Direct answer: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 (The Yoga of Meditation (Dhyana Yoga)) focuses on Meditation and Mind Control, and teaches krishna outlines the practical steps of meditation (dhyana), including lifestyle, posture, and concentration. he assures arjuna that efforts in spiritual practice are never lost, even across lifetimes.
Overview: Krishna outlines the practical steps of meditation (Dhyana), including lifestyle, posture, and concentration. He assures Arjuna that efforts in spiritual practice are never lost, even across lifetimes.
Dhyana/Raja Yoga
Total Verses: 47
श्रीभगवानुवाच |...
The Blessed Lord said: One who performs obligatory duty without depending on the result is both a sannyasi (renunciant) and a yogi. It is not one who has given up fire-rituals or who has ceased action.
यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव |...
What they call sannyasa, know that to be yoga, O Pandava. Without renouncing selfish intentions (sankalpa), no one can become a yogi.
आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते |...
For a sage aspiring to ascend to yoga, action is said to be the means. For one who has already ascended to yoga, stillness (shama) is said to be the means.
यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते |...
When one is not attached to sense objects and actions, having renounced all selfish intentions — at that time he is said to have ascended to yoga.
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |...
Let a person lift himself by himself; let him not lower himself. For the self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self.
बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः |...
For one who has conquered the mind by the Self, the Self is indeed a friend. But for one who has not conquered the mind, the Self remains an enemy, like a foe.
जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः |...
For one who has conquered the mind and has attained peace, the Supreme Self (Paramatman) is realised in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, in honour and dishonour.
ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः |...
One who is satisfied by knowledge and realisation, who is steady and self-controlled, and who sees a clod of earth, a stone, and gold with equal eyes — that yogi is said to be united (yukta).
सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु |...
One who is equal-minded toward well-wishers, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the envious, relatives, the righteous, and the sinners — that person excels.
योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थितः |...
Let the yogi constantly engage himself in yoga, situated in a secluded place, alone, with controlled mind and body, without desires, free from possessiveness.
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः |...
In a clean place, having established a firm seat — neither too high nor too low — covered with cloth, deerskin, and kusha grass,
तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः |...
There, sitting on that seat, making the mind one-pointed and controlling the activities of the mind and senses, one should practise yoga for the purification of the self.
समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः |...
Holding the body, head, and neck erect and still, gazing at the tip of the nose, without looking in other directions —
प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितः |...
With serene mind, fearless, firm in the vow of brahmacharya, having controlled the mind — one should sit as a yogi, the mind absorbed in Me, with Me as the supreme goal.
युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी नियतमानसः |...
Practising yoga constantly in this way, the yogi of disciplined mind attains peace — the highest nirvana — which rests in Me.
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः |...
Yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who does not eat at all; not for one who sleeps too much, nor for one who keeps vigil excessively, O Arjuna.
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु |...
For one who is moderate in eating and recreation, who is regulated in work, and who is balanced in sleep and wakefulness — yoga becomes the destroyer of all pain.
यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते |...
When the mind is thoroughly disciplined and established in the Self alone, free from longing for all objects of desire — then one is said to be united (yukta).
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता |...
As a lamp in a windless place does not flicker — that is the classic image for the yogi of controlled mind, absorbed in the yoga of the Self.
यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया |...
The state in which the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, becomes still — and in which, seeing the Self by the self, one is satisfied in the Self —
सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद्बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम् |...
Where one knows the transcendental happiness accessible to the intellect but beyond the senses — established in which, one does not move from truth —
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः |...
Having obtained which, one considers no other gain greater; established in which, one is not shaken even by the greatest suffering —
तं विद्याद्दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसञ्जितम् |...
Know this — the severance of union with pain — by the name of yoga. This yoga must be practised with firm determination and without despondency.
सङ्कल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः |...
Abandoning completely all desires born of imagination (sankalpa), and restraining the entire group of senses from all sides by the mind alone —
शनैः शनैरुपरमेद्बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया |...
Gradually, step by step, let one withdraw through the intellect held in patience. Making the mind established in the Self, one should not think of anything else.
यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् |...
Wherever the restless and unsteady mind wanders, bring it back from there and place it under the control of the Self alone.
प्रशान्तमनसं ह्येनं योगिनं सुखमुत्तमम् |...
Supreme happiness comes to the yogi of serene mind, whose passion has been pacified, who has become one with Brahman, free from all impurities.
युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी विगतकल्मषः |...
Constantly engaging the self in yoga thus, the yogi who is freed from impurities, easily experiencing the touch of Brahman, attains the highest happiness.
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि |...
With the self united through yoga, seeing equally everywhere, the yogi sees the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self.
यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति |...
Whoever sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me — I am never lost to him, and he is never lost to Me.
सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः |...
That yogi who, established in oneness, worships Me as dwelling in all beings — though living in all ways of life, he dwells in Me.
आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन |...
He who sees, by analogy with himself, equality everywhere — whether in pleasure or in pain — O Arjuna, is considered the highest yogi.
अर्जुन उवाच |...
Arjuna said: O Madhusudana, this yoga of equanimity that You have described — I do not see how it can be steadily maintained, due to the restlessness of the mind.
चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् |...
The mind is truly restless, O Krishna — agitating, powerful, and stubborn. I think it is as difficult to control as the wind.
श्रीभगवानुवाच |...
The Blessed Lord said: Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed one, the mind is difficult to control and restless. But by practice (abhyasa) and by detachment (vairagya), it can be restrained, O son of Kunti.
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः |...
Yoga is, in My view, difficult to attain for one whose self is unrestrained. But for one who has the self under control and who strives through proper means, it is possible to achieve.
अर्जुन उवाच |...
Arjuna said: O Krishna, what is the fate of the person who has faith but who has not persevered — whose mind has strayed from yoga before attaining perfection in it?
कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति |...
Fallen from both paths, does he not perish like a scattered cloud, without support, O mighty-armed one, bewildered on the path to Brahman?
एतन्मे संशयं कृष्ण छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः |...
O Krishna, please dispel this doubt of mine completely. For no one other than You is able to destroy this doubt.
श्रीभगवानुवाच |...
The Blessed Lord said: O Partha, there is no destruction for that person — neither in this world nor in the next. My friend, no one who does good ever comes to grief.
प्राप्य पुण्यकृतां लोकानुषित्वा शाश्वतीः समाः |...
The fallen yogi attains the worlds of those who have performed pious deeds, and after dwelling there for many, many years, is born into the house of the pure and prosperous.
अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम् |...
Or — and this is even rarer — he is born into a family of wise yogis. A birth such as this is indeed very rare in this world.
तत्र तं बुद्धिसंयोगं लभते पौर्वदेहिकम् |...
There, he regains the wisdom-connection from his previous body, and from that point he strives again toward perfection, O son of Kuru.
पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि सः |...
By the force of his previous practice, he is drawn toward yoga even involuntarily. Even the seeker who merely inquires about yoga transcends the ritual results of the Vedas.
प्रयत्नाद्यतमानस्तु योगी संशुद्धकिल्बिषः |...
With vigorous effort, that yogi — purified of all impurities, perfected through many births — attains the highest goal.
तपस्विभ्योऽधिको योगी ज्ञानिभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः |...
A yogi is greater than the ascetics, greater than the jnanis (philosophers), and greater than the karmis (ritualists). Therefore, O Arjuna, be a yogi.
योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना |...
And of all yogis, the one who, with great faith, worships Me with his inner self absorbed in Me — he is considered by Me to be the most united (the best yogi).