Sincerity is Invincible

Bhagavad-Gita Sixth Chapter

The Path of Yoga:

Meditation and Practice

by 

Michael Dolan/ B.V. Mahayogi

At the conclusion of the Sixth Chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna continues his explanation of how the yogi realizes the Paramatma. He says,

"The yogi sees Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. A self-realized soul sees Me everywhere. One who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me, is never lost. The yogi who knows God as the Supersoul within all creatures worships Me and remains always in Me. He is a perfect yogi who,sees the true equality of all beings, in joy or sadness, O Arjuna!"

Now, at this point, Arjuna has some doubts. It is wise to remember that the Bhagavad-Gita is a conversation. Krishna explained everything in the beginning of the book. But Arjuna's questions lead us to a deeper, more nuanced understanding.  He is, after all, a warrior. While it seemed appealing to him to abandon his dharma and karma for the path of eight-fold yoga, he is learning that it is not so easy. It seems difficult to him to follow so many rules. Arjuna says:

"I can't see it, Krishna. The mind is too restless and fickle. This mystic yoga system is impossible. It's harder to control the mind than the wind. I just don't see how permanent steadiness (sthiräm sthitim) can follow from this yoga which you have spoken. You teach equal vision in happiness and distress. I think this is impossible. It may last for a couple of days, but the mind is fickle.  We may be able to treat friends and neutral parties equally. But we can never be impartial with our enemies who criticize us. How are we to see God within their hearts? The mind is unblanced. We will never be able to treat them with kindness. Even if we could see the Paramatma in their hearts, we wouldn't keep that vision for long. The mind is too restless. I don't believe it's possible to maintain such equilibrium.  

Krishna accepts Arjuna's criticism, but goes beyond his doubts:

 "O mighty-armed:  of course it is difficult to curb the restless mind; but through contant practice and detachment it is possible. Self-realization is difficult work. But one who controls the mind is controlled through absorbtion in the Atma is assured of success, in my opinion."

According to the commentary of Baladeva Vidyabhushana, Krishna teaches here that the mind is always difficult to control. But if we see the temporal nature of the sense objects and control the mind through spiritual realization,  the mind will focus on the inner happiness of the atma.  In this way, the mind becomes steady. Balancing our material tendencies with the practice of tasting the bliss of the ātmā one becoes freed from the mind's  restless nature. In this way, we gie up the taste for material sense objects. Krishna explains here that as a chronic disease is cured after a long time by constant application of the correct medicine under the proper directions of the expert doctor, the uncontrollable mind is controlled. Krishna teaches that by practice of constant meditation on the Supreme Lord under the directions of the authorized guru, and by avoiding association with the sense objects. It is possible to bring the mind under control. [Pataïjali confirms this. abhyāsa-vairāgy

aṁ tan-nirodhaḥ One controls the mind through practice and renunciation. Patañjali Sutra 1.12]

Krishna addresses Arjuna as "O mighty- armed" as if to say, O Arjuna, you are mighty-armed: you defeated the bravest warriors in battle, and even fought Shiva to a stand-still. Will you be defeated by the mind? You are really mighty-armed only if you can defeat the best of warriors, the mind, with the weapon of yoga. He calls Arjuna "O son of Kuntī" as if to say, "Don't be afraid. I will certainly help the son of my father’s sister, Kuntī."

Every conversation is an exchange. Krishna wants something here. He wants Arjuna to fight. But Arjuna wants something too. He is determined to understand his true position before he fights. He does not mind taking up arms. But he does not want his soul to perish in the fight. This is one of his underlying problems. So here he wants to know what happens if one is unsuccessful in yoga.  What if one fails? Despite constant endeavor, one may fail for many reasons. What happens then?

Arjuna said:

"What is the destination of the man of faith who does not persevere, who in the beginning takes to the process of self-realization but who later desists due to worldly-mindedness and thus does not attain perfection in mysticism? O mighty-armed Krsna, does not such a man, being deviated from the path of Transcendence, perish like a riven cloud, with no position in any sphere?This is my doubt O Krsna, and I ask You to dispel it completely. But for Yourself, no one is to be found who can destroy this doubt."

Arjuna is concerned. What if one doesn't follow the process perfectly? The whole idea of yoga seems quite impossible.  Krishna reassures him.

The Blessed Lord said:

"Son of Prtha, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil. Sincerity is invincible."

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सर्वभूतस्थम् आत्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि

ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः ६.२९

यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति

तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति ६.३०

सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्य् एकत्वम् आस्थितः

सर्वथा वर्तमानोपि स योगी मयि वर्तते ६.३१

आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योर्जुन

सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं स योगी परमो मतः

६.३२

अर्जुन उवाच

योयं योगस् त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन

एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिं स्थिराम्

६.३३

चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद् दृढम्

तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोर् इव सुदुष्करम् ६.३४

श्रीभगवान् उवाच

असञ्शयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्

अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ६.३५

असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः

वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योवाप्तुम् उपायतः ६.३६

अर्जुन उवाच

अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच् चलितमानसः

अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति

६.३७

कच्छिन् नोभयविभ्रष्टश् छिन्नाभ्रम् इव नश्यति

अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि ६.३८

एतन् मे संशयं कृष्ण छेत्तुम् अर्हस्य् अशेषतः

त्वदन्यः संशयस्यास्य छेत्ता न ह्य् उपपद्यते

६.३९

श्रीभगवान् उवाच

पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस् तस्य विद्यते

न हि कल्याणकृत् कश्चिद् दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ६.४०

sarvabhūtastham ātmānaṃ sarvabhūtāni cātmani
īkṣate yogayuktātmā sarvatra samadarśanaḥ 6.29

yo māṃ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṃ ca mayi paśyati
tasyāhaṃ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati 6.30

sarvabhūtasthitaṃ yo māṃ bhajaty ekatvam āsthitaḥ
sarvathā vartamānopi sa yogī mayi vartate 6.31

ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṃ paśyati yorjuna
sukhaṃ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṃ sa yogī paramo mataḥ
6.32

arjuna uvāca

yoyaṃ yogas tvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana
etasyāhaṃ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitiṃ sthirām
6.33

cañcalaṃ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṃ nigrahaṃ manye vāyor iva suduṣkaram 6.34

śrībhagavān uvāca

asañśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate 6.35

asaṃyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ
vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyovāptum upāyataḥ 6.36

arjuna uvāca

ayatiḥ śraddhayopeto yogāc calitamānasaḥ
aprāpya yogasaṃsiddhiṃ kāṃ gatiṃ kṛṣṇa gacchati
6.37

kacchin nobhayavibhraṣṭaś chinnābhram iva naśyati
apratiṣṭho mahābāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi 6.38

etan me saṃśayaṃ kṛṣṇa chettum arhasy aśeṣataḥ
tvadanyaḥ saṃśayasyāsya chettā na hy upapadyate
6.39

śrībhagavān uvāca

pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate
na hi kalyāṇakṛt kaścid durgatiṃ tāta gacchati 6.40