Dhyana Yoga: Shlokas 1 to 4
If you have not already done so, I would request you to review the Chapter 5, Karma Sanyasa Yoga before studying chapter 6 as that would help set the right context.
You can find the explanation of the previous set of shlokas, 25 to 29 of chapter 5 here. Please go through that to get a better understand and maintain continuity in your learning.
You can also listen to all the episodes through my Spotify Portal.
Verses 6.1 to 6.4
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
अनाश्रित: कर्मफलं कार्यं कर्म करोति य: |
स संन्यासी च योगी च न निरग्निर्न चाक्रिय: || 1||
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
anāśhritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ
sa sannyāsī cha yogī cha na niragnir na chākriyaḥ
श्रीभगवानुवाच (śrībhagavānuvāca) – The Supreme Lord said; अनाश्रित: (anāśritaḥ) – not dependent on; कर्मफलं (karmaphalaṁ) – the fruits of actions; कार्यं (kāryaṁ) – obligatory; कर्म (karma) – duty; करोति (karoti) – performs; य: (yaḥ) – who; स (sa) – he; संन्यासी (saṁnyāsī) – a renunciant; च (ca) – and; योगी (yogī) – a yogi; च (ca) – and; न (na) – not; निरग्निर् (niragnir) – without fire (i.e., not performing ritualistic sacrifices); न (na) – not; चाक्रिय: (cākriyaḥ) – inactive.
The Supreme Lord said; Those who perform their obligatory duties without being attached to or dependent upon the fruits of their actions, are the true renunciants (sannyasis) and yogis, and not the ones who do not light a fire (i.e., does not perform ritualistic sacrifices) or avoid rightful actions.
यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव |
न ह्यसंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन || 2||
yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava
na hyasannyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaśhchana
यं (yaṁ) – that which; संन्यासम् (saṁnyāsam) – renunciation; इति (iti) – as; प्राहुः (prāhuḥ) – they declare; योगं (yogaṁ) – yoga; तं (taṁ) – that; विद्धि (viddhi) – know; पाण्डव (pāṇḍava) – O son of Pandu (Arjuna); न (na) – not; हि (hi) – indeed; असंन्यस्त (asannyasta) – without renouncing; संकल्पो (saṅkalpo) – resolution to achieve desires; योगी (yogī) – a yogi; भवति (bhavati) – becomes; कश्चन (kaścana) – anyone.
That which they declare as sannyasa, know that to be yoga, O son of Pandu (Arjuna). For without renouncing worldly desires, no one can become a yogi.
आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते |
योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शम: कारणमुच्यते || 3||
ārurukṣhor muner yogaṁ karma kāraṇam uchyate
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śhamaḥ kāraṇam uchyate
आरुरुक्षोः (ārurukṣoḥ) – for one who wishes to climb (or ascend); मुनेः (muner) – of the sage; योगं (yogaṁ) – the path of meditation; कर्म (karma) – action; कारणम् (kāraṇam) – the means; उच्यते (ucyate) – is said to be; योगारूढः (yogārūḍhaḥ) – one who has ascended to meditation; तस्य (tasya) – his; एव (eva) – only; शमः (śamaḥ) – calmness, cessation from all material activities; कारणम् (kāraṇam) – the cause; उच्यते (ucyate) – is said to be.
For a soul aspiring to ascend the path of meditation, work without attachment is the prescribed means; however, for a sage who has already achieved this elevation in Yoga, tranquility and cessation from all material activities serve as the guiding principles.
यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते |
सर्वसङ्कल्पसंन्यासी योगारूढस्तदोच्यते || 4||
yadā hi nendriyārtheṣhu na karmasv-anuṣhajjate
sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī yogārūḍhas tadochyate
यदा (yadā) – when; हि (hi) – indeed; न (na) – not; इन्द्रियार्थेषु (indriyārtheṣu) – in the objects of the senses; न (na) – not; कर्मस्व (karmasu) – in actions; अनुषज्जते (anuṣajjate) – becomes attached; सर्वसङ्कल्प (sarvasaṅkalpa) – all intentions; संन्यासी (saṁnyāsī) – renouncer; योगारूढः (yogārūḍhaḥ) – elevated in yoga; तदा (tadā) – then; उच्यते (ucyate) – is said to be.
When one is neither attached to sense objects nor to actions, and has renounced all desires for the fruits of actions as well as all material desires, such a person is said to be elevated in the science of Yoga.
Renunciation in action vs renunciation of action
One who performs one’s duties and rightful actions without depending upon the fruit of action, is a true sannyasi (renouncer) and of steadfast mind. Not the one who does not handle fire nor the one who performs no action. The term niragnir means “the one who does not handle fire”, and it refers to renounced beings who depend on alms for their living and do not cook their own food. They are not required to perform any yajnas using sacrificial fires either.
Lord Krishna reiterates that the best path towards liberation and spiritual growth lies in action without expectation and not in inaction. Georg Feuerstein beautifully summarizes this as follows:
“This stanza epitomizes the ideal of inner or symbolic renunciation. i.e, renunciation IN action rather than renunciation OF action.”
That is a very insightful statement which reiterates Krishna’s teaching that nishkama karma yoga is superior to karma sannyasa. Renunciation of action basically means getting rid of the sense of doership and getting rid of the attachment to the results. As we all know, there are countless examples of people who have worked very hard and still never achieved success in life. On the other hand, we also see people who seem to attract extreme abundance and success without working too hard. We also have the example of people who worked very hard and also achieved big success. The point is that the outcome of our hard work is never in our control and we should thus never have attachment to it or have the sense of doership. A great example is Elon Musk. He named his car after Nicola Tesla, however he achieved far greater success than Nicola Tesla ever did, in spite of Nicola Tesla being a far greater genius.
Thus, we must understand and acknowledge that we should not have the sense of doership and we should not have attachment to results because it is truly not in our control.
Importance of letting go
The mindset of a ‘sannyāsī’ is all about letting go. It’s not just about giving up small or short-lived joys, but a deep understanding that real happiness isn’t found in these temporary things. This idea is like what the Chandogya Upanishad teaches. It talks about wise people who see their real self and stop chasing after unimportant things, choosing a simple, spiritual life instead.
But just letting go isn’t the end of the spiritual journey. It’s only the start. To truly connect with Bhagawan, we need to follow the way of ‘Yoga’. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali says that ‘Yoga’ is about calming our thoughts to see our real self and connect with Bhagawan. That is what Shri Krishna terms as samatvam. On the spiritual journey, the concept of renunciation or “letting go” is a vital element. Many undertake this path with sincerity, but the process and depth of renunciation vary among individuals. Essentially, there are two common ways in which people interpret and practice renunciation.
The first approach to renunciation is superficial or external. It is where individuals might give up worldly possessions, adopt ascetic practices, or lead a life of apparent simplicity. However, despite these outer manifestations of detachment, the inner cravings, desires, and attachments remain intact. They may not outwardly chase or indulge in worldly pleasures, but the longing for those pleasures continues to brew inside their minds. This form of renunciation is like wearing a mask of detachment, while internally still being entangled in the web of material desires.
Just as rivers hidden in the summer are full below the ground, in the same way, the latent desires of sense objects exist in the mind of a man who has only apparently renounced them. Even though the river beds might seem dry on the surface during the scorching heat of summer, water continues to flow beneath the ground. Similarly, a person might appear detached on the outside, but the undercurrents of desires continue to flow within their mind.
It serves as a cautionary note for all spiritual seekers. True renunciation is not just about external appearances or the physical act of giving up material objects. It’s about the internal transformation where one genuinely overcomes the thirst for worldly pleasures. The challenge is to ensure that the act of letting go is not just skin-deep but penetrates the depths of the soul, freeing it from all binds and desires, setting it on a genuine path towards spiritual realization.
To find real happiness, we need to think like a true ‘sannyāsī’, understanding that the things of the world don’t last and don’t give real joy. At the same time, we need ‘Yoga’ to look inside ourselves and connect with God. That is the way to real, lasting happiness. When we start our journey towards deep meditation or Dhyāna-yoga, we must actively engage in certain practices and actions to make progress. However, once we reach a certain level of proficiency in Dhyāna-yoga, it’s essential to let go of these active efforts. At this advanced stage, it’s more about being still and inactive, deeply immersed in meditation. It’s just like climbing a mountain. We have to put in a lot of effort to get to the top. However, once we reach the top, we can just sit and enjoy the view.
To put it another way:
Beginning Stage: If you’re a spiritual seeker (sage) who wants to master Dhyāna-yoga, you must actively practice certain disciplines. This is similar to how a beginner musician must practice scales before playing complex melodies.
Advanced Stage: Once you’re proficient in Dhyāna-yoga, the approach changes. Instead of actively ‘doing’, it becomes more about ‘being’. Just like a master musician who, after years of practice, can effortlessly create beautiful music.
Once we reach the advanced stage, we can withdraw from external actions and become more internally focused, and our mind becomes more concentrated. And with this concentration, we can experience the true essence of Yoga.
The need to be free from material desires
Another point Krishna is making here is that one cannot become a yogi until they have learned to be free from desires. People get fed up with the material world and run to take shelter in monasteries however soon they get fed up with the spiritual world as well because they realize it is also tough and difficult. And they give in to various desires. Desire leads to impulsive action, which leads to vikarma. Without desire, there cannot be vikarma. If you remember, in 3.36 Arjuna asks what causes humans to commit sinful activities and Krishna responds in 3.37, saying:
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भव: ||
महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् || 37||
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
kāma eṣha krodha eṣha rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśhano mahā-pāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam
It is lust alone, which is born of contact with the mode of passion, and later transformed into anger. Know this as the sinful, all-devouring enemy in the world.
Nivrtti and Pravrtti – Desires can never be fulfilled
Shri Krishna never said, ‘don’t enjoy’ or ‘don’t satisfy your needs’. He only said that we should run behind sensory pleasures and enjoyments and we need to put a check on them. The word used for this is Nivṛtti. While the act of running behind pleasures and sensory enjoyments is called Pravṛtti. Putting a check on pravṛtti is called niviṛtti. Desires arise out of our wants. We need to differentiate between needs and wants. Needs have to be fulfilled. Wants can never be fulfilled. Wants are endless.
There is the story of King Yayāti who was a righteous ruler, revered throughout his kingdom. However, blunders he committed due to a mind clouded by lust changed the course of his life. He had an affair with Sharmishtha, a princess, although he was already married to Devayani, the beautiful daughter of the great sage Shukracharya. Devayani felt very hurt and saddened by this. When Shukracharya discovered this, he was enraged and cursed Yayāti to grow old prematurely.
The curse came as a shock to Yayāti, who was still engrossed in worldly pleasures and desires. In his desperation, he approached his sons, asking if one of them would take on his old age, allowing him to continue enjoying the pleasures of youth. Among his sons, only the youngest, Puru, displayed the compassion and selflessness to accept his father’s old age, giving Yayāti his youthful years in return.
With youth restored, Yayāti indulged in all the sensory and material pleasures the world had to offer. This relentless pursuit of pleasures went on for over a thousand years. But with time, even amidst the splendors surrounding him, a profound realization dawned upon Yayāti. He understood the inexhaustible nature of desires. No matter how much they were satiated, they always demanded more, much like pouring ghee (clarified butter) onto a fire only intensifies its flames.
In a moment of profound clarity, Yayāti declared to his kingdom and himself, “Desires are never truly quenched by indulging in them. It’s only through self-control and deeper understanding that one can truly find peace.” With this newfound wisdom, he approached his son Puru, gratefully returning the youth he had borrowed. Embracing his old age, Yayāti renounced his kingdom and all worldly attachments. He retreated to the forest, leading a life of an ascetic, dedicating his remaining days to spiritual pursuits and inner peace.
This truth (that he realized) is documented in the Srimad Bhagavatam 9.19.14.
न जातु काम: कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति ।
हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते ॥ १४ ॥
na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām
upabhogena śāṁyati
haviṣā kṛṣṇa-vartmeva
bhūya evābhivardhate
As providing butter to a fire does not diminish the fire but instead increases it more and more, the endeavor to stop lusty desires by continuously providing enjoyment can never be successful and it only makes the desires stronger and stronger.
Most of us feel that once we satisfy our desires, we can become desireless. However, that’s the game of maya. That’s the trap you should avoid. Desires only get stronger when fulfilled. We have seen until now Krishna telling us that Nishkama karma yoga is superior to karma sanyasa. Some people may have the question that “Should we keep doing nishkama karma yoga all our lives? Don’t we get any opportunity for retirement?” 🙂
Anticipating such questions, Krishna here explains that our first goal should be of self purification and attaining perfection in yoga. He says that to achieve this, we must practice nishkama karma yoga. And once we have achieved perfection in yoga, we become eligible to adopt karma sannyasa if we choose to, until we attain liberation.
So, how do we understand when one is elevated in the science of Yoga? We discussed in 2.66 that the best way to domesticate our senses is by tying them to the yoke of God consciousness. In the spiritual sense, the yoke or the controlling force would be our connection with the Supreme and our connection with our higher, inner self.
नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना |
न चाभावयत: शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुत: सुखम् || 66||
nāsti buddhir-ayuktasya na chāyuktasya bhāvanā
na chābhāvayataḥ śhāntir aśhāntasya kutaḥ sukham
But an undisciplined person, who has not controlled the mind and senses, can neither have a resolute intellect nor steady contemplation on God. For one who never unites the mind with God there is no peace; and how can one who lacks peace be happy?
Tying the mind to the yoke of God consciousness
Once the mind is tied to the yoke of God consciousness, it naturally becomes detached from the world. We should keep checking whether our mind has become free from all material desires and no longer craves for sense objects. The mind should no longer tempt us to perform activities for the gratification of the senses. When we achieve this level of mastery over the mind, we will be considered elevated in Yoga or achieved perfection in Yoga.
Attaining perfection through yoga is no easy feat. At every stage, the practitioner will be tempted and challenged by Maya. The greatest of yogis have documented various Siddhis that one will achieve while achieving purification and progressing towards perfection in yoga. There are siddhis like making the body very small, making the body very big, seeing distant objects, seeing the past and the future, etc. However, the sages have warned the practitioners that such siddhis are actually a distraction and another play of maya. There are examples of yogis who have got attached to their siddhis, abandoned their spiritual progress and fallen to lowly planes.
This is another reason why Bhakti yoga is superior to other yogas because in bhakti yoga we progress by cultivating humility and love for God and we never get into an ego mindset or get attached to anything other than God consciousness.
You can find the next set of shlokas, 5 to 9 over here:
Hare Krishna.
kṛṣṇadaasa
Servant of Krishna
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi