Gita 06.01 explained

Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya

BG Chapter 06 overview

Fifth Chapter ended with Ashtanga yoga in verse 05.27 & 05.28, and 05.29 was Bhakti Yoga.

Astanga yoga will be described in chapter 06. This chapter is called Dhyana Yoga.

Chp 6 Overview

1-9: From Aruruksha (beginning stage) to Arudha stage (advanced Stage) (Advancement in ashtanga yoga)

If we envision a ladder, Aruruksha is at the point of climbing the ladder. Arudha is the state where one is situated on the ladder. Ratha Rudha implies the charioteer is situated on the chariot. For example, Lord Vishu is known as Garudarudha situated on Garuda. Aruruksha is one who started climbing.

Chapter overview (verse-wise)

• 1 to 9 process by which one can renounce the world.
• In Dhayan Yoga one renounces the world and focus exclusively on meditation. There is some preliminary purification that is required which is described in 06.01 to 06.09.
• 10-32: From practice to perfection in yoga
• 10-32 defines how one will achieve perfection when one is practicing yoga.
• 10-15: Realization of Brahman
• 16-23: Realization of Parmatama
• 24-32: Realization of Bhagavan
• 33-37: Dealing with the mind, the main obstacle in yoga
• 38-45: If the mind deviates from yogi, what is his destination?
• 46-47: The topmost yogi fixes his mind on Krishna

Here after an elaborate description of Dhyana Yoga, Sri Krishna comes to the conclusion that Bhakti Yoga is the best and highest. This will set the scene for Chapter 07 when He will start speaking about Bhakti Yoga.

So this chapter will slowly take the yoga ladder towards perfection of mind in Sri Krishna, and the next chapter describes alternate ways for attaining the same perfection.

1-9: From Arurukshato (beginning stage) To Arudha stage (advance Stage) (Advancement in astang yoga)

Bg 6.1

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ

kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ

sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca

na niragnir na cākriyaḥ

Word for word:

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Lord said; anāśritaḥ — without taking shelter; karma-phalam — of the result of work; kāryam — obligatory; karma — work; karoti — performs; yaḥ — one who; saḥ — he; sannyāsī — in the renounced order; ca — also; yogī — mystic; ca — also; na — not; niḥ — without; agniḥ — fire; na — nor; ca — also; akriyaḥ — without duty.

Translation:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no duty.

Detachment from fruitive activity

Karma Yogi performs his obligatory work for purification, but stays detached from worldly things.

anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ, one who does the work without taking ashray of phalam. In this world people want to work and they need motivation for the work. So what is the motivation? The motivation is the fruit. And they take Ashray of the fruit. For e.g. captain of the winning team in the World Cup says, it was his childhood dream to hold the World Cup. This is ashritam karma-phalam—one is taking shelter of the fruit of the work.

BG is not against doing things of this world, it is not against achievements. But if those outer achievements alone are our motivation, then we will not get any inner spiritual development through that outer achievement. And that will not necessarily take us closer to Sri Krishna.

Here Sri Krishna is talking about Karma Yogis. A pure devotee may offer everything in Sri Krishna’s service that is different. But a Karma Yogi’s main thing is detaching oneself from worldly things.

So Karma yogis definition as discussed in 5.11 is

kāyena manasā buddhyā

kevalair indriyair api

yoginaḥ karma kurvanti

saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma-śuddhaye

So ātma-śuddhaye, A yogi works primarily for purification not for Phala (fruits or results). So Sri Krishna is saying, what yogis have to do in the beginning anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ — detachement from fruitive activity.

And then kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, kāryaṁ means prescribed duty. Understanding this is my obligatory duty, karma karoti, what I am obliged to do, I will do that. sa sannyāsī, such a person is Sannyasi, ca yogī ca, such a person is renunciate and also yogi.

It is interesting that Sri Krishna has used two words Sanyas and Yoga together. Such a person is sanyasi and Yogi also. If we remember in 5th Chapter Sri Krishna has referred, Sanyas and Yoga as two different paths. And in 3rd Chapter, He has referred to them as almost opposite.

Sanyas and Yoga

BG 5.6 Sanyas ≠ Yoga

In 5th Chapter Sri Krishna has referred Sanyas tu Mahabahu Dukam Aptopap tatha, yoga yukarena Brahma Acherena adi gachati (BG 5.6) He talked Sanyas and Yoga as two distinct process. He has said both processes ultimately lead to the same destination. But a person who tries to practice Sanyas alone without yoga, then what happens? Dhukam Apta Yogata—afflicted by distress without engaging in devotional service.

Alternatively, one who practices Yoga—yoga yukta muner Brahma, Na cherena adi gachati— not after a long time or soon such a person engaged in devotion will attain perfection. So in that sense Krishna has talked about two different processes. Now he is saying essentially it is same. Ca Sanyasi Ca Yogi Ca, so who is such a person who is sanyasi and yogi, till now Sri Krishna has used yogi for those who do Karma Yoga.

Who is a Yogi? We generally think yogi means the person doing yogasana and generally when yoga is used alone most people think about yoga marg—the person who does astang yoga. But Sri Krishna has not talked about astang yoga till now; whenever He has used the word Yoga, He has used it in connection to the prescribed duty. Through connection with the prescribed duty one connects to the absolute truth.

BG 6.1 Sanyas = Yoga

Lord Krishna is saying here that both Sanyas and Yoga are similar. Sanyas points to disconnection from the material world, and yoga denotes connection to the absolute truth that can be done in various ways and one such way is by doing one’s prescribed work.

Then such a person is sanyasi and yogi, Sri Krishna will clarify how such a person is the same in the next verse but he is using na niragnir na cākriyaḥ. So who is sanyasi the person who works not the person who does not works and not working. Sri Krishna talks in two ways na cākriyaḥ, the person who does not do Kriya, such a person is not the actual yogi or sanyasi and among various prescribed duties which a grihasta has to do one prominent prescribed duty is Agni, lighting the sacrificial fire. Obviously in Kaliyuga we don’t light the sacrificial fire, instead we chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. na cākriyaḥ it’s not that one doesn’t work, instead one is required to do their prescribed duty. And prescribed duty involves lighting the fire, so that Yajna can be performed. In 3rd Ch Sri Krishna has talked about one who does not do Yajna …. Yagna is important and Sri Krishna is telling right in the beginning of 6th chapter, one should not give up Yajna and one should not give up lighting the fire in the name of renunciation.

Who is a Perfect Yogi?

Sril Prabhupada Purport: The parts of the body work for the satisfaction of the whole body. The limbs of the body do not act for self-satisfaction, but for the satisfaction of the complete whole. Similarly, the living entity who acts for satisfaction of the supreme whole and not for personal satisfaction is the perfect sannyāsī, the Perfect Yogī.

Because a Perfect Yogi is free from selfish desires. So freedom from selfish desire is Sannyas, and desire for selfless service to the absolute truth is yoga, that is how the person is a Sanyasi and a Yogi.

Srila Prabhupada Purport: Lord Chaitanya, the highest perceptional symbol of renunciation. As a gem of renunciation, He talks about the sanyas ashram.

We can see this teaching in following verse of Shikshashtakam prayer

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

This is what people in general aspire for. They want wealth, they want followers, they want enjoyable association of opposite sex / attractive members of opposite sex basically sexual pleasure.

kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye

Kavitam refers to fame, praise, learning, these things people want, these things are defined as success but Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, “I don’t want any of these things.” This is extraordinary prayers of Pure Devotion. So in one sense the first part of this verse is talking about sanyas, “I don’t want any of these things, Kavitam Va Jagadish Kammave. If I don’t want all these things, What do I want? bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi – unconditional devotion.”

Sanyas means rejection and yoga means connection. Sri Chaitanya is saying, “I want always connected with devotion,” mama janmani janmanīśvare, even though I have to go through many lifetimes, bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi, I want to be fixed in devotion.

What is the nature of that devotion? Ahaitukī, un-motivated devotion that means this connection with Lord I don’t want this to be conditional, because Lord does this for me so I will do devotion to Him; instead, Ahaitukī–without any cause that’s selfless. This is an example of sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca, one who is disconnected from the world and connected with absolute truth.