent to companion, Friend and enemies, standing in middle among foe and friend, (and) among good and evil-doers, one with impartial-insight, he is distinguished.
Shloka 10
yogi yunjita satatam
atmanam rahasi sthitah
ekaki yata-cittatma
nirasir aparigrahah
A Yogi should yoke himself constantly on self, in solitude remain, alone with controlled mind and self, free from desires and without possessions.
Shloka 11
sucau dese pratisthapya
sthiram asanam atmanah
naty-ucchritam nati-nicam
cailajina-kusottaram
In a clean place establishing steady seat for himself, not too high not too low, cloth (top layer) deer-skin (middle layer) kusha-grass (bottom layer) cover (over the seat).
Shloka 12
tatraikagram manah krtva
yata-cittendriya-kriyah
upavisyasane yunjyad
yogam atma-visuddhaye
There, concentrating mind, controlling thought and sense-activity, seating himself on the seat (mentioned in shloka 11), yoke himself to yoga with purpose of self-purification.
Shloka 13
samam kaya-siro-grivam
dharayann acalam sthirah
sampreksya nasikagram svam
disas canavalokayan
Balanced (erect – in a straight line) body, head and neck, holding (them) motionless (and) steady, looking at tip of his own nose, not looking (in any other) direction.
Shloka 14
prasantatma vigata-bhir
brahmacari-vrate sthitah
manah samyamya mac-citto
yukta asita mat-parah
Peaceful, rid of fear, established in brahmacari-vrata (vow of following brahman), (vagaries of) mind subdued, thinking-of-me, steadfast-he-should-sit devoted to me (I).
Shloka 15
yunjann evam sadatmanam
yogi niyata-manasah
santim nirvana-paramam
mat-samstham adhigacchati
Thus disciplining himself-always, Yogi, (with) subdued mind; supreme peace, nirvana (and) union with me he attains.
Shloka 16
naty-asnatas ‘tu yogo ‘sti
na caikantam anasnatah
na cati-svapna-silasya
jagrato naiva carjuna
Not over eating is yoga, nor absolutely not eating; neither over sleeping habitually, nor keeping awake, O Arjuna.
Shloka 17
yuktahara-viharasya
yukta-cestasya karmasu
yukta-svapnavabodhasya
yogo bhavati duhkha-ha
Yoked (disciplined) eating and diversion (recreation), yoked (disciplined) efforts in actions, yoked (disciplined) sleep and keeping awake; yoga is sorrow-destroying.
Shloka 18
yada viniyatam cittam
atmany evavatisthate
nisprhah sarva-kamebhyo
yukta ity ucyate tada
When controlled mind, (in) self alone (he is) absorbed, free of all desire and lust, then (he) is said to be yoked.
Shloka 19
yatha dipo nivata-stho
nengate sopama smrta
yogino yata-cittasya
yunjato yogam atmanah
As a lamp windless place does not flicker (so is this) simile remembered, (of a) yogi (with) disciplined mind yoked in Yoga of (oneness with) self.
Shloka 20
yatroparamate cittam
niruddham yoga-sevaya
yatra caivatmanatmanam
pasyann atmani tusyati
Where comes to rest the mind (thoughts), restrained by yoga-practice; where self-by-the self is observed, (in the) self (he is) content.
Shloka 21
sukham atyantikam yat tad
buddhi-grahyam atindriyam
vetti yatra na caivayam
sthitas calati tattvatah
The place of endless happiness that (is) grasped by intelligence, (and is) beyond senses (sense-perception) he knows (and) where established, he deviates not from truth.
Shloka 22
yam labdhva caparam labham
manyate nadhikam tatah
yasmin sthito na duhkhena
gurunapi vicalyate
Which, having attained, other gains he thinks (is) not additional or superior (from) that, in which having established, by sorrow, even (when) profound, he is not shaken.
Shloka 23
tam vidyad duhkha-samyoga-
viyogam yoga-samjnitam
sa niscayena yoktavyo
yogo ‘nirvinna-cetasa
This, let it be known, sorrow-union dis-union is (called) Yoga; this Yoga, without doubt is (to be) practiced with determination and undismayed mind.
Shloka 24
sankalpa-prabhavan kamams
tyaktva sarvan asesatah
manasaivendriya-gramam
viniyamya samantatah
Abandoning all (lit: without remainder) Intention-originating desires, by the mind multitude of senses restraining completely.
Shloka 25
sanaih sanair uparamed
buddhya dhrti-grhitaya
atma-samstham manah krtva
na kincid api cintayet
Slowly (gradually) cease from action by firmly grasp(ing) the intelligence; having the mind merged in self (lit: standing together with atma), not anything (else) should (he) think.
Shloka 26
yato yato niscalati
manas cancalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
atmany eva vasam nayet
Whenever it wanders away, the mind, flickering and unsteady; then (each time) subduing it, in (under) the self (of) control, lead it.
Shloka 27
prasanta-manasam hy enam
yoginam sukham uttamam
upaiti santa-rajasam
brahma-bhutam akalmasam
(One of) peaceful mind, he, (a yogi) approaches happiness supreme (of) oneness with brahman; (with) pacified rajas, (and) free of evil.
Shloka 28
yunjann evam sadatmanam
yogi vigata-kalmasah
sukhena brahma-samsparsam
atyantam sukham asnute
Thus yoked to self, a yogi, freed of evil, easily contacts brahman; (and) endless happiness he attains.
Shloka 29
sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam
sarva-bhutani catmani
iksate yoga-yuktatma
sarvatra sama-darsanah
Atma (is) present in all beings, and all beings (reside in) atma; (thus) sees one who is yoked, everywhere (he) sees the same.
Shloka 30
yo mam pasyati sarvatra
sarvam ca mayi pasyati
tasyaham na pranasyami
sa ca me na pranasyati
(He) who sees me everywhere, and everything in me; (to) him I am not lost, (and) he is not lost to me.
Shloka 31
sarva-bhuta-sthitam yo mam
bhajaty ekatvam asthitah
sarvatha vartamano ‘pi
sa yogi mayi vartate
(As) residing in all beings, (and) established in oneness (he) who worships me; whatever way he acts, he (the) yogi, in me he abides.
Shloka 32
atmaupamyena sarvatra
samam pasyati yo ‘rjuna
sukham va yadi va duhkham
sa yogi paramo matah
Self-comparing everywhere (i.e., seeing himself everywhere), (he) who sees the same O Arjuna, whether pleasure or misery; he is considered supreme yogi.
Shloka 33
arjuna uvaca
yo ‘yam yogas tvaya proktah
samyena madhusudana
etasyaham na pasyami
cancalatvat sthitim sthiram
Arjuna said : the yoga by you expounded (declared), (of) evenness (of mind) of Madhusudhana (Krishna), this, I am unable to see (fathom) firm foundation, (due to) wavering/unsteady (mind).
Shloka 34
cancalam hi manah krsna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva su-duskaram
Restless indeed (is) mind, O Krishna, destructive strong and unyielding; this, restraining, I think, like of the wind, difficult to do.
Shloka 35
sri-bhagavan uvaca
asamsayam maha-baho
mano durnigraham calam
abhyasena tu kaunteya
vairagyena ca grhyate
Sri Bhagavan said : without doubt, O mighty armed one, mind is difficult to restrain (and) unsteady; but by practice, Kaunteya, (and) by dispassion, it is (can be) restrained.
Shloka 36
asamyatatmana yogo
dusprapa iti me matih
vasyatmana tu yatata
sakyo ‘vaptum upayatah
For one without self-control, yoga is difficult to attain, so is my opinion; (however) with self-control (and) with effort of proper means, it is possible.
Shloka 37
arjuna uvaca
ayatih sraddhayopeto
yogac calita-manasah
aprapya yoga-samsiddhim
kam gatim krsna gacchati
Arjuna said : one without self-control, but with (has) faith, (but) whose mind has deviated from yoga, (and) doesn’t achieve perfection in yoga, what path does he go, O Krishna?
Shloka 38
kaccin nobhaya-vibhrastas
chinnabhram iva nasyati
apratistho maha-baho
vimudho brahmanah pathi
Is it that not he (Doesn’t he) having lost both worlds, gets destroyed like disappearing clouds, not being firmly grounded, O mighty armed one (Krishan), the deluded one on path of Brahman?
Shloka 39
etan me samsayam krsna
chettum arhasy asesatah
tvad-anyah samsayasyasya
chetta na hy upapadyate
This doubt of mine O Krishna, destroy it you can without remainder, other than you this doubt’s destroyer no (one) indeed is found.
Shloka 40
sri-bhagavan uvaca
partha naiveha namutra
vinasas tasya vidyate
na hi kalyana-krt kascid
durgatim tata gacchati
Sri Bhagavan said : O Partha, neither here (on earth) nor there above (heaven), destruction of him is found; not indeed a good doer (i.e., virtuous) goes to destruction.
Shloka 41
prapya punya-krtam lokan
usitva sasvatih samah
sucinam srimatam gehe
yoga-bhrasto ‘bhijayate
Attaining worlds (regions) of meritorious deeds, dwelling (there) for many years; in the dwelling of the radiant and of the illustrious, (the person) fallen-from-yoga is re-born.
Shloka 42
atha va yoginam eva
kule bhavati dhimatam
etad dhi durlabhataram
loke janma yad idrsam
Or in the lineage family of wise yogis he comes into being, this indeed is very rare (to get) birth in this world.
Shloka 43
tatra tam buddhi-samyogam
labhate paurva-dehikam
yatate ca tato bhuyah
samsiddhau kuru-nandana
There, the intelligence-accretion (i.e., knowledge accumulated) from (his) previous body he receives; (and) he strives from there on again for perfection O son of Kuru (Arjuna).
Shloka 44
purvabhyasena tenaiva
hriyate hy avaso ‘pi sah
jijnasur api yogasya
sabda-brahmativartate
By this previous practice, he is carried, indeed, even against his will; one desirous of knowing yoga, transcends sabda-brahman (often equated with Vedic recitation).
Shloka 45
prayatnad yatamanas tu
yogi samsuddha-kilbisah
aneka-janma-samsiddhas
tato yati param gatim
By persevering effort and controlled mind, a yogi is cleansed of all impurity, (thus over) many-life-perfected, then attains Supreme goal.
Shloka 46
tapasvibhyo ‘dhiko yogi
jnanibhyo ‘pi mato ‘dhikah
karmibhyas cadhiko yogi
tasmad yogi bhavarjuna
To the ascetic superior is a yogi, to the learned too, superior; to a karma-practitioner (karma-kanda or mimamsaka) too superior is yogi, therefore be a yogi O Arjuna.
Shloka 47
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
Among all the yogis too, he who has reached me by inner-self, with full faith who worships me, he is thought to be most attached to me.
Bhagavad Gita translated 