नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः | न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन || १६ ||
nāty-aśnatas tu yogo 'sti na caikāntam anaśnataḥ na cāti-svapna-śīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna
na—never; ati—too much; aśnataḥ—of one who eats; tu—but; yogaḥ—linking with the Supreme; asti—there is; na—nor; ca—also; ekāntam—completely; anaśnataḥ—of one who does not eat; na—nor; ca—also; ati—too; svapna-śīlasya—of one who sleeps too much; jāgrataḥ—or one who keeps too much awake; na—not; eva—ever; ca—and; arjuna—O Arjuna.
“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.”
This verse encodes the principle of the middle path. Extreme asceticism — severe fasting, total sleep deprivation — weakens the body and agitates the mind, making meditation impossible. Excessive indulgence — overeating, oversleeping — creates torpor (tamas) and sensory preoccupation that equally obstructs yoga. The practitioner must find the golden mean: enough food, sleep, and rest to maintain a healthy, energetic body without excess.
Your body is not an obstacle to your spiritual life — it is the vehicle. Treat it with the practical wisdom this verse advocates: eat enough to sustain energy without dulling the mind, sleep enough to maintain alertness without wasting the day in sloth. Neither extreme serves the practice.