May 26 – Bhagavadgita Chapter 6; Verses 6.46-6.47 (Day 147) Adhyatma Yoga, Yoga of Meditation

 Lesson 6.6 (Verses 46-47)

The Perfect Yogi

May 26– Day 147

Verse 6.46-6.47 

तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः ।

कर्मिभ्यश्चाधिको योगी तस्माद्योगी भवार्जुन ॥ ६-४६॥ 

tapaswibhyo ’dhiko yogī jñānibhyo ’pi mato ’dhikaḥ
karmibhyaśh chādhiko yogī tasmād yogī bhavārjuna (46) 

த¹ப¹ஸ்விப்⁴யோ‌தி⁴கோ¹ யோகீ³ ஞானிப்⁴யோ‌பி¹ மதோ¹‌தி⁴க¹: |
க¹ர்மிப்⁴யஶ்சா¹தி⁴கோ¹ யோகீ³ த¹ஸ்மாத்³யோகீ³ ப⁴வார்ஜுன ||46|| 

46. The Yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics and even superior to men of knowledge (obtained through the study of scriptures); he is also superior to men of action; therefore, be thou a Yogi, O Arjuna! 

Commentary: Tapasvi: One who observes the austerities of speech, mind and body prescribed in chapter XVII. 14, 15 and 16.

Jnani: One who has a knowledge of the scriptures (an indirect knowledge or theoretical knowledge of the Self).

Karmi: He who performs the Vedic rituals.

To all these the Yogi is superior, for he has the direct knowledge of the Self through intuition or direct cognition through Nirvikalpa Samadhi (Cf. V.2; XII. 12; XIII.24) 

योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना ।

श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः ॥ ६-४७॥ 

yoginām api sarveṣhāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śhraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ  (47) 

யோகி³னாமபி¹ ஸர்வேஷாம் மத்³க³தே¹னான்த¹ராத்¹மனா |
ஶ்ரத்³தா⁴வான்ப⁴ஜதே¹ யோ மாம் ஸ மே யுக்¹த¹த¹மோ மத¹: ||47|| 

47. And among all the Yogis, he who, full of faith and with his inner self merged in Me, worships Me, he is deemed by Me to be the most devout. 

Commentary: Among all Yogis:  He who worships Me, the Absolute, is superior to those who worship the lesser gods such as the Vasus, Rudra, Aditya, etc.

The inner self merged in Me:  The mind absorbed in Me. (Cf. VI. 32) 

Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda (verses 46-47):

Here the expression ‘yogi’ should be taken to mean one who practises the yoga described in the previous verses – he who has harmonised himself with the indwelling omni-presence and he who, therefore, is freed from all self-centred attachments and aversions, selfishness and egoism.

Asceticism and erudition often lead us only farther from God, by adding the reinforcement of vanity to the naturally impenetrable wall of ignorance. The aim of yoga is to break down the little ego in order that the cosmic ‘I’ (which is non-different from ‘he’ and ‘you’) may be revealed. Mere asceticism, erudition or even service only fattens the little ego and thus blocks even the struggle for its eradication.

For the eventual transcendence of the ego, several paths have been laid down by our ancient masters. In all of them there is lurking danger ever present: if the sense of direction is lost, if the means are mistaken for the end, or if the landmarks usurp the glory of destination, great may be the fall. That is what is known as the goalless wandering in the jungle of dogma.

Kṛṣṇa presents a revolutionary concept of yoga here; and it is a wonderful aid to meditation, too. Instead of trying to fill the finite heart with the infinite Lord, the devotee is asked to offer himself into the heart of God! This attitude can be adopted in meditation too. Start with the visualisation of God in the heart, let him expand and take over, your body, the room, and the whole world. Merge yourself in him. If the meditation is not imagination but realisation, humility arises and the seeker is swallowed up in the seeking. The ego dissolves and the ‘king of the universe’ is seen (see-king). 

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(This chapter is known by the names Atmasamyama Yoga and Adhyatma Yoga also)

 

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु

ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे

आत्मसंयमयोगो नाम षष्ठोऽध्यायः 

Hari Om Tat Sat

Iti Srimad Bhagavadgītāsūpanishatsu

Brahmavidyāyām Yogashāstre śri krishnārjunasamvāde
ātmasamyamayogo nāma shashtho’dhyāyah. 

ஓம் தத்ஸத் 

இதி ஶ்ரீமத்பகவத்கீதாஸூ உபனிஷத்ஸு

ப்ரஹ்மவித்யாயாம் யோகஶாஸ்த்ரே ஶ்ரீக்ருஷ்ணார்ஜுனஸம்வாதே

ஆத்¹மஸம்யமயோகோ நாம ஷஷ்டோ¹‌த்யாய 

Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita, the science of the Eternal,

the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna ends the sixth discourse entitled: 

“The Yoga of Meditation” 

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