May 14 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 6; Verses 6.22-6.23 (Day 135) Adhyatma Yoga, Yoga of Meditation

 May 14 – Day 135

Verse 6.22-6.23

यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः ।

यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते ॥ ६-२२॥ 

yaṁ labdhwā chāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ
yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vichālyate (22) 

யம் லப்³த்⁴வா சா¹ப¹ரம் லாப⁴ம் மன்யதே¹ நாதி⁴க¹ம் த¹த¹: |
யஸ்மின்ஸ்தி²தோ¹ ந து²:கே²ன கு³ருணாபி¹ விசா¹ல்யதே¹ ||22||

22. Which, having obtained, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; wherein established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow, 

Commentary: Which: the gain or the realization of the Self or the immortal Soul.

Wherein: in the all-blissful Self which is free from delusion and sorrow.  The Self is all-full and self-contained.  That is the reason why the Lord says: “There is no other acquisition superior to Self-realization.” If one gets himself established in the Supreme Self within, he cannot be shaken even by heavy sorrow and pain, because he is mindless and he is identifying himself with the sorrowless and painless Brahman.  One can experience pain and sorrow when he identifies himself with the body and the mind.  If there is not mind there cannot be any pain.  When one is under chloroform, he feels no pain even when his hand is amputated, because the mind is withdrawn from the body. 

तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम् ।

स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा ॥ ६-२३॥ 

taṁ vidyād duḥkha-samyoga-viyogaṁ yogasaṅjñitam
sa niśhchayena yoktavyo yogo ’nirviṇṇa-chetasā (23) 

த¹ம் வித்³யாத்³ து³:க²ஸந்யோக³வியோக³ம் யோக³ஸஞ்ஞித¹ம் |
ஸ நிஶ்ச¹யேன யோக்¹த¹வ்யோ யோகோ³‌னிர்விண்ணசே¹த¹ஸா ||23|| 

23. Let that be known by the name of Yoga, the severance from union with pain. This Yoga should be practiced with determination and with an undesponding mind. 

Commentary: In verses 20,21 and 22 the Lord describes the benefits of Yoga, viz., perfect satisfaction by resting in the Self, infinite unending bliss freedom from sorrow and pain, etc. He further adds that this Yoga should be practice with a firm conviction and iron determination and with non-depression of heart.  A spiritual aspirant with a wavering mind will not be able to attain success in Yoga.  He will leave the practice when he meets with some obstacles on the path.  The practitioner must also be bold, cheerful and self-reliant. 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda: 

When everything is all right and the sun is shining on you, you may think that you have no doubts at all and that you know exactly what God is, what meditation means, and that you see God. But when there is trouble in life, where is that God? Suddenly the ego rises; there is insecurity, fear, agony and all your belief deserts you. This is the danger of a belief. So Kṛṣṇa says here: If you have a vision of truth, test it against this definition: established in that truth, can you withstand the greatest calamity and smile?” If you can, then it is possible that you have discovered the truth. If you have not been put through such a test, then suspend the judgement.

As long as we identify the self with mind, body and the world, and experience only external ‘pleasure’, we are always in pain. When this deluded identification is removed and the consciousness is united with the self (as in yoga) then we are in bliss, we are bliss itself.

This is the highest attainment; for there can be no happiness greater than the bliss that is independent and complete. This bliss cannot be removed from one established in it, nor can it be modified in him.

Since he is totally detached from the world, the body and the mind, and since he has realised that the self is an independent silent witness of the world phenomena (including his body and mind), he remains unmoved in all conditions. He knows the self to be the immortal, eternal, all-full, perfect and independent bliss. The real divinity within.

What we need is firm determination (not the pig-headed obstinacy with which it is confused), real understanding and an intelligent approach to the truth of our essential, divine being. 

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