आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते | योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते || ३ ||
ārurukṣor muner yogaṃ karma kāraṇam ucyate yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate
ārurukṣoḥ—who has just begun yoga; muneḥ—of the sage; yogam—the eightfold yoga system; karma—work; kāraṇam—the cause; ucyate—is said to be; yoga-ārūḍhasya—of one who has attained yoga; tasya—his; eva—certainly; śamaḥ—cessation of all material activities; kāraṇam—the cause; ucyate—is said to be.
“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.”
This verse maps the two phases of the spiritual path. In the early phase, when the mind is still turbulent and ego-driven, active karma yoga — selfless action — is the appropriate means. It purifies the mind. Once the mind is sufficiently purified and the yogi has 'ascended' to the state of established meditation, the appropriate means shifts to shama — inner quietude and cessation of compulsive action. Attempting the second phase prematurely, without the foundation of the first, leads to spiritual bypassing.
Honestly assess which phase you are in. If your mind is restless and your ego still active, engage energetically in selfless service and disciplined practice. If you have achieved significant inner quietude, deepen it through sustained meditation. Do not claim the second phase's stillness while actually needing the first phase's activity.