Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 and 6
By Nirooshitha Sethuram, Yogaratna
Graphics by Sheralee (Shambhavi) Hancherow
Chapter 5 (continued)
Karma Sannyasa Yoga — The Yoga of Renunciation of Action
The Dialog
Arjuna asks, “O Krishna, you praise renunciation-of-actions and also performance-of-actions. Tell me conclusively which is the better of the two.”
Krishna says: “Renunciation-of-action and performance-of-action both lead to the highest bliss. But of the two, performance-of-action is superior to renunciation-of-action.
“He who neither hates nor desires should be known as of eternal renunciation. He who is not subject to the pairs of opposites is easily set free from bondage. The wise don’t say that j~nana yoga and karma yoga are different. The ultimate is reached by the one who sees j~nana yoga and karma yoga as one.
“Renunciation is difficult to attain without the yoga of action. He who acts, placing all actions in the eternal Brahman, giving up attachment, is unaffected by sin. The well-poised or the harmonized, having abandoned the fruit of action, attains eternal peace.
“Mentally renouncing all actions, while being self-controlled, the embodied being rests happily in the nine-gated city (the body), neither acting nor causing others to act. Such a one looks equally at a Brahmana endowed with knowledge and humility, on a cow, on an elephant, on a dog and on one who eats flesh. With his mind unattached to external contacts, he finds happiness in Atma (Self), and with mind united with Brahman in meditation, he enjoys imperishable happiness.
“Enjoyments born of external contacts are indeed the only source of pain. They have a beginning and an end. He who can endure the impulse of desire and anger in this world, before death, is harmonized. He is the happy man. Absolute freedom exists on all sides for them, self-controlled renunciants, who are free from desire and anger, who have controlled their thoughts and who have realized the Self.
“The renunciant enjoys freedom by turning away all external impressions, fixing their gaze in the center of their brows, controlling their incoming and outgoing breath rhythmically, keeping their senses, their mind and intellect controlled, free from desire, fear and hatred, aspiring for the highest freedom. Knowing me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Lord and controller of all the worlds, friend of all beings, man attains peace.”
Chapter 6: Dhyana Yoga — The Yoga of Meditation
The practice and principles of meditation for spiritual growth are the focus of this chapter. It emphasizes the importance of self-discipline and control over the mind and senses. Thus you achieve a state of inner peace and connection with the Divine.
Krishna begins by describing the qualities of an ideal yogi — one who performs their duties without attachment to the fruits of their actions. He outlines the steps for effective meditation, describing the process of meditation as withdrawal of the senses from external objects and focusing the mind on the Self.
A balanced lifestyle is needed, Krishna says. This includes regulated eating, sleeping, working and recreation. One who maintains moderation in all activities can achieve the clarity and focus required for meditation.
He acknowledges the challenges faced by meditators, particularly the restless nature of their mind. He advises that their mind can be controlled through consistent practice and freedom from dependency on externals.
By gradually bringing their mind back to the focus of meditation whenever it wanders, one can overcome the inner obstacles and achieve mastery over their mind. Krishna describes the ultimate goal of meditation as realization of the Self, attaining union with the Divine.
The chapter concludes with Krishna emphasizing the importance of recognizing the Divine presence in all beings. He explains that one who sees the Self in all creatures and treats everyone with equal regard is the true yogi. Such a person realizes the oneness of all existence and attains the highest state of spiritual enlightenment.
This chapter provides valuable insights into the practice of meditation and its role in achieving spiritual growth. By following the guidelines and principles laid out by Krishna, individuals can develop self-discipline, control over the mind, and ultimately attain a state of inner peace and union with the Divine.
The Dialog
Krishna says, “He who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits-of-actions is a sannyasi and a yogi, not he who has renounced yaj~na and action. Sannyasa is yoga.
“Also, one who has not given up desire can never become a yogi. To ascend to yoga, action is the means. For one to be enthroned in yoga, serenity is called the means. This happens when the sage feels no attachment for sense-objects and actions, renouncing the ego-centric will.
“A man himself is his friend, and he himself is his enemy. For those who have conquered the mind, it is their friend. For those who have failed to do so, the mind works like an enemy. One who is self-controlled and peaceful is balanced in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, in honor and dishonor.
One who has conquered the senses, who looks with an equal eye on mud, stone and gold, is said to be merged in yoga. He who is of the same mind to the good-hearted, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful, relatives, the righteous and the unrighteous — he excels.”
He then says, “In a clean spot, make a firm seat, neither too high nor too low. It should be covered by layers of holy grass, skin and cloth. Seated there, making the mind one-pointed, controlling the actions of the mind and the senses, let him practice meditation for self-purification. Let him firmly hold his body, head and neck upright and still, gazing at the tip of his nose, without looking around, thinking of me as the supreme goal.”
Further Krishna says, “Yoga is not for one who eats too much or who does not eat at all, nor for him who sleeps too much or who does not sleep at all. When the perfectly controlled mind rests in the Self, free from longing for all enjoyments, then one is said to have attained yoga.
“When the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, attains calmness, and by seeing the Self by the Self, he is satisfied in his own Self. Abandoning all desires, completely restraining the whole group of senses by the mind from all sides, by the intellect held firm, one should attain quietude slowly and slowly.
“And then, fixing the mind in Atma, he should not think of anything else at all. Whenever and wherever the restless and unsteady mind wanders, one should bring it back and continually refocus it on God. Supreme bliss comes to the yogi whose mind is completely tranquil and whose passions are quieted, who is free from stain and who has become one with Brahman. Thus practicing yoga always, the yogi free from evil, attains easily the highest bliss, resulting from the contact with Brahman.”
He summarizes, “He who sees me in all beings, and all beings in me, never becomes lost to me, nor do I become lost to him. The yogi who worships me as abiding in all beings, and who is established in unity, abides in me in whatever manner he is acting.”
Arjuna says, “The system of yoga that you have described as attainable by equality of mind, appears impractical and unattainable to me, due to the restlessness of the mind. The mind is always restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding. I see it as difficult to control as the wind.”
Krishna says, “True, the mind is restless and hard to control. But by practice and by relinquishing dependency, it can be restrained. In my opinion, it can be attained by him who strives earnestly, by proper means.”
Expressing his doubts further, Arjuna asks, “What is the fate of the unsuccessful yogi who begins the path with faith, but who does not endeavor sufficiently, due to unsteady mind? What if he is unable to reach the goal of yoga in this life? Doesn’t one who leaves the path of yoga get deprived of both material and spiritual success, and perish like a broken cloud with no position in either sphere?”
Reassuring him, Krishna replies, “Neither in this world, nor in the next world, is there destruction for him. The man who has fallen away from yoga goes to the worlds of the righteous. Having dwelt there for long years, he is reborn in the home of the pure and the prosperous. Or he is even born in a family of wise yogis. A birth like this is very difficult to obtain in this world.
“There he comes in contact with the knowledge acquired in his former body. He strives still further for perfection, drawn toward God, even against their will, on the strength of their past discipline. One who strives with diligence, purified from sins and perfected, attains the supreme state gradually through many births. The yogi is greater than anyone, therefore be one.”
More to come…
- Freedom from Bondage https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/95983035795954440
- Krishna’s lessons on being a renunciant https://www.hinduwebsite.com/gita/wisdom/gita-day60.asp
- Healthy habits for a productive and balanced lifestyle https://vocal.media/longevity/healthy-habits-for-a-productive-and-balanced-lifestyle
- The Practice of Meditation and Inner Peace https://asanaathome.com/bhagavad-gita-quotes-positive-thinking/
- Mind is a Friend or Foe? https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/chapter-6-aatmasanyam-yoga-shrimad-bhagwad-gita/
- Seated Meditation https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/chapter-6-aatmasanyam-yoga-shrimad-bhagwad-gita/
- Restless Mind Graphic by S.Hancherow/ Canva
- Cycle of Rebirth https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-the-Cycle-of-Reincarnation