Bhagavatgita a detailed study-chapter 6-yoga of meditation

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3.aarurukshoH muneH yogam karmaaaranam uchyathe

yogaarooDasaya thasyaiva kshamaH kaaranam uchyatathe

 

For the one who wishes to climb to the state of being established in yoga, action is the means of attaining it. When he has reached that stage, tranquility is the means

 

The state of yoga is the same as that of sThithaprajna outlined in the second chapter when one gets the samathvabudDhi. Then his mind becomes calm without any disturbances what so ever. This is the state of yogaarooDa. It could be reached only by nishkamakarma. Hence for the one who wishes to reach there should be doing karma without attachment, which is karmayoga, referred to as karma in this sloka as the term yoga denotes the final stage of yogarooDa. When he becomes yogaarooDa the tranquility of mind born out of the renunciation of desire and sensual pleasures leads him to the final state of self-realisation.

 

The word muni means the one whose thoughts are always centered round the supreme self. mananaath muniH, manana meaning contemplation. The word mouna, silence is derived from muni because the mind of a muni is still without thought-disturbances and hence he remains silent, being devoid of sankalpa. There is nothing to be achieved by him by speech or willful action as denoted in the third chapter by the sloka, `naivakinchith krthenaarTho naakrthenaeha kaSchana.' (3.18) This is the state of yogarooDa. But how to know that one has reached that stage? This is explained by the next sloka.

 

4.yadhaa hi na indhriyaarTheshu na karmasu anushajjathe

 

sarvasankalpa sannyaasee yogaarooDah thadhochyathe

 

When one is not attached to the sense objects nor to the actions and has given up all thoughts of desire then he is said to have climbed to the state of yoga.

 

By practicing karma yoga, the aaruruksha, one striving for yoga, becomes free from desires and desire-motivated activities. When there is no desire, the attachment for sense objects becomes extinct. Still it is possible to get attached o the action itself born out of the sense of agency as a result of the ego that creates the feeling of "I" and "mine.' Renunciation of this is denoted by the term sarvasankalpasannyaasee. The desires for sensual pleasure no more distract him and he is free from the attachment of the result of actions and also of actions as such. Then one has reached the state of yogaarooDa.

 

Involvement and dedication to action need not necessarily be followed by attachment. One feels that he is placed in a particular circumstances for performing the particular action by the will of the Lord and simply executes his duty to the best of his ability as the service of the Lord. Any action sacred or secular done with the spirit of sacrifice and as an offering is karma yoga because it is free from attachment. Compared with a person working with self interest the karmayogi is able to do a better job and it brings success even though he may not be expecting it. The practical method of attaining the state of yoga is being outlined in the subsequent part of this chapter.