Gita 06.24 – Determination means rejection of dejection

Audio Link: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/gita-06-24-determination-means-rejection-of-dejection/

sa niścayena yoktavyo
yogo ’nirviṇṇa-cetasā
saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs
tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ
manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ
viniyamya samantataḥ (Bg 6.24)

Word-for-word:
saḥ — that; niścayena — with firm determination; yoktavyaḥ — must be practiced; yogaḥ — yoga system; anirviṇṇa-cetasā — without deviation; saṅkalpa — mental speculations; prabhavān — born of; kāmān — material desires; tyaktvā — giving up; sarvān — all; aśeṣataḥ — completely; manasā — by the mind; eva — certainly; indriya-grāmam — the full set of senses; viniyamya — regulating; samantataḥ — from all sides.

Translation:
One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with determination and faith and not be deviated from the path. One should abandon, without exception, all material desires born of mental speculation and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind.

Explanation:
In the sixth chapter, Kṛṣṇa presents a kind of ascent–descent alternation between the sādhana stage and the siddha stage. With each shift, He raises the description of the siddha stage to a higher level while deepening the explanation of the sādhana stage. For example, when He begins with śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya (Bg 6.11), He primarily speaks about externals—sitting in a secluded place and establishing oneself on an āsana.

From there, He moves to the stage of perfection, stating: mat-saṁsthām adhigacchati—the yogī always engaged in this way attains My nature. This represents one level, or one phase, of yogic perfection. Then, Kṛṣṇa again turns back to the sādhaka stage, explaining nāty-aśnatas tu yogo ’sti (Bg 6.16) and yuktāhāra-vihārasya (6.17)—that yoga is possible only when one is regulated in eating, sleeping, and other daily activities.

From there, He proceeds to the state of yogic perfection described up to verse 23: yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ—once one attains this, there is nothing further to be achieved. Then, once again, Kṛṣṇa returns, in one sense, to the sādhana stage, emphasizing: sa niścayena yoktavyo—therefore, one should practice with determination. From this point, He moves forward to describe perfection at a higher level, one that is a more devotionally explicit stage. In verse 6.30, He declares: yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra—very direct and personal words of devotion.

Essentially, through these alternating shifts, Kṛṣṇa accomplishes two things. He goes deeper in His explanation of sādhana—the process of practice—and at the same time, He elevates the description of sādhya—the ultimate goal to be attained.

In His initial description of sādhana, Kṛṣṇa emphasized externals—going to a secluded place, sitting properly, preparing an āsana, and so on. Later, He turned to habits one should cultivate at the bodily level, such as eating and sleeping in a regulated manner. Now, once again addressing the sādhana stage, Kṛṣṇa shifts the focus to managing the inner battle. This has been mentioned earlier, but here His emphasis becomes more direct.

Kṛṣṇa says sa niścayena yoktavyo—practice yoga with determination—and yogo ’nirviṇṇa-cetasā—with a mind free from dejection or distraction. The term “nirviṇṇa” can refer to dejection or, more broadly, to distraction. While dejection is one form of distraction, distractions can take many forms. Here, Kṛṣṇa emphasizes maintaining focus—do not get distracted—and to practice yoga with firm determination.

One can easily become distracted, both by the many distractions in the external world and by the turbulence of the mind. In addition, feelings of dejection may arise. The path of yoga is not always easy to follow, and one may encounter failures or disappointments. If these setbacks occur repeatedly, they can lead to a sense of discouragement or dejection.

Hence, Kṛṣṇa advises not to be dejected—anirviṇṇa-cetasā. If we connect this with the previous thought, the two can even be seen as a single, continuous idea, revealing a profound meaning. Kṛṣṇa then describes one level of perfection in yoga when He says duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam (Bg 6.23)—yoga provides disconnection from the association with misery, bringing an end to suffering. Certainly, the cessation of misery is a truly glorious goal, especially for one who is experiencing distress.

Just as a person suffering from a serious illness trusts the doctor’s instructions—follow this treatment carefully for three months, and you will be cured—so too should a practitioner not become dejected. In the previous verse, Kṛṣṇa assures that progress will occur. Therefore, one should engage in practice with determination—sa niścayena yoktavyo. True determination involves rejecting dejection.

Often, when we feel dejected, we say: “It’s too difficult; my circumstances are too challenging; I cannot do this.” Determination, however, means refusing to accept the negative mindset. Instead, one affirms: “No, I will not think this way. I will not allow myself to become dejected. I will not let my consciousness succumb to despair.”

The foundation for such determination—niścaya—lies in Kṛṣṇa’s promise that sorrow and misery will ultimately come to an end. This is undeniably a goal worth striving for. Just as we eagerly pursue something when we know it is valuable and glorious, so too should we approach the path of yoga with enthusiasm.

In the same way, Kṛṣṇa urges Arjuna to pursue this path with determination, assuring him that by doing so he will attain something truly glorious—the cessation of misery.

What it means to overcome distraction or dejection is explained in the next part of the verse: saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ. Here, kāmāṁs refers to material desires or desires for worldly enjoyment. When the desire for enjoyment crystallizes into a firm intention, it becomes nearly irreversible. Once we decide to act wrongly, the internal safeguards against misconduct have already been weakened. Intelligence serves as our inner guard, protecting us from such wrong actions.

It is similar to a fort under attack. If there is a wall meant to hold back the enemy, and the enemy has already reached the second wall, it indicates that the first wall has already been breached.

Similarly, our intelligence acts as the guarding wall between temptation and intention. We may feel tempted to act in a certain way, but that does not mean we must give in—we can still say no. However, once we say yes and make a firm decision to act, the temptation transforms into intention.

Here, Kṛṣṇa advises not to allow desires for enjoyment to develop into saṅkalpas—firm intentions. Instead, before they solidify into intentions, one should tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ—completely give them up, without exception.

Earlier, in the second chapter, Kṛṣṇa explained how even a single sense can lead to a downfall: indriyāṇāṁ hi caratāṁ yan mano ’nuvidhīyate tad asya harati prajñāṁ vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi (Bg 2.67). Just as a strong wind can carry away a boat, the wandering of even one sense can mislead the mind. Similarly, here Kṛṣṇa emphasizes that even one desire can cause distraction; therefore, all desires for worldly enjoyment should be completely given up.

For a yogī, having decided to renounce the material world and turn toward the spiritual, it is natural that all desires must be given up. For devotees, the approach is slightly different: we give up sinful desires, while aligning or dovetailing those desires that can be spiritualized—those that can be harmonized with devotion.

Kṛṣṇa then says manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ viniyamya samantataḥ: with the mind, control the senses on all sides. The word “samantataḥ” conveys “in all ways, on all sides, on all fronts.” One should not allow the senses to engage in gratification. The sense of “on all fronts” is expressed here by samantataḥ, while the earlier part of the verse is conveyed by aśeṣataḥ. In other words, from within the mind, there should be no desires—this is internal cleansing—and outwardly, one must control the senses to prevent any indulgence in sense enjoyment.

It is similar to a fort under attack during a war. If invaders manage to break down even a single gate, it can prove disastrous, for once they enter, they can cause widespread devastation. The fort represents the defense against such an intrusion.

In the same way, Kṛṣṇa emphasizes that we must not leave any openings for the enemy to exploit. One should be thorough, ensuring there are no opportunities for failure—internally by giving up all desires (tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ) and externally by controlling the senses with the mind (manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ viniyamya samantataḥ). The fewer openings we leave, the lower the chance of a fall. If no openings remain, the probability of failure becomes zero. In this way, Kṛṣṇa explains how one can avoid dejection.

The previous verse explained that yoga is so glorious that it can free one from all misery. Therefore, it should be practiced with determination and without distraction or dejection. Whatever causes distraction or dejection must be addressed: internally, it is the desires—these should be completely given up; externally, it is the senses, which perceive sense objects and trigger desires—these must be controlled on all sides.

In this way, by remaining vigilant and guarding the territory of our consciousness against intruders—whether they are desires or sensory perceptions that provoke desire—we, as seekers, can remain steadfast on the spiritual path and ultimately attain spiritual perfection.

Thank you.