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Chapter 6

Chapter 6 · Verse 2

Dhyana Yoga

ध्यानयोग

यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव | न ह्यसंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन ||६-२||

yaṃ saṃnyāsamiti prāhuryogaṃ taṃ viddhi pāṇḍava . na hyasaṃnyastasaṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana ||6-2||

In plain words

Sankalpa is the working of the imagining faculty of the mind that makes plans for the future and guesses the results of plans so formed. No one can become a Karma Yogi who plans and schemes and expects fruits for his actions. No devotee of action who has not renounced the thought of the fruits of his actions can become a Yogi of steady mind.

Translation

6.2 That which is called Sannyasa (Jnana Yoga), know that to be Yoga (Karma Yoga), O Arjuna. For (among Karma Yogins) no one whose delusive identification of the body with the self is not abandoned, becomes a true Karma Yogin.

Meaning

Sankalpa is the working of the imagining faculty of the mind that makes plans for the future and guesses the results of plans so formed. No one can become a Karma Yogi who plans and schemes and expects fruits for his actions. No devotee of action who has not renounced the thought of the fruits of his actions can become a Yogi of steady mind. The thought of the fruits will certainly make the mind unsteady. Lord Krishna eulogises Karma Yoga here because it is the means or an external aid (Bahiranga Sadhana) to Dhyana Yoga. Karma Yoga is a steppingstone to Dhyana Yoga. It leads to the Yoga of Meditation in due course. In order to encourage the practice of Karna Yoga it is stated here that Karma Yoga is Sannyasa. (Cf. V.4)

Word by word

यम् which संन्यासम् renunciation इति thus प्राहुः (they) call योगम् Yoga तम् that विद्धि know पाण्डव O Pandava न not हि verily असंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पः one who has not renounced thoughts योगी Yogi भवति becomes कश्चन anyone.