तं विद्याद्दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसञ्जितम् | स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा || २३ ||
taṃ vidyād duḥkha-saṃyoga-viyogaṃ yoga-sañjitam sa niścayena yoktavyo yogo 'nirviṇṇa-cetasā
tam—that; vidyāt—know; duḥkha-saṃyoga—of the miseries of material contact; viyogam—extirpation; yoga-sañjitam—named as yoga; saḥ—that; niścayena—with firm determination; yoktavyaḥ—must be practiced; yogaḥ—yoga system; anirviṇṇa-cetasā—without deviation.
“Know this — the severance of union with pain — by the name of yoga. This yoga must be practised with firm determination and without despondency.”
Yoga is here defined functionally as 'duḥkha-saṃyoga-viyoga' — the dissolution of the soul's union with pain. Pain arises from false identification with the body-mind complex and its vicissitudes. Yoga breaks this identification. Krishna then adds the essential instruction for practice: niścayena (with firm determination) and anirviṇṇa-cetasā (without despondency or impatience). These two qualities of will and courage are the fuel of the entire practice.
The most common obstacle in meditation is discouragement: 'My mind is too restless. I am making no progress. This is not for me.' Krishna's instruction directly addresses this: practise with firm determination and without giving up. Progress in yoga is real but often invisible from the inside. Keep going.