Bhagavad-gita summary chapter six, the yoga of meditation

नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्

 देवीं सरस्वतीं चैव ततो जयम् उदीरयेत्

महाभारत

Mahābhārata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

Bhagavad-gītā 

Chapter Six

The Yoga of Meditation

5th and 6th Chapter summarized

ॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐ

     The 5^th Chapter Of Bhagavad-Gita has been summarized by Yamuna  Acharya: in his gitārthasamgraha: कर्मयोगस्य सौकर्यं शैघ्र्यं काश्चन तद्विधः। ब्रह्मज्ञान प्रकारश्च पञ्चम्माध्याय उच्यते॥ karmayogasya saukaryaṃ śaighryaṃ kāścana tad vidhaḥ| brahmajñāna prakāraś ca pañcammādhyāya ucyate||  

     “The 5^th Chapter sets forth the easy practicability and quick efficacy of karma-yoga, some similar topics, and the knowledge of  Brahman.” Bhaktivedānta Swāmī refers to this chapter about karma-yoga as “Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.

 He comments, “ This chapter is a practical explanation of the Krishna consciousness, generally known as karma yoga. The question of mental speculation as to how karma yoga can give liberation answered here went to work in Krishna consciousness is to work with the complete knowledge of the Lord is the predominate in such work is not different from transcendental knowledge. Direct Krishna consciousness is bhakti yoga and jñāna-yoga is a path leading to bhakti-yoga.” 

     His point here is that when one is in full transcendental knowledge of the relationship between the soul and the Supreme Soul, he will naturally dedicate his actions in divine love or bhakti-yoga. A truly realized soul will come to the conclusion that action performed in love is the best form of knowledge. Therefore, both karma and jñāna culminate in  bhakti.

      Since Arjuna has expressed an interest in understanding the nature of meditation,  Krishna expands on the understanding of mystic yoga in the sixth chapter,  called the yoga of meditation, dhyana-yoga.

     Krishna continues,  “ when one is no longer attached to the objects of the senses, nor to actions, and when one renounces all resolves, then one is said to have risen to devotion.  For one who controls the mind, his mind is his best friend. Anyone who fails to control the mind soon finds that his own mind as his worst enemy. One who is equal and fixed on the self amid cold and heat, pleasure and pain, and also honor and dishonor is the true mystic. He who views equally well-wishers, friends, foes, strangers and those who are different to him is distinguished above all others.”

 Since  Arjuna has asked Krishna to enlighten him on the path of yoga, Krishna begins a discussion  on the nature of aṣṭanga yoga,  or the eightfold path of enlightenment.  He tells Arjuna that to practice yoga one must go to a quiet, peaceful, holy secluded place. 



     One should lay kuśa  grass on the ground and then covered with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should be neither too high or too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The Yogi should then sit on it very firmly and practice yoga to purify the hard by controlling his mind,  senses, and activities and fixing the mind of one point. 

  Bhaktivedānta Swāmi takes great exception with the modern practice of yoga and finds little authenticity in such societies. He points out that sacred places are very difficult to find. Even in India many of the sacred places have been contaminated. In any case there very difficult to reach especially for Westerners.   

        He says, “the so-called yoga societies in big cities may be successful in earning material benefit, but they are not at all suitable for the actual practice of yoga. One who is not self-controlled and whose mind is not undisturbed cannot practice meditation.  

     Therefore in the Bṛhan-naradiya Purāna it is said,  "in the iron age of Kali when people are short-lived, slow and spiritual realization, and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is chanting the holy name of the Lord. In this age of quarreling hypocrisy the only means of deliverances chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.”  

हरेर्नाम हरेर्नाम हरेर्नाम एव केवलम् कलौ नस्त्य् एव नस्त्य् एव नस्त्य् एव गतिर् अन्यथ

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha."

Bhaktivedanta Swāmī, Bhagavad-gītā As it is, Chapter 6, verse 12.

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे

हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे

     In any case,  Krishna continues to describe the eight fold yoga path. He explains the process for meditation, breath control, fasting and physical self-control, proper regulation of the mind and intelligence, purification of consciousness, samadhi and nirvana, which in this case does not mean the cessation of material existence but the end of our participation in the world of exploitation. 

     Material existence is temporary, hence illusory. For the soul there is no cessation, because it is eternal.

     Arjuna rejects the yoga system as being far too difficult for an ordinary person to practice and asks, "What happens to the fallen Yogi? Does he not perish like a riven cloud with no position in any sphere?"

Krishna reassures him, saying, "but transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the next. One who does good is never overcome by evil. Sincerity is invincible." In the end according to Krishna, the best yogi is one who chooses the path of divine love. Such a yogi is very dear. This form of yoga is called bhakti.

      Krishna concludes by making a case for devotion as the highest form of yoga. He ends the chapter by saying "And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in me, thinks of me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to me: he is the best of all yogis. He is the most intimately united with me and yoga and is the highest of all. That is my opinion."

योगिनाम् अपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना श्रद्धावान् भजते योउ मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः
yoginām api sarveṣāṃ madgatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate you māṃ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ, BG. 6.47