The Eight-fold Yoga Path

Bhagavad-Gita Sixth Chapter

The Path of Yoga: 

 Meditation and Practice

by Michael Dolan/B.V. Mahayogi

 Kṛṣṇa continues, "One must elevate himself by the mind and not degrade himself. For one who controls the mind, his mind is his best friend and will help with self-fulfillment. When the self fails to control the mind, the mind becomes the enemy of true self-interest. The yogi who has conquered the mind becomes absorbed in yogic trance. He is who is equal to all and fixed on the self amid the impulses of cold and heat, pleasure and pain, honor and insult. He sees friends, foes, and strangers equally.

 Since  Arjuna has asked Krishna to enlighten him on the path of yoga, Krishna now begins his discussion  on the nature of aṣtāṇga yoga,  or the eightfold path of enlightenment.

Certain aspects of this form of yoga have become popular in the West, especially the yoga asanas and the breathing practice known as pranayama. The eightfold path is called aṣṭāṇga-yoga which literally means the “eight limbs” of Yoga practice. Long after Kṛṣṇa speaks the Bhagavad-Gita these were encoded in the yoga system of Patanjali. But the system was ancient even in the time of the Kurukṣetra war. 

Before hearing Kṛṣṇa's words on the subject, lets look at the eight-fold path. The eight limbs of yoga are as follows:

Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. These are not heirarchical in the sense that one step must be achieved before ascending to the next step. They are conceived as the different limbs of the yogic body in the sense that all the eight limbs must be maintained properly at the same time in order for the body to be healthy.

1. Yama: rules (negative principles or "Don'ts"). The general principles of yoga mean that there are certain rules that must be followed in order to free the mind from distraction and agitation. These include sinful, immoral, and criminal acts. One should avoid violence not only against fellow human beings, but even against animals, as in meat-eating. Lust should be avoided since lust corrupts spiritual life. Intoxication by alcohol or drugs distorts the mind and must be given up. Greed in business practices, speculation and dishonesty also destroys spiritual life. A yogi must be pure in thought and deed and following the proper rules of conduct mean avoiding impurity and passions such as lust, anger, and greed. It is not a question of defining these these as "sins" so much as understanding that lust, anger, and greed do  not free the mind but keep it in bondage.

2. Niyama (positive principles or "Do" ): principles. This implies the cultivation of spiritual purity beyond simply following rules. A yogi strives for purity of body and mind above and beyond the rules. This implies a contemplative life of self-discipline free from violence and anger. Self-analysis, self-abnegation, dedication to the teachings of one’s spiritual master, and devotion to God and the spiritual master or guru.

3. Asana: The different postures of yoga contribute to bodily and mental health, and aid in spiritual realization.

4.Pranayama: If the word yama means “rules and regulations” prana-yama means to regulate and control the prāna, the life air that circulates through the body.

5. Pratyahara: This means controlling the senses, by withdrawing their focus on the objects of the senses.

6. Dhārana: means proper thinking by remembering the soul is eternal.

7. Dhyāna: is meditation experiencing the inner light of the soul and maintaining consciousness of the Supreme Soul who exists within and without.

Samādhi: constant absorption in the atma, the spiritual experience of the relationship between the individualized soul atma and the Supreme Soul, Paramātma.

Getting back to the the actual text, from the 10th verse of the Sixth Chapter.

Kṛṣṇa 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. From the 13th verse of the Sixth chapter on, 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 cconsciousness, ssamādhi 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 and our dedication to the Supreme Lord.

Material existence is temporary, hence illusory. For the soul there is no cessation of existence, since the atma is eternal.

In his comments, Bhaktivedānta Swāmi takes great exception with the groups involved in the so-called 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.   

From the commentary of Bhaktivedānta Swāmi, Bhagavad-Gita As It Is: “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 गतिर्अन्यथ

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

The Hare Krishna Mantra is the best means for yoga and meditation.  Try it!

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे

हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

श्रीभगवान् उवाच

अनाश्रितः कर्मफलं कार्यं कर्म करोति यः

स संन्यासी च योगी च न निरग्निर् न चाक्रियः ६.१

यं संन्यासम् इति प्राहुर् योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव

न ह्य् असंन्यस्तसंकल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन ६.२

आरुरुक्षोर् मुनेर् योगं कर्म कारणम् उच्यते

योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणम् उच्यते ६.३

यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्व् अनुषज्जते

सर्वसंकल्पसंन्यासी योगारूढस् तदोच्यते ६.४

उद्धरेद् आत्मनात्मानं नात्मानम् अवसादयेत्

आत्मैव ह्य् आत्मनो बन्धुर् आत्मैव रिपुर् आत्मनः ६.५

बन्धुर् आत्मात्मनस् तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः

अनात्मनस् तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ६.६

जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः

शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः ६.७

ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः

युक्त इत्य् उच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ६.८

सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु

साधुष्व् अपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर् विशिष्यते ६.९

योगी युञ्जीत सततम् आत्मानं रहसि स्थितः

एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा निराशीर् अपरिग्रहः ६.१०

शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरम् आसनम् आत्मनः

नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् ६.११

तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः

उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद् योगम् आत्मविशुद्धये ६.१२

समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्न् अचलं स्थिरः

संप्रेक्ष्य नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश् चानवलोकयन्

६.१३

प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर् ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितः

मनः संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्परः ६.१४

युञ्जन्न् एवं सदात्मानं योगी नियतमानसः

शान्तिं निर्वाणपरमां मत्संस्थाम् अधिगच्छति

६.१५

atha ṣaṣṭhodhyāyaḥ

śrībhagavān uvāca

anāśritaḥ karmaphalaṃ kāryaṃ karma karoti yaḥ

sa saṃnyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnir na cākriyaḥ 6.1

yaṃ saṃnyāsam iti prāhur yogaṃ taṃ viddhi pāṇḍava

na hy asaṃnyastasaṃkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana 6.2

ārurukṣor muner yogaṃ karma kāraṇam ucyate

yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate 6.3

yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasv anuṣajjate

sarvasaṃkalpasaṃnyāsī yogārūḍhas tadocyate 6.4

uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet

ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

6.5

bandhur ātmātmanas tasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ

anātmanas tu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat 6.6

jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ

śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ 6.7

jñānavijñānatṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ

yukta ity ucyate yogī samaloṣṭāśmakāñcanaḥ 6.8

suhṛnmitrāryudāsīnamadhyasthadveṣyabandhuṣu

sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu samabuddhir viśiṣyate 6.9

yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṃ rahasi sthitaḥ

ekākī yatacittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ 6.10

śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ

nātyucchritaṃ nātinīcaṃ cailājinakuśottaram 6.11

tatraikāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā yatacittendriyakriyaḥ

upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātmaviśuddhaye 6.12

samaṃ kāyaśirogrīvaṃ dhārayann acalaṃ sthiraḥ

saṃprekṣya nāsikāgraṃ svaṃ diśaś cānavalokayan

6.13

praśāntātmā vigatabhīr brahmacārivrate sthitaḥ

manaḥ saṃyamya maccitto yukta āsīta matparaḥ 6.14

yuñjann evaṃ sadātmānaṃ yogī niyatamānasaḥ

śāntiṃ nirvāṇaparamāṃ matsaṃsthām adhigacchati

6.15

-->