Dhyana Yoga
Meditation as the slow work of steadying the mind. The seat, the breath, the gradual narrowing of attention until only the self remains.
All 47 verses of this chapter on one page. Read straight through, or press play and follow each verse as it is recited.
श्री भगवानुवाच अनाश्रितः कर्मफलं कार्यं कर्म करोति यः । स संन्यासी च योगी च न निरग्निर्न चाक्रियः ॥
One who performs the required action without taking shelter in the fruit of action is a renunciate and a yogi. Not one who merely gives up fire, and not one who merely stops acting.
यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव । न ह्यसंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन ॥
Arjuna, what people call renunciation is yoga. No one becomes a yogi without giving up intentions.
आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते । योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते ॥
For the sage who seeks to rise into yoga, action is the means. For the one who has risen in yoga, stillness is the means.
यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते । सर्वसङ्कल्पसंन्यासी योगारूढस्तदोच्यते ॥
When one no longer clings to sense pleasures or to actions, that person is called established in yoga, having renounced all intentions.
उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् । आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥
Lift yourself by yourself; do not let yourself fall. The true self is its own friend, and the true self is its own enemy.
बन्धुरात्माऽऽत्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः । अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ॥
For one who has conquered the lower self by the true self, the true self is a friend. For one who has not conquered the lower self, the true self behaves like an enemy.
जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः । शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः ॥
For one who has conquered the self and is serene, the supreme reality is ever present in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor.
ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः । युक्त इत्युच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ॥
One whose mind is satisfied by knowledge and realization, who remains steady, who has conquered the senses, and who sees clay, stone, and gold alike is called a yogi in union.
सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु । साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते ॥
The one whose understanding is equal toward friend, enemy, neutral person, mediator, hateful person, relative, the virtuous, and the sinful is श्रेष्ठ.
योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थितः । एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा निराशीरपरिग्रहः ॥
The disciplined yogi, dwelling alone in seclusion, should constantly unite the mind with the supreme being, free from desire and possessiveness, with body and mind under control.
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः । नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् ॥
Having placed a firm seat for himself on a clean spot, neither too high nor too low, with cloth, deerskin, and kusha grass laid in layers.
तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः । उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये ॥
Sitting on that seat, with the mind made one-pointed and the movements of mind and senses restrained, one should practice yoga for inner purification.
समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः । संप्रेक्ष्य नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश्चानवलोकयन् ॥
Holding the body, head, and neck straight and still, and gazing only at the tip of the nose without looking around.
प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितः । मनः संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्परः ॥
The yogi, with a peaceful mind, free of fear, and firm in celibate discipline, restrains the mind, fixes awareness on Me, and sits devoted to Me as the supreme aim.
युञ्जन्नेवं सदाऽऽत्मानं योगी नियतमानसः । शान्तिं निर्वाणपरमां मत्संस्थामधिगच्छति ॥
The disciplined yogi, always uniting the mind in this way, attains the supreme peace of freedom rooted in Me.
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः । न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ॥
Yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who eats nothing at all. It is not for one who sleeps too much, nor for one who stays awake too long, Arjuna.
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु । युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ॥
Yoga that destroys suffering comes from balanced eating, balanced activity, balanced work, and balanced sleep and waking.
यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते । निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ॥
When the controlled mind rests in the true self alone and is free from craving for all pleasures, that person is called united in yoga.
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता । योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः ॥
As a lamp in a windless place does not flicker, so the disciplined mind of a yogi does not waver while practicing yoga of the true self.
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया । यत्र चैवात्मनाऽऽत्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति ॥
When the restrained mind becomes still through yoga practice, and the person sees the true self by the true self, one is content in the true self alone.
सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद्बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम् । वेत्ति यत्र न चैवायं स्थितश्चलति तत्त्वतः ॥
One knows the boundless joy beyond the senses and grasped by the discerning mind; established in it, one never truly falls away.
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः । यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते ॥
Having attained it, one thinks no greater gain exists. Established in it, one is not shaken even by great sorrow.
तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम् । स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा ॥
Know that as yoga: the severance of union with suffering. Practice that yoga with certainty, with an undiscouraged mind.
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः । मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्ततः ॥
Abandon every desire born of resolve, and restrain the whole field of the senses on all sides with the mind alone.
शनैः शनैरुपरमेद् बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया । आत्मसंस्थं मनः कृत्वा न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत् ॥
Little by little, the mind should be quieted by steady discernment. Fix the mind in the true self and think of nothing else.
यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् । ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ॥
Whenever the restless, unsteady mind wanders, bring it back under the control of the true self.
प्रशान्तमनसं ह्येनं योगिनं सुखमुत्तमम् । उपैति शान्तरजसं ब्रह्मभूतमकल्मषम् ॥
The yogi whose mind is peaceful, whose passion is stilled, and who is free from impurity attains the highest joy.
युञ्जन्नेवं सदाऽऽत्मानं योगी विगतकल्मषः । सुखेन ब्रह्मसंस्पर्शमत्यन्तं सुखमश्नुते ॥
Thus, the disciplined yogi, free from impurity, always unites the self with the supreme reality and attains limitless joy through that contact.
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि । ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः ॥
The one united in yoga sees the true self in all beings and all beings in the true self, seeing everything with equal vision.
यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति । तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति ॥
Who sees Me in all beings and sees all beings in Me, I am never lost to that person, and that person is never lost to Me.
सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः । सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि स योगी मयि वर्तते ॥
The yogi who abides in unity and worships Me in all beings lives in Me, even while acting in every way.
आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन । सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं सः योगी परमो मतः ॥
O Arjuna, the yogi who sees all beings as equal through the measure of the true self, and sees pleasure and pain alike, is considered the highest yogi.
अर्जुन उवाच योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन । एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिं स्थिराम् ॥
Arjuna said: Krishna, you have described this yoga as balanced, but I do not see its steady practice, because the mind is restless.
चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् । तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ॥
The mind is restless, turbulent, stubborn, and strong. I think controlling it is as hard as controlling the wind.
श्री भगवानुवाच असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं । अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥
The mind is hard to control, but it is mastered through practice and detachment.
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः । वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः ॥
Yoga is hard to attain for one whose mind is not fully controlled. But for one who controls the mind and strives with the right method, it can be reached.
अर्जुन उवाच अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः । अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति ॥
Arjuna said: What happens to a person who has faith but lacks steady effort, whose mind turns away from yoga before full success is reached, O Krishna?
कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति । अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि ॥
O mighty-armed one, does a person who has fallen from both sides, like a torn cloud, perish without support, deluded on the path of the supreme reality?
एतन्मे संशयं कृष्ण छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः । त्वदन्यः संशयस्यास्य छेत्ता न ह्युपपद्यते ॥
O Krishna, only you can fully cut away this doubt. No one else is able to remove it.
श्री भगवानुवाच पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते । नहि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ॥
Krishna said: O Partha, there is no destruction for him either here or hereafter. No one who does good ever comes to a bad end, my dear.
प्राप्य पुण्यकृतां लोकानुषित्वा शाश्वतीः समाः । शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे योगभ्रष्टोऽभिजायते ॥
The one who falls from yoga reaches the worlds earned by good deeds, dwells there for many long years, and is then born again in the house of the pure and prosperous.
अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम् । एतद्धि दुर्लभतरं लोके जन्म यदीदृशम् ॥
Or he is born into the family of wise yogis. Such a birth is very rare in this world.
तत्र तं बुद्धिसंयोगं लभते पौर्वदेहिकम् । यतते च ततो भूयः संसिद्धौ कुरुनन्दन ॥
O son of Kuru, there he effortlessly regains the spiritual understanding from his previous life. Then he strives again, with greater force, toward complete success.
पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि सः । जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते ॥
Even against his will, he is drawn onward by that earlier practice. Even the seeker of yoga goes beyond the sound of ritual words.
प्रयत्नाद्यतमानस्तु योगी संशुद्धकिल्बिषः । अनेकजन्मसंसिद्धस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ॥
But the yogi who keeps striving with effort, whose impurities have been cleared, and who has been perfected through many births, reaches the highest goal.
तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः । कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिको योगी तस्माद्योगी भवार्जुन ॥
The yogi is greater than ascetics, greater than scholars, and greater than workers. Therefore, Arjuna, become a yogi.
योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना । श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः ॥
Among all yogis, the one who worships me with trust, with the inner self absorbed in me, is considered the most fully united.