असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः | वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः || ३६ ||
asaṃyatātmanā yogo duṣprāpa iti me matiḥ vaśyātmanā tu yatatā śakyo 'vāptum upāyataḥ
asaṃyata-ātmanā—by one who is unbridled; yogaḥ—self-realisation; duṣprāpaḥ—difficult to obtain; iti—thus; me—My; matiḥ—opinion; vaśya-ātmanā—by one who controls the mind; tu—but; yatatā—while endeavoring; śakyaḥ—practical; avāptum—to achieve; upāyataḥ—by appropriate means.
“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.”
Krishna completes His answer to Arjuna's doubt with this balanced assessment. He does not say yoga is easy, but neither does He say it is impossible. For the undisciplined — who drift wherever impulse takes them — it is indeed very hard. But for one who has committed to the double practice of abhyasa and vairagya, striving through proper means (upāyataḥ), it is achievable. The door is open; the question is only the sincerity and consistency of effort.
Take honest stock: Is your daily life supporting your meditation practice, or working against it? 'Proper means' (upāyataḥ) includes not just sitting meditation but right lifestyle, right association, right study, and right attitude. The entire fabric of your life is the field of yoga.