Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter6 yoga of meditation

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So

long Krishna has been elaborating on the state of yogaarooda,

the one who has scaled the heights of meditation. Now He starts to give

the guidelines to reach that state, namely the discipline to be followed by a aarurukshu,

one who is desirous of reaching that state.

 

 

10.

yogee yunjeetha sathatham aathmaanam rahasi sThithah

ekaakee yathachitthaathmaa niraSeeH

aparigrahaH

 

The

yogi who wishes to reach the state of yogaarooda described above, he

should always fix his mind on the Self, retiring to a secluded spot alone,

controlling his mind and intellect, giving up all desires and possessions.

 

One who wishes to meditate should keep

himself secluded as meditation is not possible in a crowd. He should be

alone, ekaakee. Nowadays group meditation has become popular and

this may appear to be a bit out of place but the words rahasi sthithah

and ekaakee are used to indicate that the meditation should be done in a

place and time as to have no disturbance

or interruptions. That is why in those days the sages retired to the

forest to do thapas. The state of yathachitthaathma , control of mind

and intellect will come only when one becomes niraaSeeh, free from

desire and aparigraha, not attached to possessions. Otherwise his mind

will be full of desire for things he wants to acquire and anxiety for his

possessions. To renounce the world and to become a sannyasin is no guarantee

that one will be niraaSee and aprigraha. The story goes that when

Janaka was listening to the upadesa of his guru, he was told that his palace was

on fire. He never moved from his because being atrue karmayogi he thought that

nothing belonged to him but the hermits who were with him ran to rescue their

meager possessions of cloth and water pot etc. This does not mean that Janaka

was failing in his duty as a protector but it shows that having done his duty

well he was sure that everything would be done without his presence or concern.

Individually he was not worried about his possessions which he considered to be

not his in reality.

 

But

simply by retiring to a secluded place will one be able to meditate. This is a

common misconception. When we try to insist the importance of persistent

contemplation of God to develop bhakthi we often hear people say "

How can we think of God all the time living in the world pressed by our family

commitments? It may be possible if we are allowed to go to a secluded spot away

from family atmosphere." What they do not understand is that even if

they go to Himalayas they take their thoughts with them. This is what

exactly Krishna told Arjuna in the eighteen chapters of the Gita

when he wanted to go away from the battlefield. Then what should an aspirant

do? The answer is given in the next line ' yatha chitthaathmaa

niraaseeh aparigrahah

 

One

who wishes to scale the heights of meditation should be yathachitthaathmaa,

self-controlled, niraasee, without desire and aparigrahah, without

possessions. This does not mean renouncing the world physically but mentally,

like King Janaka., by giving up clinging attachments to worldly pleasures and

possessions.

 

 

11.

Suchou dheSe prathishTaapya sThiram aasnam aathmanaH

 

na athyucChritham na athineecham

chailaajinakuSottharam

 

He

should place himself in a pure spot, in affirm seat neither too high nor too

low and covered with cloth, deer skin and dharbha grass.

 

Next Krishna elaborates on the physical aids to meditation. The

spot must be clean, conducive to spirituality, the seat must be firm to reduce

anxiety and covered with kusa grass, a hide and a cloth in that order. To avoid

the roughness of the seat deer skin is spread on it and dharbha grass is to

preserve the skin. The cloth on the skin prevents the hairs on the skin from

sticking on the body.

 

The

seat should not be very high or very low. That is , one should not sit on a

cliff or under the ground. This again is to ensure safety.If one sits in a high seat or on a

cliff he may fall down if he happens to doze! In a low seat like under ground he

may be disturbed by insects or water.

 

These

conditions have to be understood in the context of the period of Gita and

should not be confused with the modern times. The point stressed here is that

the seat on which you meditate must be comfortable and secure just enough to

enable you to concentrate.

 

 

12.thathra

ekaagram manaH krthvaa

yathachitthendhriyakriyaH

 

upaviSya aasane yunjyaath yogam

aathmaviSudDhaye

 

There

he should practice yoga, with mind single-pointed, with his senses and mind

controlled, seated on the seat , for the sake of purifying himself.

 

Seated

thus one should withdraw his mind from the outside world and and concentrate on

the supreme for purification of his inner equipment. Is there any other conditions

to practice yoga other than choosing the proper seat? This is explained in the

next sloka.

 

13.

samam kaayaSirogreevam Dhaarayan achalam sThiram

 

samprekshya naasikagram svam dhiSaSchaa

anavlokayan

 

Keeping

his body, head and neck straight, holding himself motionless and steady, seeing

the tip of his nose not looking in other directions.

 

This

sloka is translated as 'holding the body, head and neck evenly and steadily,

the resolute yogin fixes his gaze on the tip of his nose, not looking around.'

This instruction is not given so as to make the meditator develop a squint or

stiff-back! It only means that one should not be distracted by body movement or

by outward objects. Fixing the gaze at the tip of the nose signifies the

position of the half-closed eyes as being kept open one will be tempted

to look around and closing them may induce him to sleep!

 

 

13.

praSaanthaathmaa vigathabheeH brahmacaarivrathe

sThithaH

 

manaH samyamya macChitthah yuktha

aaseetha

mathparaH

 

With

his mind calm, free of fear, following abstinence, with his thoughts centered

on Me by restraining his mind , he should meditate on Me.

 

Such

a yogi becomes calm in mind, praSaanthaathma, free of fear, vigathabheeH,

because he sees Brahman everywhere and in his self as fear come only from something

other than us. We do not fear ourselves. Te control of mind manassamyama

come from his brahmacharyavratha, which does not mean celibacy but control of

desire. Then he is able to turn his mind on the Lord, macChitthaH and becomes

engrossed in Him, mathparaH . Then he is yuktha, integrated in

yoga.

 

 

14.yunjan

evam sadhaathmaanam yogee niyathamaanasaH

 

Saanthim nirvaNaparamaam mathsamsThaanam

aDhigacChathi

 

Ever

applying himself in this state of contemplation, the yogi, whose mind is

restrained, attains the highest state of supreme peace that abides in Me.

 

With tranquillised inner sense and

indriyas under control the yogi should direct his thoughts on the Supreme

Reality. Thus he gets peace which will culminate in emancipation, nirvana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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