Gita 06.11 – Seek a balance between externals and internals

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śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya
sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ
nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ
cailājina-kuśottaram (Bg 6.11)

Word-for-word:
śucau — in a sanctified; deśe — land; pratiṣṭhāpya — placing; sthiram — firm; āsanam — seat; ātmanaḥ — his own; na — not; ati — too; ucchritam — high; na — nor; ati — too; nīcam — low; caila-ajina — of soft cloth and deerskin; kuśa — and kuśa grass; uttaram — covering

Translation:
In a clean place, one should establish a firm seat for oneself. It should not be too high nor too low, and it should be covered with cloth, deerskin, and kuśa grass.

Explanation:
Kṛṣṇa now begins to describe the process by which one practices aṣṭāṅga-yoga, especially in the renounced stage. Prior to this, He explained that one should initially remain in the world and learn to control the mind. At that stage, work serves as the means of progress.

Once the mind is brought under control, then a peaceful mind—coupled with inner exploration, absorption, and meditation—becomes the means of advancement. For such progress, outer renunciation is required, and that is what is described in this verse.

śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya: Establishing oneself in a clean and pure place. Yogīs often choose places such as the Himalayas, Haridwar, or Vṛndāvana.
sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ: Sitting on a steady seat.
nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ: Neither too high nor too low.
cailājina-kuśottaram: Covered with soft cloth, deerskin, and kuśa grass.

The point here is that although aṣṭāṅga-yoga is an internal process aimed at going deep within to discover the inner reality—ultimately, the Supersoul—even such inner discovery requires conducive external conditions.

If one is in a city or in a crowded, noisy urban environment, one may still practice yoga for the sake of improving health or perhaps gaining some peace of mind. However, that kind of practice will not take one deep within. For serious yoga, meant for a profound inner journey and discovery, favorable external circumstances are essential.

Here, Kṛṣṇa describes several external factors that are conducive for yoga practice. He states that the place must be clean and pure (śucau) and that one should sit on a steady seat (sthiram āsanam). If the ground is slippery or uneven, it will cause discomfort while sitting, and when there is external discomfort, it becomes difficult to focus inward.

He then says nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ—if the seat is too high, one may be distracted by looking outward at whatever is moving or happening nearby, engaging in “sight-seeing” instead of “soul-seeing” by turning inwards. If the seat is too low, then insects, wildlife, and other creatures slithering on the ground may crawl onto the yogī, forcing him to endure the disturbance, push them away, or otherwise deal with the distraction. In this way, focus is lost.

To prevent such disturbances, some practical measures are recommended. Hence it is said cailājina-kuśottaram—cover the seat with cloth, deerskin, and kuśa grass. The deerskin is said to repel many kinds of insects and reptiles that crawl along the forest floor, and in some cases, it is even believed to keep snakes away.

The jungle may at first seem like an idyllic place for meditation because there is no agitating human presence, but in reality, it can also be a hostile environment. Generally, yogīs do not meditate in the middle of the jungle itself. Rather, they establish hermitages within the forest—relatively safe sanctuaries in the wilderness—where they prepare their āsanas.

We often use the phrase “law of the jungle” to describe savage or even cutthroat competition, and that is indeed what the jungle represents. Thus, when yogīs go to the forest, they do not remain in its midst but live in hermitages constructed there. Such hermitages provide relatively safe zones, free from the congestion, distractions, and materialism of city life. By residing in such places, yogīs are able to concentrate on their inner journey.

The purpose of arranging an appropriate outer situation is to facilitate the inner journey—directing one’s consciousness inward, ultimately toward the discovery of the Supersoul within.

There are two misguided attitudes regarding the relationship between externals and internals. One attitude is to consider the externals all-important, obsessing over getting them exactly right. One may think that without perfect externals, it will be impossible to cultivate the internals. Worse still, one may assume that simply by arranging the externals properly, the internals will automatically fall into place and no further effort is required. This is one extreme—an excessive obsession with the externals.

The other extreme is to think that only the internals matter and the externals are of no importance. The flaw in this reasoning is that our externals do, in fact, influence our internals. For example, if a student lies down to study, especially when already tired, the likelihood is that the student will soon fall asleep. The seriousness and sharpness required for study are rarely possible in a posture that is relaxed and conducive to sleep, such as lying down. Of course, there can be exceptions, but exceptions are just that—they are not the standard.

In general, the externals do influence the internals. Therefore, the balanced attitude is neither to give such importance to the externals that one forgets the internals, nor to trivialize the externals to the point of completely neglecting them. In such neglect, the attempt to focus on the internals often becomes illusory or self-congratulatory, where one thinks, “I am so advanced that I don’t need externals to pursue the internals.” Yet in reality, little internal progress is made because the necessary external environment to support and stimulate the inner journey is lacking.

In today’s times, when one practices yoga, a proper place is still necessary. However, specifics such as soft cloth, deerskin, and kuśa grass (cailājina-kuśottaram) may not be required if one is practicing at home, where there is little possibility of insects or reptiles. The details may vary, but the principle remains the same—one must withdraw from the outer world, with its materialism, distractions, and passion, and focus on the inner world to facilitate inner discovery. That is the essence of yoga.

Thank you.