The Yoga of Self-Subdual

Ātma-saṁyama-yoga

Lift the self by the Self, still the mind like a lamp in a windless place, and in that stillness find the One who is never lost to you. — The Delight of Krishna

The soul enters in

brahmanirvāṇa — the ego extinguished in the Brahman, and the Brahman found all about the soul

and is led towards

śraddhāvān bhajate — the inmost self given to the Divine in love and faith

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Recitations

Swami Sarvagananda ji0:00
Ashit Desai0:00

In this chapter

47 verses

Summary of chapter 6

Nirvana and Works In the World - This chapter is a full development of the idea of the closing verses of the fifth, that shows the importance which the Gita attaches to them.

Chapter 6 illustration, titled आत्मसंयमयोगः — Illustration · Sushanto Nath, Sri Aurobindo Society

Chapter outline

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The verses

Showing verses 46–47 of 47 · Show all 47 verses

6·1अनाश्रितः कर्मफलं कार्यं कर्म करोति यः । स संन्न्यासी च योगी च न निरग्निर्न चाक्रियः ॥ १ ॥anāśritaḥ karmaphalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa saṁnyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnirna cākriyaḥ.Whoever does the work to be done without resort to its fruits, he is the Sannyasin and the Yogin, not the man…
6·2यं संन्न्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव । न ह्यसंन्न्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन ॥ २ ॥yaṁ saṁnnyāsamiti prāhuryogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava, na hyasaṁnnyastasaṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana.What they have called renunciation (Sannyasa), know to be in truth Yoga, O Pandava…
6·3आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते । योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते ॥ ३ ॥ārurukṣormuneryogaṁ karma kāraṇamucyate, yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇamucyate.For a sage who is ascending the hill of Yoga, action is the cause…
6·4यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते । सर्वसङ्कल्पसंन्न्यासी योगारूढस्तदोच्यते ॥ ४ ॥yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasvanuṣajjate, sarvasaṅkalpasaṁnnyāsī yogārūḍhastadocyate.When one does not get attached to the objects of sense or to works and has renounced all will of desire in the…
6·5, a key verseउद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् । आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥ ५ ॥uddharedātmanātmānaṁ nātmānamavasādayet, ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ.By the self thou shouldst deliver the self, thou shouldst not depress and cast down the self (whether by…
6·6बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः । अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ॥ ६ ॥bandhurātmātmanastasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ, anātmanastu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat.To the man is his self a friend in whom the (lower) self has been conquered by the (higher) self, but to him…
6·7जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः । शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः ॥ ७ ॥jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ, śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ.When one has conquered one’s self and attained to the calm of a perfect self-mastery and self-possession, then…
6·8ज्ञानविज्ञानतृप्तात्मा कूटस्थो विजितेन्द्रियः । युक्त इत्युच्यते योगी समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः ॥ ८ ॥jñānavijñānatṛptātmā kūṭastho vijitendriyaḥ, yukta ityucyate yogī samaloṣṭāśmakāṁcanaḥ.The Yogin, who is satisfied with self-knowledge, tranquil and self-poised, master of his senses, regarding…
6·9सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु । साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते ॥ ९ ॥suhṛnmitrāryudāsīnamadhyasthadveṣyabandhuṣu, sādhuṣvapi ca pāpeṣu samabuddhirviśiṣyate.He who is equal in soul to friend and enemy and to neutral and indifferent, also to sinner and saint, he…
6·10योगी युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थितः । एकाकी यतचित्तात्मा निराशीरपरिग्रहः ॥ १० ॥yogī yuñjīta satatamātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ, ekākī yatacittātmā nirāśīraparigrahaḥ.Let the Yogin practise continually union with the Self (so that that may become his normal consciousness)…
6·11शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मनः । नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् ॥ ११ ॥śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiramāsanamātmanaḥ, nātyucchritaṁ nātinīcaṁ cailājinakuśottaram.He should set in a pure spot his firm seat, neither too high, nor yet too low, covered with a cloth, with a…
6·12तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः । उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये ॥ १२ ॥tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā yatacittendriyakriyaḥ, upaviśyāsane yuñjyādyogamātmaviśuddhaye.Seated there with a concentrated mind and with the workings of the mental consciousness and the senses under…
6·13समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः । संप्रेक्ष्य नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश्चानवलोकयन् ॥ १३ ॥samaṁ kāyaśirogrīvaṁ dhārayannacalaṁ sthiraḥ, saṁprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśaścānavalokayan.Holding the body, head and neck erect, motionless (the posture proper to the practice of Rajayoga), the vision…
6·14प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थितः । मनः संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्परः ॥ १४ ॥praśāntātmā vigatabhīrbrahmacārivrate sthitaḥ, manaḥ saṁyamya maccitto yukta āsīta matparaḥ.The mind kept calm and free from fear and the vow of Brahmacharya observed, the whole controlled mentality…
6·15युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी नियतमानसः । शान्तिं निर्वाणपरमां मत्संस्थामधिगच्छति ॥ १५ ॥yuñjannevaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī niyatamānasaḥ, śāntiṁ nirvāṇaparamāṁ matsaṁsthāmadhigacchati.Thus always putting himself in Yoga by control of his mind, the Yogin attains to the supreme peace of Nirvana…
6·16नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नतः । न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ॥ १६ ॥nātyaśnatastu yogo’sti na caikāntamanaśnataḥ, na cātisvapnaśīlasya jāgrato naiva cārjuna.Verily this Yoga is not for him who eats too much or sleeps too much, even as it is not for him who gives up…
6·17युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु । युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ॥ १७ ॥yuktāhāravihārasya yuktaceṣṭasya karmasu, yuktasvapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkhahā.Yoga destroys all sorrow for him in whom the sleep and waking, the food, the play, the putting forth of effort…
6·18यदा विनियतं चित्तमात्मन्येवावतिष्ठते । निःस्पृहः सर्वकामेभ्यो युक्त इत्युच्यते तदा ॥ १८ ॥yadā viniyataṁ cittamātmanyevāvatiṣṭhate, niḥspṛhaḥ sarvakāmebhyo yukta ityucyate tadā.When all the mental consciousness is perfectly controlled and liberated from desire and remains still in the…
6·19, a key verseयथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता । योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः ॥ १९ ॥yathā dīpo nivātastho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā, yogino yatacittasya yuñjato yogamātmanaḥ.Motionless like the light of lamp in a windless place is the controlled consciousness (free from its restless…
6·20यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया । यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति ॥ २० ॥yatroparamate cittaṁ niruddhaṁ yogasevayā, yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyannātmani tuṣyati.That in which the mind becomes silent and still by the practice of Yoga…
6·21सुखमात्यन्तिकं यत्तद् बुद्धिग्राह्यमतीन्द्रियम् । वेत्ति यत्र न चैवायं स्थितश्चलति तत्त्वतः ॥ २१ ॥sukhamātyantikaṁ yattad buddhigrāhyamatīndriyam, vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaścalati tattvataḥ.That in which the soul knows its own true and exceeding bliss, which is perceived by the intelligence and is…
6·22यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः । यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते ॥ २२ ॥yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ, yasminsthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate.That is the greatest of all gains and treasure beside which all lose their value, wherein established he is…
6·23तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम् । स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा ॥ २३ ॥taṁ vidyād duḥkhasaṁyogaviyogaṁ yogasaṁjñitam. sa niścayena yoktavyo yogo’nirviṇṇacetasā,It is the putting away of the contact with pain, the divorce of the mind’s marriage with grief.
6·24संकल्पप्रभवान्कामांस्त्यक्त्वा सर्वानशेषतः । मनसैवेन्द्रियग्रामं विनियम्य समन्ततः ॥ २४ ॥saṅkalpaprabhavānkāmāṁstyaktvā sarvānaśeṣataḥ, manasaivendriyagrāmaṁ viniyamya samantataḥ.Abandoning without any exception or residue all the desires born of the desire-will and holding the senses by…
6·25शनैः शनैरुपरमेद् बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया । आत्मसंस्थं मनः कृत्वा न किंचिदपि चिन्तयेत् ॥ २५ ॥śanaiḥ śanairuparamed buddhyā dhṛtigṛhītayā, ātmasaṁsthaṁ manaḥ kṛtvā na kiṁcidapi cintayet.One should slowly cease from mental action by a buddhi held in the grasp of fixity, and having fixed the mind…
6·26यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चंचलमस्थिरम् । ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ॥ २६ ॥yato yato niścarati manaścaṁcalamasthiram, tatastato niyamyaitadātmanyeva vaśaṁ nayet.Whenever the restless and unquiet mind goes forth, it should be controlled and brought into subjection in the…
6·27प्रशान्तमनसं ह्येनं योगिनं सुखमुत्तमम् । उपैति शान्तरजसं ब्रह्मभूतमकल्मषम् ॥ २७ ॥praśāntamanasaṁ hyenaṁ yoginaṁ sukhamuttamam, upaiti śāntarajasaṁ brahmabhūtamakalmaṣam.When the mind is thoroughly quieted, then there comes upon the Yogin the highest, stainless, passionless bliss…
6·28युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी विगतकल्मषः । सुखेन ब्रह्मसंस्पर्शमत्यन्तं सुखमश्नुते ॥ २८ ॥yuñjannevaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī vigatakalmaṣaḥ, sukhena brahmasaṁsparśamatyantaṁ sukhamaśnute.Thus freed from stain of passion and putting himself constantly into Yoga, the Yogin easily and happily enjoys…
6·29, a key verseसर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि । ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः ॥ २९ ॥sarvabhūtasthamātmānaṁ sarvabhūtāni cātmani, īkṣate yogayuktātmā sarvatra samadarśanaḥ.The man whose self is in Yoga, sees the self in all beings and all beings in the self, he is equal-visioned…
6·30, a key verseयो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति । तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति ॥ ३० ॥yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati, tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśyāmi sa ca me na praṇaśyati.He who sees Me everywhere and sees all in Me, to him I do not get lost, nor does he get lost to Me.
6·31सर्वभूतस्थितं यो मां भजत्येकत्वमास्थितः । सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि स योगी मयि वर्तते ॥ ३१ ॥sarvabhūtasthitaṁ yo māṁ bhajatyekatvamāsthitaḥ, sarvathā vartamāno’pi sa yogī mayi vartate.The Yogin who has taken his stand upon oneness and loves Me in all beings, however and in all ways he lives…
6·32आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन । सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं स योगी परमो मतः ॥ ३२ ॥ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśyati yo’rjuna, sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ.He, O Arjuna, who sees with equality everything in the image of the self whether it be grief or it be…

Śrī Bhagavān uvācaश्रीभगवानुवाच

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End of the chapter

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सुब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादेआत्मसंयमयोगो नाम षष्ठोऽध्यायः ॥ ६॥

om tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsubrahmavidyāyāṁ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṁvādeātmasaṁyamayogo nāma ṣaṣṭho’dhyāyaḥ

Thus, in the Upanishad sung by the Lord, the science of Brahman, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the sixth chapter entitled “The Yoga of Self-control”

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